Shopping for a stereo preamp

[jim1960]

Is the FNR RNP unbalanced like some of their other gear?
I remember this being an issue a lot of years ago and that they required some kind of cable convertor to be patched into a studio system.

[sdelsolray]

Originally Posted by jim1960

Fletcher from Mercenary?

That's him.

[RRuskin]

Originally Posted by jim1960

Is the FNR RNP unbalanced like some of their other gear?
I remember this being an issue a lot of years ago and that they required some kind of cable convertor to be patched into a studio system.

The inputs are balanced on XLR connectors. Outs unbalanced on TS. It has never been an issue for me or anyone I know who has used them in-house or out in the field on remotes. TS to XLR cables are readily available or can be made. BTW - Doug Sax's mastering facility, arguably the best in the world, is completely unbalanced.

[runamuck]

Originally Posted by sdelsolray

That's him.

If my memory is accurate, what Fletcher was pushing before Mercenary closed its doors were Telefunken M60, small diaphragm mics, the Mercenary edition, based on Neumann 84s.

[sdelsolray]

Originally Posted by jim1960

Is the FNR RNP unbalanced like some of their other gear?
I remember this being an issue a lot of years ago and that they required some kind of cable convertor to be patched into a studio system.

The RNP has balanced mic inputs and balanced main outputs. The DI and inserts are unbalanced.

[RRuskin]

Originally Posted by sdelsolray

The RNP has balanced mic inputs and balanced main outputs. The DI and inserts are unbalanced.

I stand corrected re: the outputs.

[sdelsolray]

Originally Posted by runamuck

If my memory is accurate, what Fletcher was pushing before Mercenary closed its doors were Telefunken M60, small diaphragm mics, the Mercenary edition, based on Neumann 84s.

Yes, he did that also when he was no longer at Mercenary and working for Telefunken (USA).

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by sdelsolray

That's him.

Back when I knew next to nothing, I found Fletcher to be a super helpful guy who, unlike the salesman assigned to me at Sweetwater at the time, guided me towards gear that really suited my needs. I think the first thing I bought through him was my Hardy M1 pre. He was pretty active over at GS at that time and another thing I liked about him was that he'd make recommendations of gear Mercenary didn't sell if he thought that was what that person needed.

My Sweetwater guy made some recommendations that, in retrospect, were terrible. For example, when I was in the market for a compressor, he steered me towards a Focusrite Compounder which was a terrible choice for singer/songwriter material. It took a few years of letting him help me make mistakes before I realized his recommendations should mostly be ignored ...but it also opened my eyes to the fact that if I were going to build up a home studio, I'd better educate myself and stop relying so much on what other people tell me.

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by runamuck

If my memory is accurate, what Fletcher was pushing before Mercenary closed its doors were Telefunken M60, small diaphragm mics, the Mercenary edition, based on Neumann 84s.

Fletcher's Mercenary Audio Neumann 84 "clone" was the KM-69 which I recorded a tune with below.

Here is one on a Paul Woolson LG double top I recorded while testing out Mercenary Audio KM-69 mikes.
http://dcoombsguitar.com/Guitar%20Music/KissKM69.mp3

I miss Mercenary Audio. Demoed and bought a lot of gear from them.

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

I miss Mercenary Audio. Demoed and bought a lot of gear from them.

Mercenary was excellent for a long time. Then the company got sold and the new owner apparently stopped paying the bills. One of the companies they screwed over was Manley and they went public with the problem so people would know how sketchy Mercenary had become. There were also a lot of customers who ordered gear and never received what they paid for. Over on GS there was a long thread back then of people complaining about how they got the shaft.

I wish the company hadn't been sold that they were still around too. They were absolutely excellent to deal with prior to the sale.

[rick-slo]

Yes, I remember Fletcher posting about all that trouble on a gear forum.

[runamuck]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Fletcher's Mercenary Audio Neumann 84 "clone" was the KM-69 ...

Thanks. That rings a bell louder than my memory of what the mic was.

[standup]

Originally Posted by anton

I thinking about a good stereo pre to add to my RME Babyface Pro, plugging it into the unbalanced line ins. Thought I would solicit some opinions here.

My main recording mics are a pair of Gefell M300's.

If it was me, and I had no preamps, I’d be tempted by a couple of the tube options out there. I like preamps, I have a small assortment of them, and I think they add substantially to sounds one is recording.

That said, getting an amazing microphone might make a bigger difference. I also believe that is true.

The prettiest, lushest sounding mic pre I have is a La Chapell 983 mono tube mic pre. They also make a stereo rack mount version, and mono 500 series versions that need a rack to go in.

I would also consider a pair of these (https://www.locomotiveaudio.com/wt-72), modeled after the vintage Siemens v72 mic pre. A pair would take up much more space than the La Chapell, but they are reputed to sound very good. I haven’t heard them myself.

[Rudy4]

Anybody used the all tube D.W. Fearn VT-2 dual mic pre?

https://vintageking.com/d-w-fearn-vt-2-mic-pre

[standup]

I’ve only used Fearn pre’s recording at a studio that had a bunch of them. I was playing, not engineering.

They sound great! If I could afford D.W. Fearn I’d have at least one channel here.

Probably on the same level as the Pendulum mic pres that were mentioned earlier.