I started this same thread over on the EQ forum, thought I'd try here to get some different responses. I'm thinking of purchasing a couple of 1073 clones. I've been looking at the Brent Averill 1073. Also the Vintech X73 and the Chandler box. Anyone have an opinion of any of these? Good or bad? I'm looking for solid build quality, great sound (as "Neve"-esque as possible), and a box that will hold it's value.

Thanks,
S

The Vintech X73 sucks about 100%! The Chandler is pretty ok. I can´t say that I´m a big fan of Neve copies....... The X73 preamp sounds like it has built in chorus.....

try this

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/showthrea...=&threadid=450

Yeah, I suppose Geoff Tanner, Chuck Ainlay, Eddy Kramer, Gary Paczosa, Dave Martin, Toby Scott, me, and every other engineer who owns and/or has used them is lying or deaf...but what do we know? The Vintech has a money back guarantee, so the public should decide for themselves instead of letting someone ruin a very viable solution for their studio before it even gets a fair chance to be heard.

To the original poster, all three of the one's you mentioned are high quality products. There are also other brands that aren't claiming to be exact copies of a 1073, or don't sound exactly like a Neve (but do have a lot of the "Neve" vibe) that are extremely high quality such as the Great River NV and Phoenix DRS-2 (particularly the DRS-2 who's design is built completely from scratch).

IMNSHO engineer's shouldn't base decisions on a romanticized notion that a Neve 1073 is the 'holy grail' of microphone preamps (or API or EMI or Helios for that matter). When at this level of quality (which encompasses a pretty large area of the industry both vintage and new) I personally feel that choices should be made only on sonic characteristics, especially when options are limited based on finances. Of course a 1073 is a great preamp, but you may find that it works for your needs or not.

For instance I like various manufacturer's microphone preamplifier interpretations of a 1272 (including Vintech's and Brent Averill's) better on certain sources than a 1073 because of the general way I have found the interpretations of the 1272 circuit to sound...it amazes me that people badmouth a 1272 of quality build when that preamp has it's purpose and place in a high quality production.

I don't care how fine a quality a filet mignon is, I sure as hell wouldn't want to eat it every meal, or have it encompass my entire meal at one sitting. And I personally wouldn't want to track everything on just a Neve 80 series board, or just an API Legacy, or exclusively anything. Or you may find that a variation on the theme works better for you that is neither a 1272 interpretation or a 1073 copy. Or you may find that something total un-"Neve"-esque works best for you like an API, or Pendulum, or Telefunken or whatever. Use your ears and don't worry about the rest.

dfegad I guess so.......

[Q I wouldn't want to track everything on just a Neve 80 series board, or just an API Legacy [/B][/QUOTE]


Personally, I wouldn`t mind doing just that.....

Amund

Originally posted by plexi
Is this because you want the warm and fuzzy experience of sitting in front of a large & expensive 'classic' console, or purely because of some practical sonic reason? Personally, I find that when the sonic signature of any one specific type of preamp is layered across too many tracks it becomes more of a chore to mix. If the right preamps are put on the right sources the production almost mixes itself, and less processing such as EQ is generally used, but YMMV.

I suppose if you are reading the name of the poster, this would be a good thing.. If Neve sucks, and they remind him of a neve...



Brent and his gang do really good work,as a side note.

Hey,
This subject can get so convoluted. If you were in a studio right this moment that had ten old LA-2's, you could patch every one of them across the desk and switch from one to the next. No two would sound alike, to the point that: If you were to disguise the face plate of a bad one you might not believe it's actually an LA-2. With that said; these 'clones' are made with an incredible amount integrity and know how, adamantly searching for a great sound. And they sound great. Do they sound like original units? Which original unit? I have a Chandler Limited LTD-1 (1073).It has more increments of EQ, a D.I. and a master fader. Great additions from the originals. And it sounds great. I have a Purple Audio 1176. I've used 1176's for 23 years. This sounds like an 1176. Which one, I'm not sure. But it has all of the character of an 1176. I have a Pultec clone (I guess you could say) built by David Bock. It's called a 'Pushtec EQH'. It works and sounds like a Pultec....BIG TIME.
Free your mind. Try not to chase your tail by reading comments from people who have not used the unit in question. Try them out. That's a lot easier than getting into debates based on hearsay.
Regarding making an entire record on an API desk, etc. While today that may sound like a very sexy idea, I often hear records from the period when that was the case. My head turns very quickly at the overall....how do I put it?....too much of one thing. It seems to blanket the overall sonics, possibly from too much of one way of getting things to tape. Do you know what I mean. It's like, sometimes I hear a record and 'instantly' know the drums were recorded to 2" 16 track. Or....wow, those guitars sound great. OBVIOUSLY they used API EQ's on them. Our ears have opened up to hearing many more flavors nowadays. I can hear a Neve 33609 a mile away. I just can. It comes from the first studio I produced records in. Media Sound in New York. I went there in 1979 when Bob Clearmountain, Michael Brauer, Michael Barbiero, Lincoln Clapp and Carl Beatty were staff engineers. These guys absolutely taught me everything!
Then Bob C. and Bob Walters left and built the Power Station. So....we got to go there and learn some more.
Still learning! That's the best part. Thee very best part.
Sincerely,
Benjy

Cool post Benjy.

R.

I agree, and I use different pre`s myself for the same reason.


But I wouldn`t mind a API Legacy+ to mix on.....
Would be a step up from the CAD Maxcon II I use now.

Amund