if you could only use one mic-pre for vocals

[assassin]

i know this has been discussed before but:

if you had to choose one
$1500-2500 range
only 1-2 channels fine
for vocals only

would people still go with focusrite?

[Thumper]

John hardy m1.

[janjaal]

great river

[assassin]

Should have mentioned this:

I currently use the C24 converters (the board cost around 10k) and it SUCKS for vocals... literally the apoggee duet probably sounds better right now.

[paul999]

Shadowhills mono gama. Vox just sit in the mix when that pre get done with them. With condensers and dynamic's alike.

[kittonian]

A Designs Pacifica

[steelyfan]

LA-610.

Seems to be made for vocals, nice and rich, the compressor can sit a vox, cool flavor pre. Can sound smooth and clean too, killer piece.

[paul999]

Originally Posted by steelyfan

LA-610.

Seems to be made for vocals, nice and rich, the compressor can sit a vox, cool flavor pre. Can sound smooth and clean too, killer piece.

Awesome compressor to!

[D. Brasco]

Great River.. playing with the input / output gain covers pretty much all bases for me.

[FreshSkweez]

Originally Posted by steelyfan

LA-610.

Seems to be made for vocals, nice and rich, the compressor can sit a vox, cool flavor pre. Can sound smooth and clean too, killer piece.

It certainly is a great piece of gear but you guys have to agree it's not as universal as we would like it be.

If you had to have just one I'd go with a 1073. I'm yet to hear a voice or a mic it wouldn't work with...

[ITJ]

Martech MSS-10

[dhiltonlittle]

I would normally say 1073 but I've really been digging the TG2 lately with the right Mic/Singer. I guess if I could only have one...it would be the 1073.

[Sigma]

well if i only had 1 i'd go for a neutral sound..which would be a millennia td1

[carlheinz]

Right now...

Helios 500 series pre/no eq

The open top end is nice

Ive never used a vintage one but I like what this offers.

[assassin]

why has no one mentioned avalon or focusrite?

[vitreouswindows]

Fearn

[robertshaw]

wunder audio

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by assassin

i know this has been discussed before but:

if you had to choose one
$1500-2500 range
only 1-2 channels fine
for vocals only

would people still go with focusrite?

Not sure if you can stretch the criteria to $2599 for two channels (with EQ).... but, since this seems like a hypothetical "what if" thread... I will say the Aurora Audio GTQ2 anyway.

[msquared]

If I could only have one vocal pre, I would also go with something neutral - in my case it would be a Buzz Elixir.

Of course if I had $2500 to spend I wouldn't put it into a single channel. I'd get a Lunchbox and get a neutral pre and one or two colored ones.

[cjogo]

Manley DVC -- great limiter/eq 2channels thumbsup

[Bruno5150]

A Designs Pacifica

[monkeyxx]

this is fun.. not in a league with most of these posters but, stuff I've actually used

currently I would pick the SCA N72 or ClassicA.P.I. VP312

formerly I would have picked the Universal Audio 110


great wonderful luck on voices with all of these

[damien907]

Originally Posted by steelyfan

LA-610.

Seems to be made for vocals, nice and rich, the compressor can sit a vox, cool flavor pre. Can sound smooth and clean too, killer piece.

i dont like this on vocals that much, although i do know alot of people that swear by it; granted i have only used it once in a not so well treated room.
but the compresor is my favorite

i think i would go with the avalon 737sp if i only had one choice for vocals; but im fine with my grace m101 as well.

[skybluerental]

depends on the mic.

what mic are you using?

[psycho_monkey]

Originally Posted by assassin

Should have mentioned this:

I currently use the C24 converters (the board cost around 10k) and it SUCKS for vocals... literally the apoggee duet probably sounds better right now.

The c24 has no converters - you mean preamps right?

Personally, if you can get a great river in that price range, I'd go with that.

You can get a pair of gap73s there as well, or a single more expensive 1073 clone I'm sure. A 1073 style pre would be my personal approach.

[digitrax]

APA Juggernaut - you can get soooooo many flavors outta that thing - all of 'em good, too.

[lakeshorephatty]

I typically turn to the chandler germanium. I would choose that since i'm very comfortable getting a killer vocal out of it.

Russell

[assassin]

yes sorry, thats what i meant - i've been using the C24 board as the pre-amp and it sucks

everybody has different answers :(...would it be better to get two good one channels for $2500?

i'd probably be using an AKG414 for now and a U87 down the line.

also, not really going for a "neutral" sound, want something to make the vocals come out on top, very colorful/compressed sound. the type of stuff i'm producing requires the vocals to sound almost "artificially" clean/colorful if that makes any sense at all?

thanks for the responses

[lakeshorephatty]

Originally Posted by assassin

everybody has different answers :(...

That's the answer you need. All good quality class A pre's are excellent for recording vocals and if the sound isn't right, its not the pre

Originally Posted by assassin

also, not really going for a "neutral" sound, want something to make the vocals come out on top, very colorful/compressed sound. the type of stuff i'm producing requires the vocals to sound almost "artificially" clean/colorful if that makes any sense at all?

Kind of makes sense. I don't know of any pre's that do all that internally unless they are a channel strip with compression built in. Most of the pre's mentioned are colorful but have some differences in the type of color. Other's have made the comparison before but its kind of like asking "will i prefer a BMW, ferrari, Aston martin, or lamborghini?". No one will know what you are going to like best. This is a personal decision.

Russell

[Avening]

For that price range, I'd have to go with a Vintech x73.

For slightly more, the Portico II.

Or if you could find one in good shape, a Focusrite ISA110.