VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

tokyofan · Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 6:33 pm Post subject: Preamp hunger pangs...

I'm still looking for a new preamp to pair with a U87 or TLM103 that will contrast the Grace 101. I want a solid state or hybrid that will warm things up and/or offer a little more color. My latest candidates:

UA 710 Twinfinity
Focusrite ISA One
Summit 2Ba-221
Great River ME-1NV
Speck 5.0

Any suggestions among these or something else?
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Frank F · Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 7:21 pm Post subject:

Summit 2Ba-221 will do you well, combining the tube quality and smoothness with a solid-state channel strip. Because of the Continuously Variable Impedance and Variable Vacuum Tube Outputs this is an ideal fit for the U-87 or the TLM-103. However, you will need/want to change out the tube. Telefunkens are a great choice, but pricey. Mullards, JAN, JAN-Phillips, or JJ's would be next in line or; again for the money - an RCA Black Sable.

For a few more bucks the Universal Audio LA610 mk II is also a great choice. This preamp offers true bypass on the compressor which is ideal for VO.

If you do not mind playing with the insides a bit, change the tubes on the Focusrite VoiceMaster Pro or the TwinTrak Pro, and for a lot less money you will have a great toy to play with.

The Focusrite Liquid Channel is a good channel strip, but lacks some definition (in my humble opinion) and it comes at a price. The Liquid Channel can still be a good choice for a SS device in your chain.

On the other hand, the lower priced Toft Audio ATC-2 would be a very cool preamp which will make you drool with it's quality.

Depending upon your price range, I would suggest the Toft Audio ATC-2 for approximately $1200.00 USD or on the low end, the Summit Audio 2Ba-221.

The best choice would be to play with both of them to your hearts content and buy both a Toft and the Summit.

Toodles

F2
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Chrissy · Guest

What Frank said cause I don't know a thing about them.
Embarrassed

SkinnyJohnny · Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 9:45 pm Post subject:

Frank F · Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 9:50 pm Post subject:

Whoops, it is a channel strip (Focusrite VoiceMaster Pro)..... my bad Embarrassed

F2
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Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

I'd go with the Summit, and I think your voice could really sound great with a decent Tube preamp.

My Speck-103 combo is unbelievably good with many reads and not so good with others, which I think has a lot to do with the output/input impedance ratio. It picks up everything which I'm not crazy about. Still, I'd never sell it. If you have a Grace, you should be looking at a tube preamp, not a Speck.

For most reads, my 103-ART MPA Gold combo is very solid, and that is becoming my default preamp. One channel has a NOS Valvo tube for bright reads and the other a JJ gold pin for darker reads.

The ability to alter the input impedance of a preamp is crucial with a 50 ohm output mic like the TLM 103.
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Bill Campbell · DC Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 621

Check out the Daking channel strip with four band EQ. I think you get more color and warmth from EQ and mic technique than with the preamp alone.

An offbeat one I use is the Air Corp 500PH. Pre, EQ, and Compressor.
This thing is syrupy. Designed for voice. $800.
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Philip Banks · Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:03 am Post subject:

Any chain should go - Mic, non tube(valve)
Pre, non tube(valve)
Compressor, non tube (valve)
Flat EQ.

How good do you sound?
If good then spend money finding work.
If bad then sell gear and get a job.
If you are a producer and the final decision as to how the audio sounds is yours then ignore the above.

Should someone request from you "a nice clean feed" and you have tubes(valves) anywhere in your chain then you have to say "sorry, no can do" as tubes(valves)= unclean. If you are sending your voice via ISDN or as an mp3 the subtleties of tube mics et al are lost.

Bill Campbell · DC Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 621

I agree with Phillip "take it to the" Banks.

If you've got a U87 AND a good acoustic recording space, you shouldn't
need anything else, other than good mic technique.

I need to remember that I do as much "producing" as VO work, so I'm always punching up the VO for different media. But, if you're just doing the VO,
clean is correct.
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tokyofan · Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:03 pm Post subject: re:

Being in the Tokyo market I do a little of everything...some work and auditioning from home but also producing my own demos. So, would like to have more options available. Plus I keep hearing that 'tube'-sounding gear is better matched for VO and wanna satisfy my curiosity.

So, sounds like the Summit unit may be the way to go. I can pick one here...but where can I get the better vacuum tubes?
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Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

Good tube/valve gear with good tubes used properly and not driven hard are clean and the subtleties of the tube gear do come out even in mp3s.
Bad noisy cheap valve gear should be avoided, as should bad noisy solid state gear.
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Frank F · Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:56 pm Post subject:

I believe I posted a list somewhere, but:

www.tubedepot.com/12ax7.html?gclid=CMDipvPJv5kCFRFWagodMGxBug

www.tubeworld.com/12ax7.htm

www.tubestore.com

www.vacuumtubes.com/12ax7.html

www.torresengineering.com/12ax70ecprea.html

www.machmat.com/sales/ecc83.htm

www.tejastubes.com/12AX7.htm

www.tube-shop.com/usa/prod_pm.asp

and of course, eBay.

This is a brief listing, but it will give you incentive to do a search on the internet.

You will be looking for replacement tubes for the ECC83/12AX7A.

Good luck

Toodles

F2
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tokyofan · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 6:06 pm Post subject: Re:

I'm also looking into one of these:

Chandler Germanium pre Amp

Phoenix Audio DRS-1

Hear anything?
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Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

They're both great: I think the Phoenix would be better for VO.

With your acoustics, it would be a shame to let all that marvelous clean gain on the Grace preamp go to waste...what about a dynamic mic? Especially for the news related things you do.
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tokyofan · Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 1:44 am Post subject: re:

In Tokyo i mostly see condenser mics so wanna stick with what I have for now. Even when I do news for publishers, most studios use the U87 or another condenser. I think the Grace is pretty good....clean and detailed. But it's been my mainstay for a long time and I'm really curious about trying out a warmer pre and playing around.

The DRS-1 seems to have gone up in price over the years...maybe it's the British pound. Or limited distribution. But I hear very good things about it and the DRS-2. And I like the half-rack size. Sounds very nice at the Listening Sessions.
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