I'm about to start an album project with a great
singer/songwriter/acoustic guitarist in the Dave Matthews vein. We'll
be doing some acoustic stuff and some band things as well. For his
vocals, I'd like to get one more mic pre for a different flavor, and
I'd like some opinions.

I have a Tracy Korby Empyrean (U47 voiced), a Korby modified AKG "The
Tube" with an original C12 capsule, an AT 4050, an RCA BK-5B, and a few
other mics. I also have a pair of Calrec PQ15 pres, an Aphex tube pre
which is nothing special, and a Cranesong Trakker for front end. The
Calrecs are great, but they really have an edgy, aggressive flavor, and
I'd like something that has more fidelity and detail and sounds really
sweet and smooth for the intimate vocal stuff and some of the acoustic
guitar.

Any recommendations?

Thanks,

Jim

nag champa wrote:
I'm about to start an album project with a great
singer/songwriter/acoustic guitarist in the Dave Matthews vein. We'll
be doing some acoustic stuff and some band things as well. For his
vocals, I'd like to get one more mic pre for a different flavor, and
I'd like some opinions.

I have a Tracy Korby Empyrean (U47 voiced), a Korby modified AKG "The
Tube" with an original C12 capsule, an AT 4050, an RCA BK-5B, and a few
other mics. I also have a pair of Calrec PQ15 pres, an Aphex tube pre
which is nothing special, and a Cranesong Trakker for front end. The
Calrecs are great, but they really have an edgy, aggressive flavor, and
I'd like something that has more fidelity and detail and sounds really
sweet and smooth for the intimate vocal stuff and some of the acoustic
guitar.

Any recommendations?

The original Great River (not the NV version). The John Hardy preamps.
Maybe even the Millennia Media (although you won't like what they do
on the BK-5). Nothing has more clean detail to my ears than the Millennia.
The Great River and John Hardy come close, and present a load that dynamic
and ribbon mikes may like more.
--scott

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

in article , nag champa
at wrote on 8/19/05 2:53 PM:

I'm about to start an album project with a great
singer/songwriter/acoustic guitarist in the Dave Matthews vein. We'll
be doing some acoustic stuff and some band things as well. For his
vocals, I'd like to get one more mic pre for a different flavor, and
I'd like some opinions.

I sure like my Great River NV-series preamps. They can be very clean or can
thicken up a little too if you want. They are essentially a modern take on
the classice Neve preamp circuit; tranny-balanced in and out, class-A
discreet inbetween. Talk to the good folks at Mercenary Audio. Oh, and you
can buy the NV as a single-channel unit for under $1100, too!

-jeff

in article , Scott Dorsey at
wrote on 8/19/05 7:02 PM:

nag champa wrote:
I'm about to start an album project with a great
singer/songwriter/acoustic guitarist in the Dave Matthews vein. We'll
be doing some acoustic stuff and some band things as well. For his
vocals, I'd like to get one more mic pre for a different flavor, and
I'd like some opinions.

The original Great River (not the NV version).

Gaack! That's funny; I just posted that I liked the NV preamp for vocal and
acoustic instruments. I find they have just enough color to be interesting.
That said, the original GR preamp is less colored, no doubt.

I guess i like color, if it sounds good.

-jeff

On Fri, 19 Aug 2005 17:53:43 -0400, nag champa wrote
(in article .com):

I'm about to start an album project with a great
singer/songwriter/acoustic guitarist in the Dave Matthews vein. We'll
be doing some acoustic stuff and some band things as well. For his
vocals, I'd like to get one more mic pre for a different flavor, and
I'd like some opinions.

I have a Tracy Korby Empyrean (U47 voiced), a Korby modified AKG "The
Tube" with an original C12 capsule, an AT 4050, an RCA BK-5B, and a few
other mics. I also have a pair of Calrec PQ15 pres, an Aphex tube pre
which is nothing special, and a Cranesong Trakker for front end. The
Calrecs are great, but they really have an edgy, aggressive flavor, and
I'd like something that has more fidelity and detail and sounds really
sweet and smooth for the intimate vocal stuff and some of the acoustic
guitar.

Any recommendations?

Thanks,

Jim


GML, Aphex 1100, Millennia Media STT-1.


Ty Ford




-- Ty Ford's equipment reviews, audio samples, rates and other audiocentric
stuff are at www.tyford.com

nag champa wrote:

I'd like something that has more fidelity and detail and sounds really
sweet and smooth for the intimate vocal stuff and some of the acoustic
guitar.

Great River MP2-MH, or MP2-NV, and EQ2-NV. Just killer sweet and clear.

--
ha