EH 12ay7 - how are you using yours? (gain related doubts)

[joel hamilton]

The 1/4" output has an IC buffer stage. You are NOT hearing what this little jammer is capable of if you are using that output. All bets are off on sonic greatness using the 1/4" output. I wish that thing didnt exist, or at least there was some documentation about it in the box... anyway,
When used properly, the mic pre rocks. When useed with suspect items up and downstream, who knows what BS you will get. When I plug in some -10 box into a gates sta level without any impedence matching or anything at all, and the sta-level buzzes at me, I know it is my own fault for just ramming something into something else... then I put a gate at the end of the chain and pretend it never happened....

When you use a piece of gear intended to do one thing well, but in this case at a price point, YOU have to make use of it. It will not simply hop up and make eeverything sounds great. It is an amazing, inexpensive tool that has proven useful even in very professional circumstances WHEN USED PROPERLY, using the proper I/O (XLR) and going into a balanced device (really, truly balanced) downstream. Even when going into a good compressor before going ITB or to tape, this little mic pre really shines. With a good microphone, and proper circumstances, you will be rewarded with a lot of sound for very little money. Not every pre in the world wants to see an SM7 or a ribbon, it is just a fact, especially with quiet sources, you havee to choose the right tool for the job.

[vsr600]

k if I go out of my Blue Bluebird to the xlr in on the 12AY7 then out of the XLR output straight to the +4dB balanced input on my Echo I get hiss around 10kHz. It's bad enough that I need to either gate or roll off everything past about 10kHz any time I try to use it. I think other people are having similar problems and it's not just a balancing issue or impedance mismatch.

[creature.of.habit]

k if I go out of my Blue Bluebird to the xlr in on the 12AY7 then out of the XLR output straight to the +4dB balanced input on my Echo I get hiss around 10kHz. It's bad enough that I need to either gate or roll off everything past about 10kHz any time I try to use it. I think other people are having similar problems and it's not just a balancing issue or impedance mismatch.

vsr, cant you really trade yours in at the place you got it?

[Murphdasurf]

k if I go out of my Blue Bluebird to the xlr in on the 12AY7 then out of the XLR output straight to the +4dB balanced input on my Echo I get hiss around 10kHz. It's bad enough that I need to either gate or roll off everything past about 10kHz any time I try to use it. I think other people are having similar problems and it's not just a balancing issue or impedance mismatch.

How does it sound with out the mic plugged in? If the hiss is in the
pre it should be there w/o anything plugged into the input.
Have you tried swapping out the tubes?
The stock 12ay7 tube that came with mine has a noticable hum to it.
I repaced it with a GE blackplate 6072/12ay7, which is very quiet.

[vsr600]

I unfortunatly waited too long before I really tried it out in a recording to send it back and yea the hiss is there even without a mic plugged in... I was gonna try swapping out the tubes maybe with some Sovtek 12AX7's since that's what i can easily get my hands on cheap....

[trodden]

This pre fuckng rules, try it nekid.

[KennyLusk]

This pre fuckng rules, try it nekid.

Nekid!? Are you kidding me!? Mine definitely has a short in it somewhere; I'm scared to death to try it nekid Trod!

[vsr600]

I just noticed it has a hiss to it even with the gain all the way down and no mic plugged into it. Turn it off and the hiss goes away... hmm...

[workshed]

I have two 12AY7s and up until today, they have not had any hum or static. Today though, both of them had very prominent hum and static. They are run balanced to my patchbay, then to my 828mkii and this has just started. Strange... am I to understand that the choice of tubes can cause this? Maybe I need to try some different tubes. I'll try to bypass the cables that run to the patchbay and make sure that's not the cause.

-Bret

[KennyLusk]

Workshed, I've had the same thing happen with me on two seperate units. At first there's no problem, no hiss, no hum. Then all of a sudden, for no reason, without any change in signal path [or power source] the hum starts and the squealing and hissing begins. Swapping the tubes hasn't helped me at all. I don't know if it has helped others. Still a mystery.