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#1
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Anyone heard these $100 8 Channel Mic Pre's?
It looks like Nady and "SMPro Audio" are putting out the same 8
channel mic preamp under a different name, but for the same price: $100!? Does anyone know who is actually building these things, and if they are even worth throwing a hundred dollars at? What about any DIY mods for them, anybody willing to take a look? Thanks- Justin.S |
#2
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Anyone heard these $100 8 Channel Mic Pre's?
"justin smith" wrote in message ... It looks like Nady and "SMPro Audio" are putting out the same 8 channel mic preamp under a different name, but for the same price: $100!? Does anyone know who is actually building these things, and if they are even worth throwing a hundred dollars at? What about any DIY mods for them, anybody willing to take a look? Thanks- Justin.S Actually, if you read the little blurb about each of them, it appears that the Nady only has TS outputs, where the SM Pro Audio one has TRS. The Sm Pro one also makes a point of saying it has balanced outputs. So, all else being equal, it would appear that the Nady is the lesser "value" between the 2. Of course, not having heard either, it is difficult to say how good that "value" may be. I'd be interested to read a review on it, if anyone manages to turn one up. Kendall |
#3
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Anyone heard these $100 8 Channel Mic Pre's?
"Kendall" wrote in message ink.net... "justin smith" wrote in message ... It looks like Nady and "SMPro Audio" are putting out the same 8 channel mic preamp under a different name, but for the same price: $100!? Does anyone know who is actually building these things, and if they are even worth throwing a hundred dollars at? What about any DIY mods for them, anybody willing to take a look? Thanks- Justin.S Actually, if you read the little blurb about each of them, it appears that the Nady only has TS outputs, where the SM Pro Audio one has TRS. The Sm Pro one also makes a point of saying it has balanced outputs. So, all else being equal, it would appear that the Nady is the lesser "value" between the 2. Of course, not having heard either, it is difficult to say how good that "value" may be. I'd be interested to read a review on it, if anyone manages to turn one up. Kendall The plot thickens. If you dowload the PDF manual for both units, it appears that they may both be balanced. The manual for the Nady unit starts off in the "features" section calling the output a TS jack, but later in the manual it starts calling it a TRS, and also specifies that it is balanced. How odd that they would let that get all the way to print with an error like that. Especially since it is getting marketed against a rebadged unit from another company, where it ends up looking like a lesser unit. I'll bet somebody is saying "D'oh!" over that one! Kendall |
#4
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Anyone heard these $100 8 Channel Mic Pre's?
Check out the "retail" prices: Nady $299, SMPro....$149! What are we
to make of that when they both sell for $100!? The plot thickens. If you dowload the PDF manual for both units, it appears that they may both be balanced. The manual for the Nady unit starts off in the "features" section calling the output a TS jack, but later in the manual it starts calling it a TRS, and also specifies that it is balanced. How odd that they would let that get all the way to print with an error like that. Especially since it is getting marketed against a rebadged unit from another company, where it ends up looking like a lesser unit. I'll bet somebody is saying "D'oh!" over that one! Kendall |
#6
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Anyone heard these $100 8 Channel Mic Pre's?
justin smith wrote:
It looks like Nady and "SMPro Audio" are putting out the same 8 channel mic preamp under a different name, but for the same price: $100!? Does anyone know who is actually building these things, and if they are even worth throwing a hundred dollars at? What about any DIY mods for them, anybody willing to take a look? Thanks- Justin.S That is just not enough money to build one very good mic pre, much less eight. -- Les Cargill |
#7
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Anyone heard these $100 8 Channel Mic Pre's?
Check out the TapeOp forum, I posted some comments on this about a
month ago. Here are the basics of the SMPro version: The unit has 3 PCB's Power Supply Board: dual transformers, one for the +/-15V rails, one for the +48V, just your basic regulated supply, nothing special. Input Board: Basic transistor diff pair transformerless input. Drives into a dual channel op-amp in series. Gain is set as an attenuator between the two stages. Output Board: Dual op-amp, no gain here, one non-inverting, one inverting. General comments: 47uF tantalum bypass caps between each stage (phantom decouple, stage 1 to attenuator, attenuator to stage 2, output of stage 2, output of buffer), so 5 electrolytic caps in your signal change All of the jumper wires (board 1 to gain set pot, board 1 to board 2) are just plain wire, not shielded and use little plastic connectors that are globbed with glue to hold them in place. Op-amps are soldered in 8pin DIPs, but I socketed them and upgraded. Overall nothing esoteric, just a simple by-the-book design, along the lines of Mackie/Behringer. Note that the newer versions might have been changed to surface mount, etc, but this is what mine was like. |
#8
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Anyone heard these $100 8 Channel Mic Pre's?
justin smith" wrote in message
... It looks like Nady and "SMPro Audio" are putting out the same 8 channel mic preamp under a different name, but for the same price: $100!? Does anyone know who is actually building these things, and if they are even worth throwing a hundred dollars at? What about any DIY mods for them, anybody willing to take a look? Thanks- Justin.S At the price just buy one and report back to us. Of course you have to have something reasonable to judge it against, and if you ask the question, obviously you don't have something reasonable to judge it against. Thus, it wouldn't make a single list of mine, even were I going to set up a recording system for 12 year olds. Geez, guys. Think. Use logic and reason. To make any profit at all the parts have to be about $.37 total because it takes that little in parts to make the production line work towards making any profit. If any of you have been paying attention over the years, believe us, there is no CHEAP way to go without getting CHEAP, particularly in the range of electronics. I'll take some of the mics that have been coming out for little money, but let's face it, unless you can pinpoint where you could use them, they are a worthless investment too. To look at an 8 channel mic pre that sells street for $100 you might as well just go ahead and get it because it might do something for you. But ultimately, if you have any ears at all, you'll drop it like a hot potato and consider that you've learned a lesson. The real lesson is don't buy crap and then you won't have crap on your hands. -- Roger W. Norman SirMusic Studio Purchase your copy of the Fifth of RAP CD set at www.recaudiopro.net. See how far $20 really goes. " |
#9
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Anyone heard these $100 8 Channel Mic Pre's?
I have plently reasonable to judge it against, but thanks for the
implied insult. I was mostly inquiring about the modifications that could be done on it, seeing as for a $100 starting price if I can swap out some IC, capicitors, etc. and get it sounding decent, I don't see a reason not to have it around. At the price just buy one and report back to us. Of course you have to have something reasonable to judge it against, and if you ask the question, obviously you don't have something reasonable to judge it against. Thus, it wouldn't make a single list of mine, even were I going to set up a recording system for 12 year olds. Geez, guys. Think. Use logic and reason. To make any profit at all the parts have to be about $.37 total because it takes that little in parts to make the production line work towards making any profit. If any of you have been paying attention over the years, believe us, there is no CHEAP way to go without getting CHEAP, particularly in the range of electronics. I'll take some of the mics that have been coming out for little money, but let's face it, unless you can pinpoint where you could use them, they are a worthless investment too. To look at an 8 channel mic pre that sells street for $100 you might as well just go ahead and get it because it might do something for you. But ultimately, if you have any ears at all, you'll drop it like a hot potato and consider that you've learned a lesson. The real lesson is don't buy crap and then you won't have crap on your hands. |
#10
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Anyone heard these $100 8 Channel Mic Pre's?
Implied? I don't think so. I was pretty specific. I don't recall seeing
anything in your question about changing out parts and making something out of nothing. I said specifically that if you didn't have something to judge it against than you wouldn't know what it sounded like. If you do, then for $100 be brave and figure it out for yourself. I mean, if we were talking about $2k then I'd understand, but you know the name, you know the reputation, and yet you ask the question without the stipulations. I simply answered on that level. If you took offense then I apologize. I wasn't trying to offend you. But the answer is still the same, regardless, and it's come at the expense of my wallet more times than once. Perhaps instead of ragging on you, I was reminding myself of lessons learned dearly? Your call. -- Roger W. Norman SirMusic Studio Purchase your copy of the Fifth of RAP CD set at www.recaudiopro.net. See how far $20 really goes. "justin smith" wrote in message ... I have plently reasonable to judge it against, but thanks for the implied insult. I was mostly inquiring about the modifications that could be done on it, seeing as for a $100 starting price if I can swap out some IC, capicitors, etc. and get it sounding decent, I don't see a reason not to have it around. At the price just buy one and report back to us. Of course you have to have something reasonable to judge it against, and if you ask the question, obviously you don't have something reasonable to judge it against. Thus, it wouldn't make a single list of mine, even were I going to set up a recording system for 12 year olds. Geez, guys. Think. Use logic and reason. To make any profit at all the parts have to be about $.37 total because it takes that little in parts to make the production line work towards making any profit. If any of you have been paying attention over the years, believe us, there is no CHEAP way to go without getting CHEAP, particularly in the range of electronics. I'll take some of the mics that have been coming out for little money, but let's face it, unless you can pinpoint where you could use them, they are a worthless investment too. To look at an 8 channel mic pre that sells street for $100 you might as well just go ahead and get it because it might do something for you. But ultimately, if you have any ears at all, you'll drop it like a hot potato and consider that you've learned a lesson. The real lesson is don't buy crap and then you won't have crap on your hands. |
#11
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Anyone heard these $100 8 Channel Mic Pre's?
I don't recall seeing anything in your question about changing out parts and making something out of nothing. Then you didn't actually read the quesestion that started this thread, and just decided to jump in uninformed. |
#12
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Anyone heard these $100 8 Channel Mic Pre's?
"justin smith" wrote in message
... Then you didn't actually read the quesestion that started this thread, and just decided to jump in uninformed. Fine. I'm just an idiot. -- Roger W. Norman SirMusic Studio Purchase your copy of the Fifth of RAP CD set at www.recaudiopro.net. See how far $20 really goes. "justin smith" wrote in message ... Then you didn't actually read the quesestion that started this thread, and just decided to jump in uninformed. |
#13
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Anyone heard these $100 8 Channel Mic Pre's?
"justin smith" wrote in message
I have plently reasonable to judge it against, but thanks for the implied insult. I was mostly inquiring about the modifications that could be done on it, seeing as for a $100 starting price if I can swap out some IC, capacitors, etc. and get it sounding decent, I don't see a reason not to have it around. If you wanted to do a professional job of this, you'd start out with a level-matched, time-synched, bias-controlled listening test and some technical testing. From Dave Runton's description, the most obvious sound quality exposure would be the unbiased tantalum coupling caps around the gain control and outputs. |
#14
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Anyone heard these $100 8 Channel Mic Pre's?
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#15
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Anyone heard these $100 8 Channel Mic Pre's?
"Mike Rivers" wrote in message
news:znr1067653427k@trad In article writes: I was mostly inquiring about the modifications that could be done on it, seeing as for a $100 starting price if I can swap out some IC, capacitors, etc. and get it sounding decent, I don't see a reason not to have it around. If you were going to do that, you might just start with a chassis and power supply and build your own preamp. Ironically, $100 will get you the rack chassis, maybe parts for the power supply, and possibly some or all of the connectors. If you start with a SMPro Audio you get the chassis pre-punched! http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/...ase_pid/480830 |
#16
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Anyone heard these $100 8 Channel Mic Pre's?
"Roger W. Norman" wrote in message ...
"justin smith" wrote in message ... Then you didn't actually read the quesestion that started this thread, and just decided to jump in uninformed. Fine. I'm just an idiot. -- Roger W. Norman SirMusic Studio Purchase your copy of the Fifth of RAP CD set at www.recaudiopro.net. See how far $20 really goes. "justin smith" wrote in message ... Then you didn't actually read the quesestion that started this thread, and just decided to jump in uninformed. Roger, Using some of your original logic, I'd say that the FMR RNC must be a piece of crap...I mean you get four channels of compression for only $175, that's only $44 per channel, I mean how good can the thing be at that price. If an 1176 costs $1500 per channel, at $44 per channel this RNC thing must be a total piece of crap, right? I'd suggest the usefulness of this preamp would be for the guy that wants to record 8 tracks and doesn't want to string together two Mackies to do that. While I'd agree with the logic of spending your money on useful tools that will last (e.g. $2000 mic pres), when someobody's entire setup costs that much it's kind of a stretch to justify spending $2000 on something when the rest of your signal chain is not there either. Keep in mind that not everybody's recording/music career is for life, some people wind up dropping out. Then there are the sick pups like us g I did plenty of recordings in my youth on crap gear and I can't really say the music would have been better if I had good gear...the recordings yes but not the music. My drummer is thinking about buying one of these pres for live recording, his side bands (Country Band, big band, etc.) Nothing serious mind you, just capturing a live performance to his DA78. For him it would be a lot more convenient than dragging out two 1202's to do the same thing. If he gets the thing I'll A/B it with my good **** (GR, Hardy) and my so so **** (Rane and Symetrix) and report back. Analogeezer |
#17
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Anyone heard these $100 8 Channel Mic Pre's?
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#18
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Anyone heard these $100 8 Channel Mic Pre's?
On the other hand, I don't think that a $2/channel (plus chassis and
power supply and labor and profit) preamp is going to do anything but make the microphone signal louder. That's all my great River MP2 seems to do. I suspect for $2/channel it's changing the mic's signal substantially. Joe Egan EMP Colchester, VT www.eganmedia.com |
#19
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Anyone heard these $100 8 Channel Mic Pre's?
sing some of your original logic, I'd say that the FMR RNC must be a
piece of crap...I mean you get four channels of compression for only $175, that's only $44 per channel, I mean how good can the thing be at that price. How do I tap into the other 2 channels of my RNC? --------------------------------------- "I know enough to know I don't know enough" |
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