+2heh Nothing delivers harmonics like API.
For some reason i don't think he will buy a couple 610s !!!

I just snagged a Wunder PA4 and I'm really liking the results

Kick, Snare, Rack Tom, Floor Tom

u could've just bought some attenuators

Theres a reason why people call API and Neve "classics"...

You mean pads? They're built in. I don't like the sound of API with pads, especailly when I have tons of other stuff that I think sounds better.

Go for the API. Or look into the Dakings, though I haven't heard those. I have the 2-610 and the only thing I've found it to be good for on drums is a room mic. A lot of people prefer a clean preamp for rooms, but I like a nice dirty drum sound.

The bottom end is a little too loose for my taste for drums on the UA.

I think solid state is the way to go for drums...mostly.

He means to attenuate the signal after it leaves the pre and before it hits the AD, without using the pad on the API, like with an ATTY:
A Designs Audio - Atty Passive Stereo Level Control
That way you keep the API tone you've always heard and liked.

Mic pre amps vary a lot with me.
These days it's:

BD Chandler TG2
SNR Chandler LTD1
Toms SSL desk pre
Amb SSL desk pre
HH same as abpve
OH GR MP2NV/Hardy M1
attitude channel altec 1589a

Avedis MA5 on kick

A Designs Blue on snare

Pacifica for overheads

Helios and Telefunken V76s' or V72s' work rather well for me.

I'm sure you have things that you like better, but have you tried padding before the pre, not on the pre, but an inline pad ie: Shure? You have to use them.
Druhms

API and Daking are all around great bang for the buck pres.

we have two sebatron vmp4000e that we use for our drums. with the -25db pad they can pretty much handle anything we throw at them.

the passive EQ is pretty sweet too on overheads. thumbsup

It all depends on the drummer, his drumkit, the mics you use and how you place them.

I just did a rock/industrial record with Millennia preamps. Yes, Millennia. Gets a lot of **** here, but again, imo its all about how your kit sounds, how the drummer plays it and how your mics are placed. If you covered that, you can use your preamp for color or how you want to call it.

All the "highend" brands are good really. Try to record kick and drum with several different preamps, then level those tracks equal so that you dont hear any difference in level and then compare the difference in tone/color/sound etc, and you'll notice that there is a difference between all of them, but never as big as most of the GS people want you to believe. In the end, its all about your own taste....

That's the way I did it. 3124 with two ATTYs; works like a charm.

But my clipping was at the pre, not after.

I don't recall at this point.

Someone loaned me a 3124 and I flipped when I heard it. I immediately bought one and slowly used it less and less. I narrowed it down to a Beyer M160 and the API on guitar and that was my guitar sound for a long time. I don't think I ever used it again after the day I got a TG-2 pre.

Oh, OK, sorry...I guess the ATTY (or inline pads - AT makes good ones, too)before the pre, then, or use other mics whose output is not so hot.

What mics did you use that presented the pre with too much signal?

I've never had the API 3124 clip when set to 0. I try to get it well into the yellow just before clipping (kinda crunchy). Then it really is too hot for the AD, thus the ATTY.

You make a good point, though - it'd be cool for the 3124 to have input attenuation like the GR MP2NV.

Great River mp2nv sounds healthily gigantic.

Does the Avedis Line Z-Pad do the same thing as the ATTY?

when i saw the subject of the thread guess what i thought....











api....









no secret, right?

Nice Pair by No Toasters. Some of the best breakup you can get. This thing is no joke.

products

You should have learned how to properly pad your api's, what an eye opener!!!

I did - with bubble wrap and a nice cardboard box!

I'm just a hobbyist when recording, but I've been confused about this API 3124+ and padding for a while. I track through the API 3124+ for some drum tracks to the RME ADI-8 DS and I've never had an issue with clipping. Sorry, this is probably another thread, I'm just wondering about this pad stuff. BTW, I like the TG2 a bit more on snare, API or TG2 is a toss up on kick for me, similar good sounds. API sounds better to me on overheads vs. my Neve 1073 DPA and TG2, but this stuff takes a while to dig into.

lol-good for u!!! Let me give u my shipping address.

I love my API 512c's and UA LA-610 on drums. Is anyone using a BAE 1272 on drums, and if so, which piece of the kit? I was thinking kick or room mic.

Anything API...

Yes... Kick or room mics/ overheads.

ma5 or BAE 1272 on kick for me plus synths, lead guitar, summing too!