What Outboard Preamps, Compressors, and EQs are you using?

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by DukeX

Yes, sir! Soundpure did this nice demo about a decade ago.

Soundpure also did a couple for the Axis. They made me curious and in asking around for opinions, few knew about the brand but those who owned one raved about them. Sometimes they'll show up on Reverb at real bargain prices. That's how I picked up mine.

[RRuskin]

Preamps – Great River MP-4 ($2000 - $2400)
Spectra Sonics 101 (X6) - $1500 - $3000)
FMR Audio RNP ($485)
Deane Jensen designed Dual op-amp (X6) ($2000 - $2400)
500 series Preamps - Great River MP-500NV ($875)
Compressors – dbx 165A (2) ($800 - $1200 each)
Allison Research Gain Brain ($300.00)
FMR Audio RNC ($185)
500 series Compressors – none at present
Equalizers - Speck ASC (X2) ($300 each)
Orban 672A ($300 - $600)

500 series Equalizers – none at present
500 series chassis – Lindell 506 (Used $150.00)

[midwinter]

Originally Posted by jim1960

Sometimes they'll show up on Reverb at real bargain prices. That's how I picked up mine.

Same. I got mine for right at a grand, which I think is an absolute STEAL at $250/channel for that kind of quality.

[AcousticDreams]

Hey Jim1960,

Would you be kind enough to give us a rundown on what you believe the differences in Sound are between the Sebatron Axis, The Demeter, and Hardy for Acoustic Guitar only.

The Sebatron is very affordable in comparison to other tube amps. Read lots of happy customer reviews and have certainly enjoyed the Soundpure demos.

Especially interested in how they preform in Dynamic Acoustic situations such as going for some fingerstyle to heavy strumming. I have a feeling that the slight tube compression might be of value in just such a playing style.

[rockabilly69]

These are the preamps that I use....

Audient Mico (discontinued used around $400)
BAE 1073MPF ($1500 with Power Supply)
Cloudlifter Z ($249)
Focusrite One Digital ($600 add $479 for dig card)
Drawmer 1960 ($2199)
Langevin DVC (discontinued between $1400 and $1800 used)
Manley Voxbox ($4600)
Neve Portico 5012 ($1725)
Presonus ADL600 ($1000 to $1500 used)
Presonus RC500 (about $400 used)
Sebatron VMP 4000s ($1995)
Universal Audio LA-610 ($1800)

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by midwinter

Good idea. (BTW he's quarantined right now until he gets a negative test. Someone in his office tested positive.)

Well he probably has enough Willie Nelson records to get him through his trying times

[midwinter]

Originally Posted by rockabilly69

Well he probably has enough Willie Nelson records to get him through his trying times

Hahahaha! True!

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by midwinter

If I have to move ALL THAT STUFF I'm gonna weep.

Not as much as you would weep if all your stuff BREAKS, and although you don't it realize it from day to day recording, low voltage takes it's toll! In my old studio, low voltage did some serious damage to the power supplies in three different tube mic power supplies that I had to have repaired on my dime! The track record of your room speaks for itself.

[midwinter]

Here are my "regular" pres:

4 Unison pres in my Apollo 8 duo (discontinued, but used $1400-1600)
Sebatron VMP 4000s ($1995)
Universal Audio LA-610 ($1800) x2
BLA Auteur Quad ($800)
Focusrite ISA Two ($900)

500 series pres:

API 512c ($850)
HA 73jr ($900)

Compressors:

All my "regular" pres are paired with either a Drawmer DL441 ($1150) or a Drawmer DL 241 ($850)

500 Series Compressors:

API 527 ($1040)
Audio-Scape V3A ($800)

500 series EQs:

API 550a ($1135)
Wunder Allotrope ($940)

[alohachris]

Aloha,

Great Mic Preamps I've Owned/Used:

BEST BY FAR - VOICE & GUITAR! - Pendulum MDP-1a Tube - (Used $2900) - Mahalo sdelsolray!
A-Designs Pacifica - (Used $1300) - Overlooked, GREAT on Acoustic Guitar
Neve 1073 CV Strip - (Used $2500+) - The Standard Channel Strip
Pendulum SPS-1 (Used $1200) - All-Time Standard Live preamp for acoustic instruments
API 3124+ (Used $2300) - High Quality, Four Channels, For more mic's
Great River MP2-NV (Used $1700) - Great Neve-ish clone - solid on EVERY mic!
Millenial HV3 (Used $1400) - Pure, balanced sound
Millenial STT-1 Strip - (Used $2900) - Balanced sound w/ more control features & options than any preamp

PLUS - Let's not forget the great ON-BOARD MIC PREAMPS of these interfaces:

RME ADI-2 (Used $750)
RME ADI-8 (Used $1500)
Apogee Ensemble (Original Used, $450)
Apogee Duet 1 (Used $150)
Apogee Duet 2 (Used $300)
Metric Halo ULN-2 (Used $900)

[alohachris]

Duplicate Post

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by Knives&Guitars

Hey Jim1960,

Would you be kind enough to give us a rundown on what you believe the differences in Sound are between the Sebatron Axis, The Demeter, and Hardy for Acoustic Guitar only.

The Sebatron is very affordable in comparison to other tube amps. Read lots of happy customer reviews and have certainly enjoyed the Soundpure demos.

Especially interested in how they preform in Dynamic Acoustic situations such as going for some fingerstyle to heavy strumming. I have a feeling that the slight tube compression might be of value in just such a playing style.

Sure...

Hardy M1 - Super clean. The Hardy is as good as it gets if you want no coloration from the preamp. As far as preamps go, I don't think you get much anything more transparent. That shouldn't be taken to mean it's dull in any way. The Hardy puts the instrument in the spotlight and lets it do all the work.

Demeter VTMP-2c - If you wanted a workhorse tube pre, this could be it, especially if your best mics are LDC FET mics. This pre adds a velvety smoothness to FET mics that really lets them perform above their pay-grade. If I'm recording a woman, the first combo I try is the Demeter and my Blue Kiwi. Those two are incredible together. Not my favorite with tube mics but, as I said, with LDC FETs it would be very hard to beat this one.

The Sebatron Axis ...well, you've seen what people say about these pres... warm, never harsh, keeps the low end tight, the highs shine and are never harsh. This is another that could serve as a workhorse. The Demeter would beat it out on LDC FETs but the Sebatron wins everywhere else. I got my Axis used on Ebay for $1140 so bargains can be had on this if you're patient and wait for one ...and this pre is definitely worth waiting on.

The Hendy DaVinci is right up there with the Demeter and the Sebatron. To my ears, the Hendy leans more towards the Neve-ish end of things than the other two. Smooth on the bottom, gorgeous clear and open on the top. Just all kinds of delicious tubey stuff going on. It has an "Air" switch to give a high frequency boost and an opto compressor on board which comes in handy and can save rack room if that's an issue.

So far as coloration goes, the Hardy has none.

The Demeter is probably slightly more heavy-handed than the other two but not ever in a bad way. I don't think it's trying to sound like any of the big players. The Demeter definitely does its own thing.

The Sebatron and the Hendy both give you quite a bit of control over coloration. The Sebatron has a pad/gain knob that lets you dial in the amount of harmonic distortion you want. You can go from very clean to very colored with that pre. It also has a variable HPF that lets you dial in just how much bottom end you want to roll off.

The Hendy gives you a different kind of control. I mentioned the Air switch already but there's also a Smile switch that engages some preset mutli-band compression that squeezes the mids a bit. It has a low cut switch as you'd expect but it also has a high cut switch. I'm not sure what frequencies these are rolling off. The Hendy has a six-step gain control that acts similarly to the pad/gain knob on the Sebtron.

The Hardy is what it is. If you want transparency, it's second to none. The other three all have strengths in certain areas but none have anything I'd describe as a weakness. So far as value is concerned, the Sebatron has to be the winner, but any of these could be the star of anyone's home studio.

I hope some of that is helpful.

[DukeX]

Originally Posted by jim1960

Soundpure also did a couple for the Axis. They made me curious and in asking around for opinions, few knew about the brand but those who owned one raved about them. Sometimes they'll show up on Reverb at real bargain prices. That's how I picked up mine.

Yeah, that Axis is both amazing and versatile. Maybe the best high-end value out there.

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by jim1960

The Sebatron Axis ...well, you've seen what people say about these pres... warm, never harsh, keeps the low end tight, the highs shine and are never harsh. This is another that could serve as a workhorse. The Demeter would beat it out on LDC FETs but the Sebatron wins everywhere else. I got my Axis used on Ebay for $1140 so bargains can be had on this if you're patient and wait for one ...and this pre is definitely worth waiting on.

Are you using the Sebatron for acoustic guitar? I'm always tempted when I hear these kinds of descriptions. Someone said "buttery", I'd like that :-) But every time I've tried a "colored" preamp on solo acoustic guitar, I run screaming back to a clean uncolored preamp. I saw a Sound On Sound review of the 2000 that said it sounded great on everything except guitar...

[midwinter]

My Sebatron is my go to for all my acoustic instruments (I play guitar, mandolin, banjo, and other things).

It's butter.

It's not transparent. It's not SUPER colored. I can't make it saturate. It's just got a "sheen" that is amazing.

I also kind of like that the VMP-4000 doesn't have meters. Just use your ears. Turn it up until it sounds right.