[Mike Rivers]

Nate Najar wrote:

I love my millennia hv3- is there any
reason i would want the 4 channel GR over 4 more channels of millennia?

Only to get a different flavor. I have a Great River because I got a
great deal on it. I'd probably have a Millenia too, if I got just as
good a deal on it. There's a somewhat popular opinion that if you do a
lot of overdubs using the same mic and preamp, unless you're really
aware of what's happening, the "color" of the preamp can build up in
your mix and it's hard to separate things. That's why people like to
use different preamps, even with the same mic, when they're tracking.

But it doesn't seem to work out quite that way when you're recording
live, or mostly live, as I suspect that you do. People who record
symphony orchestras like to have a whole rack full of Millenia preamps
because they're so clean.

You should ask some questions about the Great River if you're inclined
to give it a try. I know that Dan made some 4-channel units but not
many. However he did sell the boards for people who wanted a DIY
packaging project. It's possible that this is one that was assembled
from parts rather than at the factory. In that case, the power supply
and possibly the transformers are unknown. I know that John had to futz
around with the location of the power transformer in the case when he
went to more than two channels of Millenia, in order to get the hum
down to an acceptable level in all the channels. A DIYer might not be
cognizant of that, or may not have the gear to measure it.

Just a heads up. If the Great River is the real thing, I'd go for it.
You already have an excellent preamp for your guitar, and you might
like the Great River for recording bass or drums, or just to give your
guitar a slightly different flavor.