The 5 minute mic pre shootout (heavies)

[James Lugo]

I just fired up my Les Paul into a JCM900 with a Carvin Legacy cab with Vintage 30's. Not the greatest guitar sound but good enough for this. I put a 57 in front of the cab and played...

Brent Averill 312 - http://jameslugo.com/sounds/312.mp3
Chandler Germanium - http://jameslugo.com/sounds/germ.mp3
Chandler LTD-1 (no eq) - http://jameslugo.com/sounds/ltd.mp3
A Design Pacifica - http://jameslugo.com/sounds/pac.mp3

I listened to these clips about a 100 times in my car tonight and all the pres sounded different but these mp3's on my computer sound more similiar. I guess that's life. All the pres were just turned up to level, the Germanium had the level on about 11am and the feedback on about 1pm with no fat switch.

Enjoy!

[jdjustice]

thanks James! to me the Pacifica takes the cake but they all do sound quite close to each other, perhaps it's the MP3 format; you could post WAV or AIFF files on your site if you wanted, right (it would just take awhile longer for the FTP uploading process)?

anyway it was nice of you to put this together tonight!


cheers
J.D.

[James Lugo]

Let me see what I can do tomorrow. I just listened to the mp3's again and they don't give the shootout justice. In my car the Pacifica sounded massive to my ears, the Germanium had a cool grunty midrange. The BAE312 sounded kinda scooped to my ears but Bryan McCurry thought it had more bottom end which made it sound scooped, the LTD-1 at first listen was kind of overwhelmed by the massiveness of the Pacifica and the Germanium but after a while I started to feel that the LTD-1 sort of mellowed the slight harshness of the amp in a pleasing way. I thought maybe a combo of LTD-1 on one mic and Pacifica or Germanium on the other (ribbon/dynamic).

[Paul David]

The Pacifica sounds great! Massive is a good way to put it.

The 312 was pretty cool

The LTD was alright

The Germ sounds broken... But it seems to add some cool riffs towards the end of the clip.

[TonyBelmont]

Great samples James! I really like the Pacifica in this setup.... It sounds like it has more balls than the others!

[AdamLazlo]

From listening to what you presented, my favorite from top to bottom:

1) Pacifica
2) LTD1
3) Germanium
4) 312

Basically (ironically) backwards of how you initially presented it... and I gave all the clips a good through listen as well as random listens (eyes closed).

-- Adam Lazlo

[beranie]

thx for the test, i love the germ mids!
my choice:
1.germ
2.pac
3.brent
4.ltd

[Peter Montessi]

My first and second choices are:

1, Pacifica

2, Pacifica

and the 3rd and 4th are:

3, Pacifica

4, Pacifica



Thank you James for putting in the time to do that.............they all sounded very good and I'm sure everyone could find a use for anyone of the choices. They all sound great!

PS.

Bryan was there?......please say hello for me and I hope he shows up for the 25th!!!

Peter Montessi
A Designs Audio
www.adesignsaudio.com

[RCM - Ronan]

Me and an engineer buddy just did a bunch of mic pre shoot outs A bunch of A designs, and Millenia and Neve 1073. The Pacifica was the big winner for me on electrics as well. I should be able to post some samples once I get them organized.

[Peter Montessi]

Ronan,

Way cool!!!

Can't wait to hear them

Thank you,
Peter Montessi
A Designs Audio
www.adesignsaudio.com

[Jamz]

Quick listen through laptop:
- Pacifica
- LTD 1
- 312
- Germ

In a track could be a different story. Might favor the 312 or LTD1.

[picksail]

Originally Posted by Jamz

Quick listen through laptop:
- Pacifica
- LTD 1
- 312
- Germ

In a track could be a different story. Might favor the 312 or LTD1.

I agree completely.

I too was listening on my PowerBook.

In most cases I would have saved the Pacifica for other duties, like lead vocals, overheads, etc. It did sound unique on this track though. A very indellible sonic imprint.

[I Lurk]

good ol q8 design, again

[in the red]

listening on crappy computer speakers:

1. bae 312: beautiful grunge, kinda clearer then the other 3. just a really nice bite which i think would be best in a mix.
2. ltd-1: a bit less grunge and fuller.
3. pacifica: sounds nice, but a bit "honky" or "boxy"?
4. germ: too coloured and smeared.

[I Lurk]

Originally Posted by in the red

listening on crappy computer speakers:

1. bae 312: beautiful grunge, kinda clearer then the other 3. just a really nice bite which i think would be best in a mix.
2. ltd-1: a bit less grunge and fuller.
3. pacifica: sounds nice, but a bit "honky" or "boxy"?
4. germ: too coloured and smeared.

You must have magical computer speaker

[DAWgEAR]

Even listening on the crappy speakers built into my LCD monitor, the Pacifica stands out.

The other 3 sounded the same to me, and less pleasing than the Pacifica.

[tasker]

Originally Posted by AdamLazlo

From listening to what you presented, my favorite from top to bottom:

1) Pacifica
2) LTD1
3) Germanium
4) 312
-- Adam Lazlo

I concur. I think the top two are much better than the bottom two (I own and very much like the BAE pres). Just made up my mind about getting a couple P1s. Thanks for doing this, the timing is great for me!

[jbuntz]

I was excited about the germanium when I got one on loan but it's so damn dirty. Nice low end though. When I do guitar pre shootouts, pacifica beats out Neves, API, Daking and others. Sometimes I'll let the guitarist do a blind shootout and they always pick t pacifica. Also always the winner on overheads. I haven't tried them on many other spots on the kit since they are always on overheads.

[pan60]

Originally Posted by tasker

I concur. I think the top two are much better than the bottom two (I own and very much like the BAE pres). Just made up my mind about getting a couple P1s. Thanks for doing this, the timing is great for me!

i do not think you can go wrong!
i love the P-1

[pan60]

cool James the Pacifica just has it!

[Windtaken]

I heart pacifica

[jba]

Originally Posted by in the red

listening on crappy computer speakers:

1. bae 312: beautiful grunge, kinda clearer then the other 3. just a really nice bite which i think would be best in a mix.
2. ltd-1: a bit less grunge and fuller.
3. pacifica: sounds nice, but a bit "honky" or "boxy"?
4. germ: too coloured and smeared.

Originally Posted by I Lurk

You must have magical computer speaker

in the red's preferences were identical to mine when i listened to these clips on some computer speakers (except i wouldn't call the pacifica boxy). it will be interesting to hear what these sound like in the studio.

[zarembo]

at work I can only monitor through the single tiny speaker in my office pc.

however, the Pacifica seems to have something more than the other three--
but very similar overall. pretty rockin

Thanks for taking the time to do this and share!

[cramseur]

1. Germ
2. Pacifica
3. Brent
4. LTD-1

Germ had more bite to it...more snarl. But just a little.
(monitored thru Event ASP8s)


added 11/17/06:
Listened again...preferred the Pacifica....oh well.

[I Lurk]

Originally Posted by jba

in the red's preferences were identical to mine when i listened to these clips on some computer speakers (except i wouldn't call the pacifica boxy). it will be interesting to hear what these sound like in the studio.

my point: mp3 + crappy computer speaker = what can you judge out of this.

mp3s must be leveling differences enough, adding computer speakers to the equation is like trying to judge a Renoir and its fake copy under a night club lighting system a saturday night at 1 AM.


my 2 cents

[analogjeff]

just to reinforce the point that with this level gear different taste is what it's all about, i greatly preferred the punch, bite, and upper-mid overtones of the 312, too...

my list:

312
pacifica
ltd-1
germ

all are good and all have their place for different needs, vision, etc.

[Daedalus77]

Well... This seems a little silly to me. Absent a full mix—or at least a total aesthetic vision of what the full mix ought to sound like—it seems to me it's hard to perceive the qualitative differences between these pres as inherently "good" or "bad."

I, too, "liked" the Pacifica best—independent of any other instruments around it—and I, too, found the BAE rather "scooped," but it seems to me the sonic qualities which differentiate these pres can only be viewed (er, heard) as benefits or defects depending on the total sonics of a full arrangement. The Germ (I think...I'm forgetting now) sounded the edgiest, the most "forward," perhaps, but while such qualities might seem perhaps "grating" or "thin" when the sound is isolated, they might be just the qualities to make the guitar "distinctive" in the full context of the mix.

Make any sense?

That aside, I also don't buy the idea that we can't "differentiate" the sound sof these pres by listening to them (as here) in less-than-optimal monitoring environments (like laptop speakers)—which are, after all, where most end-users will listen to them anyway.

FWIW.

[Long_Shaded_Eye]

1 - Germanium _ very nice low end, very colored
2 - Pacifica _ punchy & clean
3 - LTD_1 _ beetween Germ & Pacifica
4 - Brent _ i bet it will sound a little "harsh" to me in the mix

[84K]

Originally Posted by Jamz

Quick listen through laptop:
- Pacifica
- LTD 1
- 312
- Germ

In a track could be a different story. Might favor the 312 or LTD1.

I listened on my powerbook and Adam S3As. I agree with your choices, although I cannot imagine why James did not have the "Thick" switch in. It is always "in" over here. In fact, IMO there should be no switch. It should always be on. Also, the relationship between the feedback and the gain makes a significant difference in the sound. So, I would like to hear a sample with the thick switch in. It should make a difference.

Man the Pacifica sounds great! Well Done Peter!!

[warhead]

The guys next door at the Jam Room came over today so I could hear some guitar tracks they cut with the Pacifica...NO EQ at all...sounded great in a thick heavy metal mix!

I do dig it in this application, but the Pacifica is one of those pres that just sounds damn good on anything.

Peter, I love your unbiased response!

War