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5th July 2006, 04:25 AM
| #1 |
| Jai guru deva om  Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: South Carolina
Posts: 10,901
| The A Designs Solid State Shootout (500 series + Pacifica) About a month ago my friend Bob Moore of Sound Lab Recording and I decided to spend a day with the new 500 series preamps from A Designs, as well as the Pacifica preamp. Every "EM" series module (blue, silver, red) and the "P1" module was loaded into an API 6 space lunchbox and connected directly to a Tascam MX-2424 hard disk recorder via Canare cables, recording at 44.1/24 bit. The same channel was used on the MX recorder and the same Canare cable for every test (we just kept physically popping the cable into the next unit). The mic cable was a Monster 500 series. The mics used were: Overhead: Shure SM81 Kick: E/V RE20 Snare: Shure SM57 Floor Tom: Sennheiser 421 Acoustic Guitar: AKG C451B Electric Guitar: Sennheiser 421 Bass DI: Washburn 4 string w/ passive pickups (Monster bass cable) Every mic on hand is considered a standard in its given position. It's not about the mics though, it's about hearing the differences between each preamp in this series. Gearslutz member "Glitch" offered to host the .wav files here: www.studionu.com I would suggest saving the files and loading them into your DAW to play back in a real monitoring environment. On a laptop / cheap PC speakers you're not going to learn much by comparison. The tests started as a way for me to familiarize myself with the differences within the line but we went ahead and tried our hardest to make comparison clips in as fair a manner as possible. The drums are played by me, the guitars by Bob. We are both musicians to an extent (like most here!) and we understood the goal was to play easily repeatable lines and swap cables out as quickly as possible! Not rocket science, but not 100% perfect either. Thanks Glitch for covering bandwidth duty, and putting together a nicely laid out page. I hope you all enjoy and learn a bit by studying these clips. War 
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5th July 2006, 04:51 AM
| #2 |
| Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 671
| Thanks War!!  Looks like it was a ton of work and time on your end.  Peter Montessi A Designs Audio www.adesignsaudio.com |
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5th July 2006, 07:09 AM
| #3 |
| Lives for gear  Join Date: May 2003 Location: USA
Posts: 1,531
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5th July 2006, 04:04 PM
| #4 |
| Jai guru deva om Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: South Carolina
Posts: 10,901
| Peter, I'll send you a bill for the hours. :) Glitch, got it changed...thanks again. War
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5th July 2006, 04:50 PM
| #5 |
| Gear addict  Join Date: May 2005 Location: France
Posts: 451
| "EM Blue Electric" is not working here... Thank you for this work. 
__________________ "When 900 years old you reach, look as good you will not." |
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5th July 2006, 05:11 PM
| #6 |
| 500 series nutjob  Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: 500 series Guru SKANK! ; )
Posts: 9,479
| very cool of you Warren!
__________________ www.pan60.com BLAST PAD Inventor just one invention among others. A CHARTER MEMBER OF THE 500 FORMAT, MAFIA Never EVER let the quality of your tools dictate what you do and don't get done, that's irresponsible and disrespectful to yourself as well as the muse. Gregory Scott - ubk quote: your secret identity is safe with me superman! Peter Montessi it is easy to sound as though one was endowed with great intelligence, whilst speaking amongst a crowd of total morons  |
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5th July 2006, 06:07 PM
| #7 | |
| Lives for gear Join Date: May 2003 Location: USA
Posts: 1,531
| Quote:
Thanks! | |
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6th July 2006, 12:53 AM
| #8 |
| Gear Head  Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 38
| This is really cool. I'm looking forward to hearing the clips and have been waiting for an opprotunity to check all these pres out. I also just picked up Preamps in Paradise, so I'm looking forward to a long day in the studio... Thanks. |
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6th July 2006, 02:27 AM
| #9 |
| Lives for gear  Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Chicago west suburbs, IL
Posts: 1,406
| Very cool of you to take the time Warren! |
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6th July 2006, 08:26 AM
| #10 |
| Gear addict Join Date: May 2005 Location: France
Posts: 451
| Yes, that's all ok, I managed to download all the files...now, I'll have a listen...
__________________ "When 900 years old you reach, look as good you will not." |
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6th July 2006, 10:46 AM
| #11 |
| More cowbell!  Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 1,908
| lol, War, you oughta hear the tracks we made today with the P1, holy cripes, delicious! got a "short" review coming, once my head stops spinning KT P.S While I luv the purple cables, the wife wants hot pink (ouch!) for her birthday next month...sigh...cool but expensive when one's wife is a gear fanatic too...any suggestions on who deals hot pink? (blush, that sounds weird~~~~~)
__________________ The Movie Blue Sky Way Music Sonic Sorcery Studio Natalia Publishing, BMI Austin, Texas |
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6th July 2006, 02:02 PM
| #12 | |
| Lives for gear  Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: WA USA
Posts: 1,409
| Quote:
http://www.apogeedigital.com/products/wydeeyecables.php I haven't used them but Horizon makes a series called 'Neon' and they have pink : http://www.horizonmusic.com/catalog2...hone/flLzn.gif
__________________ John L Rice | |
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6th July 2006, 08:21 PM
| #13 | |
| Jai guru deva om Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: South Carolina
Posts: 10,901
| Quote:
I PM'd you on the cables. War
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12th July 2006, 09:45 PM
| #14 |
| Lives for gear Join Date: May 2003 Location: USA
Posts: 1,531
| So, anyone care to post some more impressions thus far? |
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13th July 2006, 02:38 AM
| #15 |
| Lives for gear Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 508
| I was actually surprised at how little the P1 sounds like the Pacifica honestly. I really gravitated towards the Blues for most the drum duties. If I had to pick one for everything on the kit, it would've been them. They were fast, but still had some wicked depth. The red sounded pretty damn good on snare, as did the P1, but again, the blue was just the all rounder for me. Pacifica on guitars for me, all the way. Lots of gel. It's polished and softer, but not via distortion seemingly, like what a nicerizer does to a mix. It just makes it better. |
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13th July 2006, 06:14 AM
| #16 |
| Lives for gear  Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 5,235
| Each of those preamps are equally fast. The opamps are all the same so therefore same slew rate. The input and output transformers are the only thing that vary. Actually the Red and Gold are the only ones with different input transformers. Everything else has the exact same input transformer as the Pacifica. The difference between the P-1 and Pacifica are due to different power supplies and output transformers, the Pacifica having a much larger one. Brad |
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13th July 2006, 06:27 AM
| #17 |
| Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 8,420
| I am hearing perhaps a little extra "richness" in the pacifica. Listening on Tannoys and my sony mdr headphones (not simultaneously). Almost like it's slightly "slower," too. I particularly like what the silver does to the the snare on the overhead takes with the sm 81.
__________________ Steve There are two kinds of light — the glow that illumines, and the glare that obscures. — James Thurber |
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13th July 2006, 06:29 AM
| #18 |
| Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 8,420
| hmmmmmm.. Is that a pro vla I see in the background? Is it modded?
__________________ Steve There are two kinds of light — the glow that illumines, and the glare that obscures. — James Thurber |
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13th July 2006, 01:56 PM
| #19 | |
| Jai guru deva om Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: South Carolina
Posts: 10,901
| Quote:
War
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15th July 2006, 06:21 PM
| #20 | |
| Lives for gear Join Date: May 2003 Location: USA
Posts: 1,531
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15th July 2006, 09:16 PM
| #21 |
| Lives for gear Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,548
| SOT...hey War...What console is that with the purple arm padding?.... 
__________________ Thanks for your time and ears! |
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15th July 2006, 09:50 PM
| #22 | |
| Jai guru deva om Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: South Carolina
Posts: 10,901
| Quote:
War
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16th July 2006, 12:57 AM
| #23 |
| Lives for gear  Join Date: May 2006 Location: Montréal
Posts: 1,657
 | humm... kick: silver snare: red floor: none really I wouldnt buy the pres for the last three, im sure i could dig something better for the drums (512s? OSA?) ovh: pacifica bass: pacifica (excellent sounding!!!!) acoustic guitar: blue or pacifica, cant decide...it really would depend on the context. electric: Red, P1 and Pacifica are equally good to me, though in a mix, i think the pacifica would stand out because of the brighter top end. moral of the story: i'm totally buying a pacifica !!!!!!!!!!! |
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20th August 2006, 12:41 AM
| #24 |
| Lives for gear  Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Toronto
Posts: 709
| Hey Warren, thanks for this demo! Lots of work for sure. I couldn't hear tons of difference: Does anyone think the the Behringer Truth's I'm listening on could be to blame?    Three things DID manage to grab me though: Silver on snare Red on bass P1/Pacifica on El. guitar Maybe my opinion will change when I get some actual monitors up in here!
__________________ Benjamin Allison http://www.between2points.com http://www.myspace.com/betweentwopoints |
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20th August 2006, 01:19 PM
| #25 |
| Lives for gear  Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: germany
Posts: 1,371
| man!! I love the pacifica...I picked it soooo often...even in blind tests!!! a nice surprise was the silver...often liked it too, on acc git e.g....P1 was cool, but still no pacifica. holy schmoly 
__________________ "You'd be surprised that "f*ck it!" can be a profound philosophy." picksail; 28th August 2008, 08:55 AM "The best sounding sluttiest gear of all time... is a great song" --Greg Wells http://www.hi-endgear.com http://www.audio-import.de |
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20th August 2006, 05:40 PM
| #26 | |
| Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,698
| Quote:
The pacfica is my favorite all arounder pre. It always rules on overheads and gutiars. It's a nice match with a 121, better than the neves. Neves feel kinda clunky on a lot of stuff to me. API's and dakings aren't as sweet. I still usually like the MP2 best on bass. The Red sounds closer to an API to me and the Blue kinda like a Daking (closer than the others). Sorta hard to judge by the clips. Gotta do a few sessions with the pre before you really know it. | |
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11th December 2006, 06:05 PM
| #27 |
| Lives for gear  Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Austin,Tx
Posts: 1,177
| I finally loaded in some samples, mainly listening to the pacifica and p1, with a few Em Red samples. My question was in regards to the acoustic guitar samples. I was surprised that the Pacifica and p1 both sounded darker than I expected. Like the mic was stuck in the soundhole. Any info on the type of guitar and mic position. I was expecting a brighter sound. Thanks to War for doing this. |
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12th May 2008, 08:00 AM
| #28 |
| Lives for gear  Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,201
| Old thread back from the dead... I really like the EM blue on snare...
__________________ http://www.nu-tra.com |
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12th May 2008, 09:08 AM
| #29 |
| 3 + infractions, forum membership suspended. Member to contact GS admin. Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Posts: 2,394
| Patch Bays are Easy. the end |
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13th May 2008, 02:55 AM
| #30 | |
| 500 series nutjob Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: 500 series Guru SKANK! ; )
Posts: 9,479
| Quote:
the A-Designs EM-BLUE is amazing on snare as well as anything acoustic.
__________________ www.pan60.com BLAST PAD Inventor just one invention among others. A CHARTER MEMBER OF THE 500 FORMAT, MAFIA Never EVER let the quality of your tools dictate what you do and don't get done, that's irresponsible and disrespectful to yourself as well as the muse. Gregory Scott - ubk quote: your secret identity is safe with me superman! Peter Montessi it is easy to sound as though one was endowed with great intelligence, whilst speaking amongst a crowd of total morons | |
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