What is the best preamp for $1500?

[Dude Japan]

My budget is around $1500 for a nice preamp. It has to be musical -
really silky highs - really solid lows.

What do you suggest??

[Dude Japan]

P.S. If it matters: I'm using a Digi003 Rack as the A/D right now.

[Peter Larsen[_3_]]

Dude Japan wrote:

> My budget is around $1500 for a nice preamp. It has to be musical -
> really silky highs - really solid lows.

Ahh .... what do you want from life, clean sound, coloured sound, there has
never been a sound like that, do you want the Tubes, crammadilly dynamite or
solid state, do you want transformers or transformerless, is it for ribbon,
for SM57 or for Schoeps, what do you want from life?

> What do you suggest??

With that kind of budget I'd aim a wee bit higher and go for something
Millenia, but that's just my gut feeling after checking a webshop and a bit
of mail with the guy some years ago and based on what the traffic here says.

Kind regards

Peter Larsen

[John Hardy]

On 5/20/2011 1:01 AM, Peter Larsen wrote:
> Dude Japan wrote:
>
>> My budget is around $1500 for a nice preamp. It has to be musical -
>> really silky highs - really solid lows.
>
> Ahh .... what do you want from life, clean sound, coloured sound, there has
> never been a sound like that, do you want the Tubes, crammadilly dynamite or
> solid state, do you want transformers or transformerless, is it for ribbon,
> for SM57 or for Schoeps, what do you want from life?
>
>> What do you suggest??
>
> With that kind of budget I'd aim a wee bit higher and go for something
> Millenia, but that's just my gut feeling after checking a webshop and a bit
> of mail with the guy some years ago and based on what the traffic here says.
>
> Kind regards
>
> Peter Larsen
>

I recommend the M-1 mic preamp, but I'm biased:

http://www.johnhardyco.com/pdf/M1_M2_M1p_20031025.pdf

John Hardy
The John Hardy Co.
www.johnhardyco.com

[Peter Larsen[_3_]]

John Hardy wrote:

> I recommend the M-1 mic preamp, but I'm biased:

So would Scott I reckon, and it would also be a candidate if I had that kind
of budget.

> http://www.johnhardyco.com/pdf/M1_M2_M1p_20031025.pdf

Thank you for supplementing with what I should have remembered if it was not
quite early morning when the actual typing took place.

> John Hardy
> The John Hardy Co.
> www.johnhardyco.com

Kind regards

Peter Larsen

[Scott Dorsey]

Dude Japan > wrote:
>My budget is around $1500 for a nice preamp. It has to be musical -
>really silky highs - really solid lows.
>
>What do you suggest??

For what instruments? For what mikes? Going into what? Single channel
or stereo? You need good stereo matching?
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Dude Japan]

> For what instruments?
Any*

>For what mikes? *
SM7b and U87

>Going into what? *
see above

>Single channel or stereo? *
the more the better

>You need good stereo matching? *
nope

[Scott Dorsey]

In article >,
Peter Larsen > wrote:
>John Hardy wrote:
>
>> I recommend the M-1 mic preamp, but I'm biased:
>
>So would Scott I reckon, and it would also be a candidate if I had that kind
>of budget.

I might, BUT it's transformer-coupled. It's probably the cleanest transformer
input preamp around now that the original Great River is out of production,
but it's not as clean as the best transformerless ones like the Millennia
HV-3. On the other hand, it will load microphones properly, microphones
that will misbehave on most transformerless inputs. The SM-57 into the
John Hardy is amazing. You'd never think it was the same mike.

On the gripping hand, ribbon mikes that want to see a high-Z input really
would do better with a preamp specifically designed for that.

One of the cool things about it which Mr. Hardy usually doesn't mention is
that you can order a shortloaded box with one channel and the power supply
if your budget is tight, and then expand it later. Lots of folks used to
do this kind of thing but hardly anybody ever does anymore. I think that is
very cool.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Scott Dorsey]

Dude Japan > wrote:
>
>> For what instruments?
>Any=A0
>
>>For what mikes? =A0
>SM7b and U87

The SM-7b isn't touchy about loading, but it IS happier into a transformer
input than most solid-state inputs.

There are actually several different U87s... and some of the earlier ones
are very touchy about loading. Also the output is relatively high on the
U87 and a lot of older preamps would clip easily with them.

>>Going into what? =A0
>see above
>
>>Single channel or stereo? =A0
>the more the better

I'd audition the John Hardy to begin with. I might also look at some more
colored preamps like a used Great River MP-2NV which might hit your price
range, or the single channel MP-1NV. And I'd also audition something
cleaner but totally different like the Grace or the Speck MicPre 5.0 ones.

A good pro audio dealer should let you check out stuff like this to try at
home and get a sense of how they sound with your mikes.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Scott Dorsey]

Dude Japan > wrote:
>
>Thank you, Sir.
>
>Do you know of any good dealers in the Kansas City area?

I'd tend to suggest a mail order place like Mercenary or Calistro, both
of whom carry a lot of brands.

However, looking at the dealer list for the Great River (since I happen
to have the manual on my desk here), the only place in Missouri they list
is Ozark Pro Audio Video in Camdenton.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."