Two channel pre-amp blenders?

[buzzardwhiskey]

There are a number of two channel preamps/DI's, but the field seems to have narrowed in recent years for offerings that "blend" to one XLR output. The Highlander PADMI, Raven Labs PMB1 and D-TAR Solstice** are all gone.

Remainders...

D-TAR Solstice (Gain and EQ on both channels)
Grace Design Felix (Gain and EQ on both channels)
Headway EDB-2 (Gain on both channels, EQ only on summation)
K&K Dual Channel Pro (Uses one TRS, Gain only on both channels)
K&K Quantum Blender (Gain and EQ on both channels)
LR Baggs Mixpro (Uses one TRS, Gain on both channels, adjustable low cut on the ring side, No XLR out)
Pick Up The World Stereo Power Plug Blender Preamp (Gain only on both channels)
Radial Tonebone PZ-Pre (Gain on both channels, EQ only on summation)
Red Eye Twin (Gain and "simple tone control" on both channels)
Sound Devices MixPre-D (Gain only on both channels)
UltraSound DI Max Stereo (Gain and EQ on both channels)


Any others?

Thanks!

**D-TAR Solstice may still be available

[Gypsyblue]

The RedEye Twin is a really good one. Sounds great!



Some might want more than a gain and treble control but the RedEye sounds so good I've rarely felt I needed more than the RedEye and the tone controls on the PA mixer or California Blonde PA/guitar amp.

I can plug two similar guitars into the RedEye Twin and then use the XLR output to just one channel on the PA or Acoustic Guitar Amp.

Long as the two guitars have the same pickups (K&K's in my case) and are the same body size (two OM's for example) I can plug the RedEye into one channel on the PA mixer or guitar amp with very good results.

[buzzardwhiskey]

Thanks, I'll add that one to the list!

Actually, the Red Eye Twin looks pretty cool. I'm thinking about adding a passive DiMarzio The Angel to my Martin CEO7 that already has a Baggs Lyric. I'll combine the pickups through the TRS and split them at the Red Eye Twin, then shave off the bottom end on the Lyric and shave the high end on the Angel.

[Dan Lampton]

A couple that come to mind -
Headway EDB-2
Radial Tonebone PZ-Pre

[Doug Young]

Add Baggs MixPro
I'm not sure if PUTW still sells their stereo PowerPlug, but that's another

Also keep in mind that you can often find out of production boxes on ebay, etc: Raven Labs PMB 1 and II, Solstice, Pendulum SPS1, and a few others

[buzzardwhiskey]

Thanks for the input! I've updated the list with the unit's features.

[ljguitar]

Hi bw…

I'm devoted to dual source pickup rigs with an internal mic and pickup. Many of the 2 channel preamps available do not provide phantom for an internal microphone (or external condenser mic).

The UltraDI Max for instance is a two channel preamp, which doesn't provide phantom power for internal (or external) microphones. I own/use one for gigs when there are multiple guitars showing up and limited input channels, and I also use one for both playing guitar and singing (with a dynamic mic) through equipment that only has a single input channel.

The DI-Max is the best and most flexible 2 channel mixer I own. It's only connection to phantom power is if the board or amp you are plugging into will feed phantom back down the XLR to the UltraDI Max to power it up instead of using 9 volt battery power.

Highlander, Raven, DTAR Solstice preamp blenders…
I have purchased used Raven PMB-I and PMB-II preamps, and a used DTAR Solstice in the past 5 years. They are still frequently available. I never tried to buy a Highlander, but would snatch one up in a second if it were made available at a reasonable price.

K&K produces a Trinity belt pack 2 channel blender/preamp with internal gain and three way tone for each channel (you have to open up the case to adjust them). Externally it only provides output volume (master) and blending capability. It also only has ¼" mono output. You can run it through a passive direct box to interface with PA/amplifier. I own and use one as my backup preamp for gigs, and carry it in my Voyage-Air bag when we travel.

It's the same unit (as far as I can determine) as the Dual Channel Pro. Different housing, but the same preamp with all the same features and options.

The K&K Quantum is ok, but in a strange form factor (no labels on the faceplate and only viewable from on top of the long-skinny unit), no ground lift, no mute, less patching capability to interface with amps/PA/effects (no adjustable loop). It is a long skinny unit which doesn't fit in traditional spaces easily, and the channels are laid out side-by-side instead of one over the other. Far more expensive than a DTAR Solstice, or Raven PMB blender.

I use the Raven for my portable (more headroom before overdrive with dual 9 volt battery power) and my DTAR for large gigs (more adjustments and interface options - a sound tech's dream).

I have played with a Quantum, and it didn't sound any better than the Raven, DTAR or Highlanders I've compared it to.

K&K also continues to attempt to leverage the alleged impedance mis-match myth onto an unsuspecting new customer base, but thousands of players are using non-K&K preamps without issue. Most pickup systems today will work with any of the non-K&K preamps mentioned in this thread just fine.

I've owned a Headway EDB-1 and even though I had an electrical engineer wire special cables to use it as a dual source preamp (K&K Pure mini plus internal mic), it is really an elaborate single channel preamp (it works fine with an external mic and internal pickup). I sold it because of the lack of individual channel tone adjustment.

Philosophically the inventor of the Headway preamps is committed to single source pickup/microphone amplification. At least he was when he invented the EDB-1. I had several lengthy discourses via email with him about it. I loved the compact size, but it was/is too limiting if you need to adjust the internal/external mic tone separately from the internal pickup.

His EDB-2 is his attempt to dip a toe into the dual-source world. But the continued lack of ability to separately EQ both sources is a huge drawback for many players (you can apply tone adjustment to ch-1 or ch-2 or both combined, but not each separately at the same time).

Lastly, I like point-n-shoot cameras for non-critical work, but I carry a fairly extensive array of DSLR bodies and lenses or my mirrorless cameras because of the non-traditional shooting I do.

In similar manner, the RED-eye preamps are great little point-n-shoot preamps. I was at an event which used one, but since my pickup rigs are all dual source, I needed to use my blender instead. But I heard it with over a dozen other guitars run through it. It was ok and was in a traditional small setup, inexpensive PA, no monitors situation.

I just find myself in enough non-traditional environments with my gear that I want/need more control over tone and interfaces.

Hope this adds to the discussion…

[buzzardwhiskey]

Wow, Larry. Thanks so much for your lengthy outline! Great info.

When I'm running the sound, it's just not that hard to use an external mic to augment the Lyric if I feel like it. But there are times when a beefier single signal to the board would be nice.

[Doug Young]

Good details, Larry. I think that nice little compact list in the original post is nice to have, but it is missing some really important details - which of course could quickly get into a paragraph. As with Larry, a key requirement for me is power for a mic. Some of those preamps have it, some don't. The basic "gain and EQ" on each channel also hides a huge difference between preamps. For example, the feature set difference between the quantum and Felix are just enormous; even tho they both have separate gain and EQ, that's just the tip of the iceberg.

If we're really trying to compile a list, maybe it'd be useful to have a short bullet-ed list of the key features, which I'd think should include things like power (battery vs AC), inputs (1/4, stereo, XLR), outputs (how many, what kind), mic power, EQ (how many controls - bass, mic, treble, etc, and also parametric, sweepable mids, etc), notch filters, footswitch controls, input impedances, other features - tuners, tuner outputs, boosts, effect loops - and of course, cost.

[emmsone]

You can't add it to the list yet because they aren't available, but some that might be on the list soon are the Archangel Masters Series preamps, I haven't heard an update from them in a while which hopefully means they should be coming sooner rather then later.

[dberkowitz]

There is also the Grace Audio Felix

[buzzardwhiskey]

Originally Posted by dberkowitz

There is also the Grace Audio Felix

That was on the list. Pretty la-di-da.

[Gypsyblue]

Originally Posted by dberkowitz

There is also the Grace Audio Felix

Made in Lyons, CO. I didn't know that.

I'm in Lyons at least three times a week. It's only 15 minutes from my home.

They have Planet Bluegrass and the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival there every year.

I'm going to have to pay Grace Audio a visit.

[buzzardwhiskey]

They're not as sexy or professional looking, but the two channel mixers such Yamaha's MG06X and Mackie's ProFX4v2 would probably do a great job.

[midwinter]

I have an MG06X velcro'd to my pedal board for my small jobs where it's just vocal and guitar. Sounds great. Does what it says on the tin, as they say.

Originally Posted by buzzardwhiskey

They're not as sexy or professional looking, but the two channel mixers such Yamaha's MG06X and Mackie's ProFX4v2 would probably do a great job.