preamp for acoustic guitar

[celestialpivot]

just got the Schoeps MK 2 Omni capsules.
they are fabulous, for recording acoustic guitar strumming
and picking, what would be a good mic pre?
Looking at the Forssell SMP-2B
2 Rupert Neve Shelford Channels

[RRuskin]

Originally Posted by celestialpivot

just got the Schoeps MK 2 Omni capsules.
they are fabulous, for recording acoustic guitar strumming
and picking, what would be a good mic pre?
Looking at the Forssell SMP-2B
2 Rupert Neve Shelford Channels

Either of those will perform superbly, I'm sure.

[alohachris]

Aloha Celestial,

Congratulations on your Schoeps w/ the MK 2 Omni capsules. My favorites.

RE: Preamps - I combined Schoeps mic's with many high-end, two-channel preamps & did not find any that did not work very, very well for solo acoustic guitar recording, some better than others. I was also looking for a preamp that would also excel with my high-end LDC studio vocal mic's as well & be fairly un-colored.

From Apogee & RME interfaces (great onboard mic pre's), to Neve 1073, 1084, 31102, 31104, 1062, 1064, 1290, Portico 5012 & their clones like the BAE 1073 & Great River NP2-NV, to API 512c & 3124 (four channel), Gordon Model 5, Millenial HV-3C, A-Designs Pacifica, LaChapelle 983, Chandler Germanium, NPNG QMP-4NW, GML, Telefunken V72, & yes, your Forssell SMP-2b, etc., etc.... They were all mostly incredible with the Schoeps & in the same ballpark for quality & pricing. Sdelsolray calls them, "different flavors of nice."

The Forssell SMP-2b sounds really wonderful with those mic's. Very REALISTIC, present, clear, detailed & immediate sounding. FWIW, in listening to my home audition of the Forssell SMP-2/Schoeps combo, several pro guitar friends said it was the most "realistic" recording of their instruments' true sound they'd ever heard. A GREAT natural & transparent preamp combined with the Schoeps, Celestial.

The NEVE sound (as you can see above) is pretty well-established in my brain. All Neve's were pretty effing great with the Schoeps. I have not heard the Rupert Neve Shelford Channels preamp(s) you listed yet, but my guess is a pair of those would perform equally as wonderfully w/ the Schoeps. They are a bit pricey compared with other two-channel preamps I've listed here, but then who am I to ever mention pricing getting in my way - Ha!?! It's all in that "NEVE' quality name on the face of the preamp.

After years of auditions, I finally decided on the Pendulum MDP-1a tube preamp which was the ultimate preamp to my ears for both the Schoeps & the Vocal mic's I preferred. So that's what I went with & used gratefully for several years. I have owned several other pre's as well over time, all gone now.

With the Schoeps, I also liked (& bought) the A-Designs Pacifica (there's just something about that preamp combined with many condenser mic's for solo acoustic guitar - it's "silky" sounding & has some immediacy that I liked for strumming or finger style - also great on female vocals). And I liked the universally-acclaimed Neve-ish Great River NP2-NV A LOT, along with the Gordon Model 5 (which I almost bought). All were excellent & all but the Pacifica were mostly balanced & uncolored. It has those other very nice qualities.

Of course Celestial, all my descriptive terminology like "un-colored," "silky," "Neve-ish" & "immediacy in terms of response" to describe sounds of any kind MEANS NOTHING. Humans can't really find shared terminology to jointly co-understand or intuit what we mean when we describe touch, sound, art, taste, etc. etc. That's why many gear threads are so unsatisfying & mis-informative - key info is missing. Same with online recordings of any kind - especially mp.3's - Sheesh! So it's all subjective. Only your ears can decide, my friend!

So, if you can, try to find a way to audition your Schoeps with those three high-end preamps - before you buy either one. It's the only way to know for sure. My mantra has always been "Trust your ears on your own gear." I spent thousand$ over the years to bring high-end gear to the Islands so I could audition it on my home rig. I am SO GLAD that I did because of all that I learned. It's not for everyone. But then again, neither are the Schoeps.

If you're close to a big city, or know of studio's or high-end supplier's or rental companies in your area, maybe you can find those preamp's there for a listen. Or maybe, you could audition directly with the manufacturers or their supplier for a home audition & pay the R/T shipping (weekends are best & cheapest, IME). Anyway, check it out with your ears. Celestial!

Good Luck! You Can't Lose on Those Two (or Three) Beauties.
alohachris

PS: You could plug your Schoeps into an Apogee Duet 2 or RME Babyface & be blown away by the pristine sound.-alohachris-

[ChuckS]

Omnis are my preference for solo guitar recordings. When I was upgrading mine (had a pair of 3-Zigma) I was considering the Schoeps MK2 and the Gefell M296S. I got a lot of input, including from AlohaChris and Sdelsolray, and listened to a lot of recordings, but did not audition either. I ended up going with the Gefells, as I placed a lot of preference on feedback I received about 'realism'. But, the MK2 have a wonderful and detailed sound.

I'm not familiar with the preamps you are considering. I started with a pair of Speck 5.0 MicPre (clean and nice depth and detail). When I decided to get another pair of preamp channels I was comparing the Forssell, NPNG, Pueblo, and Gordon but again did not audition them. I ended up going with the Gordon, again because I placed a lot of preference on feedback I received about 'realism' and what I could hear in comparable recordings.

I have quite a lot of patience, looking and waiting for used gear that I can justify for my hobby. Over time, all of the preamps I was considering became available used at reasonable prices. I'm less comfortable buying used expensive mics, and I didn't find pairs that were any great deal and from a trusted source.

So, I don't know if these gear are what I would have chosen had I auditioned, but I am extremely happy with what I selected.

[ceciltguitar]

Hi Alohachris,

Your selection of equipment is always pristine, with decades of experimentation and experience to support your choices.

Do you still use the Pendulum SPS-1, as noted in post 73 of the thread below?

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/....php?p=1804525

In fact, I wonder what your current live setup is? That would make a great subject of a new thread, if / when you are ever inclined to do so.

[alohachris]

Aloha Ceciltguitar,

Thank you for your kind words.

The short answer is "No." I don't really have most elements of my live rig anymore. (What a list?!?)

Medical reasons prevent me from really playing the guitar anymore & I sold off most of my live & recording signal chains in 2012/13.

I still have the now-seldom-used, incredible Pendulum SPS-1 live preamp that was the long-time backbone of my live rig, but it's just sitting in a rack now. I strongly believe that the SPS-1 is the all-time best piece of gear for giggers to control live playing environments & the dodgy pickup-based sound systems most of us use for live. IMO, that unit's EQ section is still much better than any found even in the newest topline preamps. Too bad that Pendulum's genius Greg Gualtieri has decided it's time to sell his company & retire. The SPS-1 is now just another fantastic but discontinued tool of the trade.

The point of my response to Celestial was to share my opinions, describe one AGF'ers approach to making decisions about gear & emphasize the need for auditioning before you buy anything. We need more ears-on information other than reading forums to make the best decision. I wanted to share the little I know about Schoeps mic's in various preamp combinations here. Man, I loved the process of matching them to the right upscale preamp(s) for my purposes. They all sounded so good!

For decades, I loved the journey of moving up the gear food chain to finally enjoy using the best I could afford for live & in my simple acoustic home recordings & signal chains. I truly loved learning from others who share the same enthusiasm & passion for the process & quite frankly, I was addicted to great mic's from about 1974 on. And that culminated in a passion for my last mic stop: Schoeps & also Microtech-Gefell.

However, it was my time to move on in terms of playing & recording & G.A.S., but not from the sharing & fun of discussing them here at AGF. Great run!

I do really enjoy & appreciate all you guys at AGF & have been grateful for your contributions to my life for the last 20 years.

And now? I gotta get back to preparing for Hurricane Douglas which is set to hit Windward Oahu in only a few hours.

All the best, my friends. Stay Safe!

Mahalo a nui,

alohachris

PS: I miss the playing but do not miss the schlepping of all that gear to my live gigs, CecilT! Sheesh!-alohachris-

[ceciltguitar]

Thank you, Alohachris, for your response. I’m sorry to hear that you’re not playing much anymore.

I hope and pray that your health will improve, and also hope and pray for no damage from Hurricane Douglas.