Hi again. Back in mid May, as you might recall from my last blog, I went to Nashville to attend a 2 day audio recording conference called Mix Nashville 2012 sponsored by Mix Magazine. See my last blog to get more Nashville Mix details. In this blog I’m going to give you some short notes on what I learned about favourite preamps the Nashville cats grab for in their recording sessions.
This will be short & sweet because there were really just a couple pres mentioned. The most talked about pre was the Neve 1073 ams-neve.com/products/outboard which has been used on some of the biggest records in the last 40 years. The big, punchy sound of the 1073 complements any musical genre – from rock to pop, hip-hop to rap, thrash to classical. Handcrafted and completely hand-wired by Neve’s dedicated professionals in Burnley, England, the modern-day 1073 is produced to the exact specifications of the original modules. The Class A design 1073 microphone preamplifier features 3 bands of EQ, with one fixed high frequency band, two switchable bands with cut and boost capability, and a high pass filter. All Neve channel amplifiers are designed to accept signals from a wide range of microphone and line sources. The Neve 1073 mic pre and EQ combination adds warmth and depth to recordings, brings out subtle ambience, maintains spatial positioning, and more effectively captures a precise image. That’s why the 1073 mic preamp is considered by many to be the very essence of the Neve sound.
The Neve 1073 is pretty pricey, around $3300, but the good news is there is a raved about knock off that comes off indistinguishable from the 1073 in in-depth comparison tests. It’s the Vintec X73 & X73i www.vintech-audio.com/ priced at $1895 & $1375. They have the classic Neve sound. The X73i is a Class A, all discrete, transformer balanced microphone preamplifier with equalizer both based on the classic Neve 1073 module. It is constructed utilizing modern manufacturing techniques which allow them to offer this product at an incredible value. Now practically anyone can record with the classic sound of vintage modules without having to deal with inflated vintage prices.
The X73i features the same Class A mic pre as the X73 with all of the same eq parameters plus additional mid range frequencies, selectable input impedance, 1/4 inch D.I. on front panel, transformer balanced mic and line inputs, phase reverse, phantom power switch, eq switch, 70db of gain, quality Grayhill rotary switches, custom machined aluminum knobs, plus many other features. It gives you up to 70dB gain, which if you recall, is needed to power the favoutite SM7 mic. You’ll need a separate power supply for around $350. So, depending on your budget the Neve & the Vintec look like the way to go. I have been using an Avalon myself for the last 10 years & have liked it a lot, however, the cats consider it to lack colour that the Neve & Vintec offer. Other pre’s mentioned were the Martec & Shadow Hills.
Next time I’ll talk about some general recording tips that Nashville producers & engineers employ to get the best out of their sessons. You'll want to check this out, so, stay tuned. Don't forget to register on my mailing list so you can be notified when I've added anything new.
Until then,
Ron
This will be short & sweet because there were really just a couple pres mentioned. The most talked about pre was the Neve 1073 ams-neve.com/products/outboard which has been used on some of the biggest records in the last 40 years. The big, punchy sound of the 1073 complements any musical genre – from rock to pop, hip-hop to rap, thrash to classical. Handcrafted and completely hand-wired by Neve’s dedicated professionals in Burnley, England, the modern-day 1073 is produced to the exact specifications of the original modules. The Class A design 1073 microphone preamplifier features 3 bands of EQ, with one fixed high frequency band, two switchable bands with cut and boost capability, and a high pass filter. All Neve channel amplifiers are designed to accept signals from a wide range of microphone and line sources. The Neve 1073 mic pre and EQ combination adds warmth and depth to recordings, brings out subtle ambience, maintains spatial positioning, and more effectively captures a precise image. That’s why the 1073 mic preamp is considered by many to be the very essence of the Neve sound.
The Neve 1073 is pretty pricey, around $3300, but the good news is there is a raved about knock off that comes off indistinguishable from the 1073 in in-depth comparison tests. It’s the Vintec X73 & X73i www.vintech-audio.com/ priced at $1895 & $1375. They have the classic Neve sound. The X73i is a Class A, all discrete, transformer balanced microphone preamplifier with equalizer both based on the classic Neve 1073 module. It is constructed utilizing modern manufacturing techniques which allow them to offer this product at an incredible value. Now practically anyone can record with the classic sound of vintage modules without having to deal with inflated vintage prices.
The X73i features the same Class A mic pre as the X73 with all of the same eq parameters plus additional mid range frequencies, selectable input impedance, 1/4 inch D.I. on front panel, transformer balanced mic and line inputs, phase reverse, phantom power switch, eq switch, 70db of gain, quality Grayhill rotary switches, custom machined aluminum knobs, plus many other features. It gives you up to 70dB gain, which if you recall, is needed to power the favoutite SM7 mic. You’ll need a separate power supply for around $350. So, depending on your budget the Neve & the Vintec look like the way to go. I have been using an Avalon myself for the last 10 years & have liked it a lot, however, the cats consider it to lack colour that the Neve & Vintec offer. Other pre’s mentioned were the Martec & Shadow Hills.
Next time I’ll talk about some general recording tips that Nashville producers & engineers employ to get the best out of their sessons. You'll want to check this out, so, stay tuned. Don't forget to register on my mailing list so you can be notified when I've added anything new.
Until then,
Ron