Daking 52270b Mic Pre/EQ as Good as Trident A Range?

[Synthnerd]

Doing a search on these I see a lot on the classifieds. These are pretty cheap for a good pre and 4 band eq combo. Is this a case of 'you get what you pay for" or are these really as good as much more expensive pre/eq combos in terms of quality? I'm particularly interested in the EQ section. How is it? Especially for groups/mixes?

I read they are modeled after Trident A range. I have never heard the Trident but that comparison gets me hyped as people RAVE about the A-range. Do the Dakings compare favorably? Or are they a pale imitation?

[Synthnerd]

I just found this thread which is interesting, with some comments about A-range vs Daking:
Trident A Range

[Synthnerd]

I think I read somebody on tapeop descibe them as mushy. Would you call that description accurate?

[jchadstopherhuez]

Originally Posted by Synthnerd

I think I read somebody on tapeop descibe them as mushy. Would you call that description accurate?

hmmm...i would not be able to call my dakings mushy in any way.

i love the daking 52270's. to me, they get cover anything i need to record....they are my most used preamps. sonically, i find them to fall in between a neve and api...i feel that they have the musicality of the neve, with the punch of the api.

obviously, these are all very subjective, descriptive terms. you really just have to try one and see if it works for you. i have owned and used neve 1064's, 1272's, api, trident 80, hardy, sytek, chandler, etc..etc....i chose to have a rack of daking preamps...they just work for me.

they are very similar to the trident a-range....but different. i have compared the eq's on the daking with a trident a-range eq (at smart studios)...and they are VERY similar...i did find that with extreme boosts...the a-range sounded smoother to me. which is not always what you want. one of the things i completely love about the daking is the eq...particularly the midrange...and specifically on guitars.

i track most guitars with a re15, a sm57, sm7, or ribbon mic into the daking....i never have complaints about any guitar sounds i get. i almost always have a pair of my dakings on my guitars when mixing. something about the daking eqs that just make guitars sound right to me.

i also love the dakings on drums...great transient response. i always have them on kick, snare, and overheads. with ribbons, a bit of high end from the daking eq is all i need to have a great overhead sound.

when i am mixing in the box...i often run my stereo mix out through a pair of my daking modules for the sound of the transformers and a bit of eq. i've even done this when mixing on a nice console...i just like what the transformers sound like. i have the older vertical modules...and its fun to drive the input gain high to get a bit of distortion. sounds really cool to me.

really, i use them on everything...vocals, bass, gtrs, cello, piano...etc..etc. i produce a wide variety of music...and need to get ALOT of sounds...i find the dakings to cover ALOT of ground for me...musically, and sonically.

they are great preamps. really amazing, actually...when you consider their price point. you get a great preamp and a killer eq for about 1300 bucks.

i'm not convinced that hearing examples of stuff done with any piece of gear can really tell you if it is right for you......that being said...here are some projects i can think of that i produced recently using dakings on most sources...always on kick,snare, overheads, guitars, bass, and vocals.

HAYWARD WILLIAMS on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Videos

The Ragadors on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Videos

Missile Silo Suite on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Videos

Matthew Davies on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Videos

The Strange on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Videos

cheers,

jchristopherhughes

[j2dafo]

um... what he said. and you might as well get the Daking Fet comp to go with it.

I worked with a producer that has single digit serial number vertical Daking's and I believe he did say the Mr. Daking took apart a Trident for inspiration.

[beats workin']

I'll play slipperman here:

"Dakings are mushy"

leave it to the internet.

HO HO HO

LMFAO

Idiots. Who are they? Where do they live? Why do they waste our time?

Daking makes wonderful preamps
Try a Daking and Find out for yourself.

Hit me with a roll of console tape
stab me with a patch cable.

[robmix]

Originally Posted by j2dafo

um... what he said. and you might as well get the Daking Fet comp to go with it.

I worked with a producer that has single digit serial number vertical Daking's and I believe he did say the Mr. Daking took apart a Trident for inspiration.

Geoff didn't take them apart, he actually bought the plans and the rights to the A-Range. The only thing different is the transformer which is now a Jensen.

As to the OP, they're great. I'd put them in the same league as Neve, API, etc. I liked them so much I bought a console full, and got rid of most of my outboard pre's. I love 'em, and wouldn't trade for anything else.

[Jesse Skeens]

Originally Posted by mixman499

when i am mixing in the box...i often run my stereo mix out through a pair of my daking modules for the sound of the transformers and a bit of eq. i've even done this when mixing on a nice console...i just like what the transformers sound like. i have the older vertical modules...and its fun to drive the input gain high to get a bit of distortion. sounds really cool to me.


jchristopherhughes

Sent you a message about this but might as well repost it here as I just realized this thread isn't too old yet..

When you go out of your DAW to the Dakings for running the mix through are you going right into the line input or stepping down level and using the mic one?

[analogrules]

Originally Posted by Synthnerd

I read they are modeled after Trident A range. I have never heard the Trident but that comparison gets me hyped as people RAVE about the A-range. Do the Dakings compare favorably? Or are they a pale imitation?

I just want to comment on the Trident A Range since you seem interested. If you could A-B the real Trident mic pre/eq modules to any of the other products out there - you would definitely hear the difference. The quality of the sound created by the Trident is without a doubt the benchmark. The companies that have insinuated a connection to the original A Range are rather interesting since we happen to know that the schematics that were provided by Trident Audio Developments in the 1970's do not even match the actual original design. So, I wonder what people are buying or licensing?

The other oddity of the Trident design is that if you examine it closely, it could even appear to be faulty. When you put it on a scope, it could easily be misdiagnosed. But, if you listen to it, it creates a sound unmatched. Remember, these things have a frequency response that goes up to light.

Just to be clear - we are talking original A Range. Subsequent Trident products have their own followings, but have never achieved the A Range class. It is truly in a class of its own.

Now, price-wise, you probably do get what you pay for. Original Trident modules are expensive because they are a rarity. Cherokee is selling some from their studio 3 board and once in a while channels change hands on Ebay. Since they are in limited supply with high demand, you will unlikely see the price ever drop. The flip side to spending more money though, is that you can always get your money back out. I don't know how the other brands compare in the resale market.

With original Tridents, your investment will do at least better than the stock market!