25 mic pre shootout/review! Male vocals (BAE, NEVE, API, UA, Great River, Chandler, Shadow hills)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ส.ค. 2024
- www.giuliocarm...
00:04 BAE 1073
00:31 NEVE 1073LB
00:59 Chandler Limited Germanium 500 MKII
01:25 BAE 312A
01:52 API 512C
02:19 Shadow Hills Gama Nickel
02:45 Shadow Hills Gama Steel
03:13 Focusrite Clarett pre - no air
03:45 Daking 500 pre
04:14 Purple Biz - Dual switch engaged
04:43 Great River MP2NV
05:10 Rupert Neve Design 511 pre - no silk
05:38 UA 610 solo - 500 impedance
06:07 D.W.Fearn VT-1 pre
06:36 Manley Core mic pre
07:03 Edwards LE-10 pre
07:31 Burl B1 pre
07:58 Inward Connections Magnum pre
08:25 Phoenix DRS-1R pre
08:52 Avedis MA5 pre
09:20 Skibbie 736-5 pre
09:48 Wunder Audio Cobalt Pre
10:09 Electrodyne 501 pre
10:36 Grace Design 501 pre
11:03 Millennia Media HV-35 pre
Mic was a KSM32.
Singer is Giulio Carmassi
Song is "ok" from Giulio Carmassi's album "the innocent"
www.giuliocarmassi.com
All rights reserved.
After a few years, my favorite is still the BAE 1073, on most vocals, certainly mine.
I added a touch of reverb because to me dry vocals are the death of sonic bliss, like pasta without salt, and would make it so painful that it would be distracting to even try to have any emotional instinctual reaction to the minor differences between pres.
Please subscribe and go check my other videos, that'll be the thank you for the free service here provided! :) Cheeeeeeers, G
PS If you feel they all sound the same, congratulations! You are luckier than all of us and are free from the insidious GAS (gear acquisition syndrome), and will live longer and happier!
And you're more than right. No one was able to come even close... it's like... butter, cream, vanilla for your voice.
Anyways, the Api was the runner-up here IMO.
Me too. The BAE1073 had that warmth and low mid weight to it. The Neve 1073 was close. imho they all sounded pretty good, and quite usable.
The Manley is my favorite, but the ua 610 just has something about it, only its less detailed than the rest.
It would be easier to gauge the differences between the preamp if there was one raw recorded, non-preamped vocal take that was then sent through all the different preamps. Because they're all different vocal takes, it's hard to pinpoint what's the preamp and what's a difference in how it was sung.
@@garyharrison8891 claret il vero fico aggressivo per hiphoo
Thanks for putting this together. I often come back to this for unequivocal evidence of how much of a negligible difference pre-amps make and how much misinformation was spread on my university course.
As an excellent comment below stated, this is absolutely a case “The Emperor’s New Clothes”. A story upheld by all who gain to benefit from it and believe by those they can exploit. Every discernible difference these expensive preamps make from each other can be adjusted with mild EQing. Don’t fall into the trap of believing it ✌️
Yea!
That depends on your use. For me as a voice actor, I can tell a significant difference when it comes to detail, noise, and clarity. If I’m trying to create a human experience for the listener, while hiding the processing, it matters. For music though, maybe not
Resale value and dependability are factors. Not just sound. You get what you pay for most times.
I agree@@christopherJSmokeandMirrors
If your a mixing engineer good luck finding that last 10% of the sound you've been trying to achieve because its mostly in the pres. This demonstration isn't pushing the input to highlight each pres unique colour in an obvious way, tho it is definitely still audible.
00:05 BAE 1073
00:32 NEVE 1073LB
00:59 Chandler Limited Germanium 500 MKII
02:19 Shadow Hills Gama Nickel
02:45 Shadow Hills Gama Steel
03:13 Focusrite Clarett pre - no air
03:45 Daking 500 pre
04:14 Purple Biz - Dual switch engaged
04:43 Great River MP2NV
05:10 Rupert Neve Design 511 pre - no silk
05:39 UA 610 solo - 500 impedance
06:08 D.W.Fearn VT-1 pre
06:36 Manley Core mic pre
08:25 Phoenix DRS-1R pre
7:31 Burl B1 - Not to be left out. It did very well in this shootout!
1:52 00:32
No Capi?
Focusrite Clarett SURPRISE
@@loredanamassini3656 u okay?
@@enriquekikzdelapazbichain1126 I heard an immediate sibilance in the high end (around 4-5k or so) that wasn't BAD but not nearly as pleasing as most of the other options.
😂
This is the freaking best preamp shootout!!!!!!!!!
DW Fearn was my fav. Super round sounding. Deep lows, and no sibilance. The Skibbie had a really cool bite to it! I have electrodyne so I have to like that one too. BAE nailed the classic Neve thing. Always impressed with stock Focusrite pres as well!
I really liked the RND 511... clarity and warmth at the same time, really clear 3D effect
this is probably the best preamp comparison demo for vocals on youtube
They all sound good! Can’t go wrong with any!
Exactly. 99% of the people in this thread are pretending to be fine wine connoisseurs. There's just no way to tell from a TH-cam video.
The API 512C is so SMOOTH! I really like the Neve 1073.
BAE 1073 and UA610 are so lovely on his vocals, silky.
Love Chandler Germanium!!!! That’s hands down all about the tone I go for. Wunder is beautiful. Used a large format console for years in San Fran. Amazing gear. (Except it picks up Mexican radio, even the large console did that)
the clarette pre really holds its own here for its price!
agreed
saturation knob is free
@@user-hy4xz1qt9h lol good joke
If youre listening on a good system its clearly the worst
I was surprised how good it was too. My original MBox From ProTools circa 2004 had focusrite pres in it and it was amazing.
Thanks for the excellent shootout! For me, I can finally put to rest the preamp debate. Listening through AKG 371 wired cans, yes there are differences, but they are so subtle! Some options are a little more airy, some have a little more bottom end, some have a little more definition in the mids, but not to the point of making a huge difference at all, not really, for me at least. Not to the point that a little EQ would help balance the ground between them. I am happy to see thay my pair of RND 511 that I got second hand at a ridicously price, are hanging there with the best, and actually sound very fresh, modern to my ears, and without the silk. Also surprised that the Focursite preamps stood their ground against the others. I won't ever think of outboard preamps anymore. I might just sell the IGS Neve clone that I was expecting to arrive home soon, stick to my RND pre's and get something more usefull, like a new virtual instrument, an Audioscape V3A compressor, some ribbon mic, or a radial pedal interface instead... Case closed, thank you very much!...Move, next.
Agreed. This comparison was very liberating for me. At the end of the day, despite the subtle differences, it just sounds like that guy's vocal performance.
finally somebody says it lol... here I am looking at the $2500 BAE 1073d thinking it will solve my problems, but the real problem is I haven't shared my music with the world today.
The Neves, the BAEs, the Edwards, Avedis and Burls, hell of em!
Neve 1073LB and Chandler Mkii together in one mix is basically all you need for at home recordings.
Neve: Focusrite:
0:31 3:14
0:40 3:25
0:50 3:35
Just for fun.. ears forget quickly.
what if this reverb could go away so we can tell what they sound like
HAHA
🤣🤣🤣🤣
That Skibbie 736 surprised the shit out of me. Sounds amazing!
It's actually, "Skibbe". These were built by Bill Skibbe and Jessica Ruffins. I believed these were modeled these after the Flickinger console in Benton Harbor, MI "Key Club Recording Co." studio that originally belonged to Sly Stone (maybe another one by Parliament?). Flickinger was probably one of the best consoles ever made (not very many were built.) I don't know where they all. Bill probably does. One belonged to the Association and was used as a live console --recently up on Reverb or VK. One was down in Muscle Shoals another at Fame, Ike & Tina Turner had one as well as Ray Stevens, Johnny Cash, Paragon, Boston and a few other locations. Flick also made very musical EQ's and an INCREDIBLE limiter. I believe Bill is working out the EQ in a 500 module soon as well. A friend of mine who works along-side Bill sold me some of the 535-7 opamps they use in this exact preamp. There should be a new batch of these 500 modules available soon. I think this preamp is WAY overlooked and a secret weapon. As a bit of "cred" to these consoles. A friend of mine was a lead tech engineer at Heider Studios back in the 60's/70's and has nothing but, gracious words about the Flickinger console.
It's got a strange resonance, to my ears.
thanks for the video! Favorites were BAE1073, NEVE1073LB, Chandler, Great River Pre.
This confirms to me that if you've got a good voice, you'll sound good through anything. They all have their subtleties, but it's completely subjective what sounds best.
jajajaja stfu
Yes. most important is the source.. the electronics play a smaller role. The best/different electronics will bring out the best qualities of the performance for sure. But the "best" electronics will provide the most detail, which may or may not be the best thing for that particular singer/musician.
And/or a good mic.
the BAE is unbeatable! The way it handles the mids harsh frequencies is just great. My second choice would be the Chandler
Years later I still consider this to be the absolute best preamp shootout on the internet. It inspired me to get the Daking and sell my grace and it was a really pleasing change for the projects I was working on at the time.
BAE 1073. Clean, clear, not too harsh. No bad mids sticking through.
Avedis MA5, BAE 1073, Great River MP2NV lovely bottom end and solid. Inward connections seem to be the closest to actual sound. API 512C, just because it is an awesome dependable workhorse at a decent price. love my 3124. But Avedis is the fullest and most appealing in my opinion.. Listening mainly to the low end. If the lows and mids are not solid, a mix always seems lacking in body. When bass and low mids are nice and grounded, everything else easily falls into place.
Beautiful and very effective comparison test. Thank you very much.
Wow! THANK YOU so much for all your work in putting this together. It's interesting to read everyone's favorites...which reveals just how different all our ears are. My personal favorites were Great River, the UA 610, and the Avedis (Although, I've never heard of Avedis). The Purple, Clarett, and Phoenix were painfully harsh. Ugh. This has been HUGELY helpful in narrowing down which preamps I want to go with in my studio. I was locked on to the Manley CORE channel strip...but its preamp isn't anything crazily astonishing compared to others either.
Yeah it's kinda beautiful how subjective it all is, and how tempting it is sometimes for certain people to assume that anyone that disagrees is either dumb or deaf, rather than just.... different. haha.
The BAE is really something else. By far the most pleasing to me. The GAMA seems like it has an insane amount of headroom. The Grace is also really nice, extremely transparent but never harsh. The rest were just good.
I think the API and Grace Design 501 are my preferred ones. What a perfect way to do a shoutout video.
Absolutely mind blown by the Germanium, I didn't expect that. Smooth as butter in your voice, the 'S' sound is just precious.
If you haven't listened to the song this vocal is from, check it out!! It's called "Ok," and it's an awesome song with ethereal chord progressions and gorgeous, rich vocal harmonies that just come soaring in out of nowhere. The vocal makes so much more sense in context, and the song itself is excellent.🌅 🌌
I was feeling you needed a touch of eq until I heard the Shadow Hills... to me the best for your vocals but they all can emulate each other with a nice EQ :) Great review! 👏
_Bravissimo!_ Outstanding demo, my dude.
***for the relative noobs*** : Most of any of these will serve solo instrumentalists and singers just fine. It's when you are mixing many tracks and needing to mitigate whatever the rooms, mics or performers are doing that may be sub-optimal - that is when the hand-built, hand-biased and calibrated circuits really tend to make the most difference in the end result.
And your monitors matter a lot here, or you won't be hearing much difference!
Anyway, [personally coming from a M160, 2x little blondies, 797/SP C1 and SM57 into an early UA LA-610 and ISA 428 mk1]
the Chandler is the sound of desire - the balance of vibe and natural musicality shines every time I hear one working.
that Grace 101 is still as detailed and smooth as ever 15 yrs on, and the Daking a bit more lively in a similar respect.
BAE 1073 stays smooth and big as it tracks and flatters the mid-to-lowend fundamental like nobody's business. Similar but not as commanding were the Avedis, GR and Gama...the Purple sounds like too many steroids.
the 312a thinner but better detailed and very nicely present to help mix a lead vocal into a denser mix.
Love the API and Phoenix for their balance and ability + character.
RND 511's mids sound a little odd here, perhaps not the best mate to mic or singer.
Manley and the Fearn sound like 2nd cousins just born a few decades apart.
otoh, that Magnum hardly bettered the Clarette with it's bizarre resonances and ringing...yuck lol! The Wunder had a similar problem in fewer regions. Skribble smeared the sibilants from that KSM32 too much, imho.
The Millennia exhibits an impressive yet plastick-y ability to track and emphasis upper partials, here it's sounding peculiarly 2D but I suspect that it can cut through a busy mix easier than many other pres can.
RND 511 is an incredible preamp, I have two
Burl/Daking FTW for 500 series. Listen to those quiet parts, wow.
Burl was perfect for the style and voice
Shadow Hills Gama (nickel mode) was the only on that really stood out, head and shoulders above all the others. Wow!
The BURL B1 is like the love child of the 73 and the 512. My personal favourite for that reason.
So where did you actually hear that? Is that your opinion or did Burl actually advertise them as being sort of in the middle of those 2 preamps?
I would put the Burl ay
at my # 3
I agree! The burl sounds great! It represents the signal the best IMHO with natural highs, lows, etc. As much as I love traditional neve-style pre's, the low end and top end can get a little carried away all too often (over-emphasizing sibilance and rumble).
I really like the B1D but idk if I like it enough to buy a 500 series chassis.
Among these, the BAE 1073 has a well-balanced sound with a good core and a good vintage feel.
Wow, the shadow hills and skibbe spoke to me
No one like Shadow Hills Gama>?? really good sound to my ear!
Didn't care for it very much.
I loved the top end on the Shadow Hills
Yeah, I listened to this while not looking at the screen. My first pick was the 1073, next was the Shadow hills. I was surprised with the Clarett
I loved it sounds amazing and has more character than any of the others to my ear
BAE 1073 for me but the RND 511 sounds amazing and controlled. Fantastic comparisons.
My favorites (for this microphone and vocalist) were: Daking, Great River, and Avedis MA5. API and Electrodyne are runners up.
The Daking, really eh! Interesting!
Great observation - ‘this mic and vocalist’. Most people here just don’t get it. It’s all gotta be judged in context.
the ones that stood out to me were: Bae 1073, Chandler, Shadow hills would be great for a rock and aggressive vocal, Edwards, and I think that Pheonix stood out a bit. Also the purple biz.
Zachary Lanning I agree, I also liked the Burl. I thought the Edwards, BAE, chandler worked well with the mic, and the voice.
Daking, Electrodyne, Neve Portico and Chandler Germanium all hav an openness and a smooth midrange that I quite like.
This is easy...That Great River is the best for this mic and vocalist. Beautiful!
Good ear. Id say so too. Other than the GR, Id give it to the BAE. In solo anyways!
I trust these recordings I can tell the difference been researching all this year and this is the icing on the cake helps me identify what sound I'm looking for an dodge a few bullets
Most AMS owners disliked the tone of the BAE variant. Personally I regard the BAE as possible alternative when tasked with recording slow music. You have to consider that a bass region that sounds "loose" and a bit "static" will find it difficult follow the dynamic execution of rhythmic patterns but instead will deliver sort of a resonant ring that lacks dynamism and tightness. Thank you for this great comparison.
Very well put :)
Eff'ing fantastic service you have provided!!! The most useful shootout I've come across in a long time!
There were a few things I found interesting. First thing is just how similar so many of these were an, how edgy the top end was on most of those that sounded alike. Makes me think most are copying the same basic design, wink, wink.
The only two that really stood out for me were the Manley, which was smooth as butter but not muddy or slow sounding, and the Electrodyne, which sounded like the records I grew up on so many years ago. The tonality was pleasant and laid back while the low mids were pushed ever so slightly into the pleasant range.
I also dug the Gamma with Steel engaged but was totally underwhelmed by the Wonder and the Portico, which makes me sad.
Clarett pre is suprisingly good!It has a big and open sound and no...annoying high mids!
My favorites were the Daking, the Edwards LE-10, and the Grace Design. They made the voice sound the most balanced and it sounds like their frequency response is more in line to pleasantly affect his specific vocal range. Everything is useable but may have sounded too wooly, dark, thuddy, brittle, honky, or combinations of all these for my taste. Thanks for the comparison!
Impressed by the BAE
That's SOME collection of great preamps! Was hoping for a Focusrite ISA in there, but you can't have it all. Thank you.
What a pleasant video. Thank you.
I was really impressed by that Edwards LE-10 and the Manley Core.
I wish that the RND 511 would have had a clip with the Silk engaged and one with the UA-610 impedance set to high.
I like the chandler a lot, its bottom end has something I seems to like
Thanks you friends for all your hard work, much appreciated.
I actually really like the RND 511, it sounds really ''controlled'' in a way...
You're right. And the Silk fonction bring more attitude ! Really good one
Nice high end
Ya dude, I thought the same. It definitely wasnt to bright or sibilant , seemed to control that stuff well, but wasnt to dark or anything. Super balanced!! Good ear!
RND 511. Crazy it’s clear but not overly bright. Controlled very nicely. The fern was nice too. The worst I think was the burl and the purple
Listened to this several times on different occasions through headphones. Top 3 for me were: Daking 500 pre, Phoenix DRS-1R, API 512c. All 3 revealed more detail (most notable during some of the singer's softer consonants at the end of passages. Most of the other pre's completely missed some of this!
Thats cute....but they don't sound better than the Shadow hills, Rupert neve, UA 610.....But hey to each their own.
@@EliteOnTheBeat Let me guess, you own the Shadow Hills, Rupert Neve, UA 610?
I love the BAE. It sounds similar to my Dan Alexander with the original Marinar transformers.
Is that the white faced ones? I have one - love it
The Manley and RPN 511 really stood out to me. Wish you demoed the Chandler TG2 too though! Great shootout. Also, the Great River sounded.. well.. great. There were a few others that were impressive but forgettable for me. The 511 has a clarity that feels almost three dimensional and futuristic. It’s really quite good. Dig the API also. I think I’m pulling the trigger on a 511, a CAPI VP26, and an AML EZ1073. The BAE is nice but the AML does the same job at a much better price if you can solder.
Also would like to echo another comment and add another perspective… while these pres may sound great on their own, and subtle in a mix, if you stack every track recorded with the same pre, it will be much more noticeable in a mix. Also, tube on tube on tube may not always be the best. I use a 47 clone with the 610 right now, and it’s great, but matching mics to different preamps appropriately can give a mix so much more life and sonic differentiation between parts. Cheers!
why the hell reverb?...
@@rikkousa yeah, why
I agree. Depending the work s frecuency in the preamplifier, and the tone of the voice, the reverb can be influence your ears to think that sounds great only for that little thing. We talk about great preamps and meticulous variations. but the reverb can lie very much
I agree. Depending the work s frecuency in the preamplifier, and the tone of the voice, the reverb can be influence your ears to think that sounds great only for that little thing. We talk about great preamps and meticulous variations. but the reverb can lie very much
The BAE 1073 sounded magical and smooth, and lifts the sound with that silky thing in the 7-8k region.
The Neve 1073 I actually didn't like at all, the sibilants sounded way too thick and unnatural to my ears.
The Chandler Germanium pre sounded thick but bright and silky, just the right amount of aggression and character. It's surprising cause I thought this was a dark preamp but it really isn't.
The API 512C sounds smooth with a tight, controlled low mid section, it feels like the sound is placed on a soundstage with the API. However it doesn't sound as exciting as some of the others.
The Focusrite clarett pre sounded really harsh on the presence and top end, hurt my ears.
The Daking sounded detailed and a little silky but also a little agressive.
The Great River sounded very high-fi to me, especially in the low end. The whole thing sounded super 3D and amazing. However it does lack that kind of big console sound that the API has.
The UA 610 sounded amazing and smokey at that impedance setting, but I don't think that the cloudy, slightly dark, and vintage sound suited this singer at all.
The Inward Connections pre has a great sounding bottom end like the great river, but to me the top end sounds kind of cheap compared to the other choices (still better than clarett pre though)
The Avedis MA5 sounded really good, theres something about the transients that really grabs you and a bet this would be a joy to fit into a mix. It has a full sounding bottom end, and the top end sounds musical but just a tad silky and open. Really interesting pre.
The Wunder Colbalt pre sounded very silky and with a great deep bottom end. However it did sound a tiny bit cloudy in the lower mids, not controlled like the API.
For me it is a toss up between BAE 1073, API 512C, Great River MP2NV, and the Avedis MA5 pre. On this particular singer, they all sounded great and the decision would have to be based on what the vocal sounds like in rest of the production.
@ Spencer, I liked your input. I feel the same for the most part. I liked the Bae 1073, Chandler, Purple, Avedis, And Great Riv(used it before) aswell. Just curious, go back and listen carefully the the 512c (the first few words) and tell me if you hear that distortion? What do you think that was from?
That's what i heard too. I still liked the BAE 1073 best, API was right there with it though just slightly different. Avedis MA5 is a fine preamp, I use it a lot , bass guitar > MA5 > BAC500, works well .
For me the winners are Neve 1073LB and Manley Core. Definitely the best of the best, two beast preamps.
Crazy... they all sound the same to me. Listening through a pair of DT 770 pro.
Neve is my favorite ☝️
Don’t judge on a soloed vocal, the vocal track will cut through the mix with neve
this is what we want
I love the wunder, purple, burl, and germainium in that order. UA 610 sounds most distinctive to me, its very mid-forward. And the neve 1073 beats the BAE for me.
Nope BAE No competition
The Chandler has such a warm even tone. I like it !!
API 512C ALL DAY!
BAE is the winner for me. I have two in 19" but want to get a 500 series version as well for my portable rig.
Thx for sharing. They all sound good.
For me was bae 1073, 610 Manley was amazing also Avedis.
The singer not always sing in the same way because is impossible but it was a great job
great stuff!
It is worth noting though that these vocal takes are not all the same. Some of the performances are faster, stronger, etc, which can skew perception.
Is that Wunder Audio unit picking up AM radio? 😅
C'est une Onde des '70...
Neve 1073 winner to my ears, Damn!! Now I've go to buy another Preamp, 16 and counting.
Awesome shootout ty!!!
D.W.Fearn VT-1 pre sounds good to my ears.
Thank you for the nice singing and making the effort. Definitely helps me in selecting the most suitable models for my studio.
...a.k.a. the preamps on my Focusrite interface. The differences between these preamps, while definitely there, are not worth the price tag for me.
Rupert Neve Design 511, BAE 1073, UA 610, Shadow hills Steel
BAE BAE BAE I dont understand these ridiculous comments saying its exactly the same. Its not. not even close between BAE and Grace for instance. Try stacking 40 tracks with each one and you will find out the hard way.
Dont care about the value. for me the value is not money but sound!
Thanks for this work. Great !
Considering the clarett has multiple channels AND is an interface is pretty amazing considering the price per preamp. So glad I got the PreX. I feel justified in my purchase now lol Might add some solo pre’s but honestly so much of the top end transients and low end stability can be slightly edited to match the others. Its so close.
Now I would definitely throw in the RED series to make it interesting.
I actually ABed the clarett and the red from the same loops and the Clarett sounded fuller and deeper I swear! I returned the Red! I couldn’t believe it. Blind tested, the Red positively sounded cheaper by a little bit.
@@giuliocarmassi Damn thats crazy. I wasnt sure about the Reds myself given the price point. Maybe could justify the Compressors and EQ’s. But yea I almost want another clarett interface to run as adat to my Pre-X instead of the octopre. Just to have more options and only a $100 difference.
The Millennia sounds scooped out. For this guys voice, the BAE sounds the best.
¡¡¡Felicitaciones!!! Muchas Gracias!
I thought the focusrite stood up very well alongside some of the more expensive pres in the video.
personally I like the burl api and the shadow hills but the focusrite was right there too.
yeah i was surprised at how the focusrite clarett for like $100 a pre if that, actually held it's own just fine. I definitely liked it better than a dozen other pres in this shootout, in blind tests. But yeah they're all a lot more similar than they are different. I think it's a good place to start if any specific one gets you to the sound in your head quicker than others. But ultimately any pretty much will do! So much of what makes these pres sound amazing is the low end and size, and most of that gets EQ'ed out in complex mixes right away. So yeah, it's all about the application for sure. But it's not a huge huge difference.
It just loud ,
It seemed the most transparent. Which for recording might be best, probably wouldn't like it for Live though.
Yeah, I was shocked to hear myself say the focusrite really stood very well
@@giuliocarmassi I think manufacturers understand that the least expensive “boutique” hardware an aspiring recordist can actually afford is a mic preamp. A kid who is dying to have something in his bedroom studio that says Neve on the front can afford a mic preamp, but not an EQ or compressor. I genuinely think that is what drives the market for mic preamps. The difference between the most and least expensive of these is often smaller than the differences between two takes of the same song.
Neve 1073 & Bae 1073, me quedo con el Neve😍
mic placement will make a greater difference than the difference of the preamps! the only pre it makes sense here imho is the Electrodyne 501, the electrodyne can make a huge difference not because of its color but because of its amazing slow slew rate... if you hear carefully in that part he sings "okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy" you will realize that electrodyne took out the harshness of the transients of his voice...it melted it like butter!(noone of the others pres did it) and this is important for me if i want to sing close to the mic because not the best acoustic of my home studio! electrodyne + a nice ribbon mic...can be the smoothest combination in milky way galaxy! (sorry for my bad English)
Depends on the application. But in no particular order, I really dig the API (Very open and punchy), Millennia *Surprised me* (Very clean, smooth, and so much depth) And the Great River, Which sounds more like a Vintage Neve 1081 to me. I've used the API and the great river in real life, But with how cost effective the Millennia is, I'm most certainly getting a few of those to add to my rack! Thanks for the great video!
Anyone else digging tf out of the Electrodyne 501?
Bae 1073/Chandler- 2 favorites
Great demonstration!!! Thank-you!!
I was bored listening and about to go to sleep till the Edwards came on. I wasn't even looking at the screen and then I heard this huge 3 dimensional sound and it made me sit up and take notice. Never heard of Edwards but it sticks out like a sore thumb. I listened to the rest of them. They were okay. The Edwards is unique. I haven't looked at the price. Probably full of tubes and cost a fortune.
I agree. I've been super stressing what one pre to buy for a whole album of vocals only, have spent weeks reading everything on everything, and was so glad to find this comparison. Was dizzy from so much varied opinion on all the same big name pre's that keep coming up in recommendations and wondering if there was anything unusual and fresh and in a league of it's own without sacrificing the upper level quality standards and that Edwards is IT! Liked the Fearn and Gama's too. Never heard of these before this video. Otherwise my fav's were BAE and Manley. Looked them all up and they're all the most stratospheric expensive. I'm surprised that maybe I do have ears. Thank you so much Guilio.
Agree it stood out, I usually don’t like pres with a lot of bells and whistles, the Edwards might change my mind. It sounds good with this mic, and vocalist,
great river is just beyond them all no question
Thanks for doing this! The Gama is my choice.
00:04 BAE 1073
00:32 NEVE 1073LB
1:00 Chandler Limited Germanium 500 MKII
01:27 BAE 312A
01:53 API 512C
07:32 Burl B1 pre
BAE 1073, Electrodyne 501 and DW Fearn were a cut above the rest for me. On this vocalist I'd probably go for the BAE.
Neve 1073lb & Great river for me.
I Iove the BAE!!!
Chandler, Edwards and Grace...clear, balanced...im going to by some of this shit
Awesome. Thanks. Great vocal. So many nice pre's for different uses. The BAE has some pixie dust; the new Manley is like a lighter version. Really interesting to make comparisons.
I had a RND 511 in my rack. Sat next to my Great River … sold the RND. It just didn’t sound right to me in the mix. But guess what , the Capi 312 (api style ) sounds better on my vocals. Great river is great on bass (in your face bass) but the Capi still sets the bass right in the mix. Daking is great on recording acoustic instruments and vocals. You would literally have to try them all to find what works for your voice.
Great shutout! But missing in my opinion the best Mic Pre of all time...The Chandler TG2 500 with the magic Fine Gain. But all pretty close, except some minor color differences. The RND 511 is also a very pleasant modern Mic Pre.
wasn't really up to me! It was just what was available that day at the store! It's amazing how subjective all these things are too, and how dependent on the mix they are. Some sources sound amazing solo-ed through a warm pre and then you put them in the mix and take all the low end out to make them cut through, and might have as well been recorded through a toy karaoke mic from 1988. :) I've changed a million pres through my life and stuff still sounds like the mix i wanted anyway, because i end up EQing things to my subjective liking. I think they metter the most, the more you do simple acoustic chamber music and less and less the more you do complex electric productions.
Giulio Carmassi Absolutely! This video will help many people to pick up their favourite😉
Thanks for doing this. The BAE is my favorite. The Neve seems to have a tad more articulation, but the BAE is smooth and detailed. Have you ever used the 88rlb? It seem more open and cleaner than the Neve 1073.