What about low budget solid state mic preamps

jckinnick · Post by **jckinnick** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 9:51 pm

What are some good solid state mic preamps in the $500 range?

0-it-hz · Post by **0-it-hz** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 11:05 pm

www.seventhcircleaudio.com/

acjetnut · Post by **acjetnut** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 11:14 pm

How many do you need, and what is the rest of your setup like?

I like the preamps and the A/D on the firepod - very good for its price (under $500 I think). That gives you 8 preamps.

I also like the sound of Mackie VLZ-PRO preamps. The VLZ-PRO compact mixers go pretty cheaply used, and can give you 6 or 8 preamps.

This, of course, is if you need a bunch of preamps.

jckinnick · Post by **jckinnick** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 11:48 pm

acjetnut wrote:How many do you need, and what is the rest of your setup like?

I like the preamps and the A/D on the firepod - very good for its price (under $500 I think). That gives you 8 preamps.

I also like the sound of Mackie VLZ-PRO preamps. The VLZ-PRO compact mixers go pretty cheaply used, and can give you 6 or 8 preamps.

This, of course, is if you need a bunch of preamps.

I use the Electro-Harmonix pre for acoustic guitar and im going to get the Groove Tubes Brick to use with my Podxt on Electric and Bass guitar. Since those are both tube pres im wanting to mix it up a little and get a solid state pre to use on drums and everything else.

calaverasgrandes · Post by **calaverasgrandes** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 1:11 am

i never get tired of telling everybody to get PM1000 or PM180 preamps. It takes a little electronic work. but thats what being an audio engineer used to mean right? You can pick up a PM180 (its a 4 rackspace 6 channel mixer) for about $60. It's not too hard to make it into a 6 way pre. 2 of which will hit a discrete opamp and tranny on the way out. Its not for everybody. I like it on guitars and some vocals though.
Then there is also the PM1000. Its got ugly EQ points(1, 2 and 3k), but they are inductor based. Its got a switched gain class A amp with actual 3 leggers on it. Its also got very nice transformers on it. Some folks have gone as far as popping in some other tranny's to get differnt sounds. You can get a whole mixer for around $500. But it may take some work. Every now and then you can get a racapped, racked pair on ebay (or elsewhere) for $300 or so.

As far as plain old SS preamps, I dont know, the Eureka? Its transformer, but its only like 55db gain.

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 1:14 am

acjetnut wrote:I also like the sound of Mackie VLZ-PRO preamps.

i still have and sometimes use the pres on my early-90s Mackie MS1202 mixer...they're pretty good so long as you never use the EQ for boosting.

calaverasgrandes · Post by **calaverasgrandes** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 1:19 am

I never could get used to my Mackies pres. they arent terrible like some budget mixers. But when I jettisoned it I was much happier. What really bites is that I can only get like $300 for it used. I paid more than a grand for this guy! So it just sits in my laundry room in a poly bag with some silica gel packets. Maybe it will turn vintage in a few more years?

farview · Post by **farview** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 8:32 am

http://www.fivefishstudios.com

Cellotron · Post by **Cellotron** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:21 am

For a little over $500 the Grace Design Model 101 is seriously a clean, low noise pre in the kind of "straight wire from the sound of the mic" kind of vibe. Highly recommended.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

jckinnick · Post by **jckinnick** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 1:38 pm

Cellotron wrote:For a little over $500 the Grace Design Model 101 is seriously a clean, low noise pre in the kind of "straight wire from the sound of the mic" kind of vibe. Highly recommended.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

The Grace Design Model 101 microphone preamp looks great.

thecheat · Post by **thecheat** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 2:00 pm

I love my Presonus MP20, you can pick them up for about 350 used, and its two channels!

Chris

8th_note · Post by **8th_note** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 8:39 pm

I love my Presonus MP20, you can pick them up for about 350 used, and its two channels!

+1 on the MP20. If you upgrade the opamps to Burr Brown OPA627A's this preamp is absolutely killer. It is very clear, detailed, fast, and clean. The parts cost less than $100 and you can easily do it yourself.

haskel1 · Post by **haskel1** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 9:12 pm

I have a brick and I love it. Its great for direct bass or guitar (pod).

Jeff White · Post by **Jeff White** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 9:22 pm

8th_note wrote:
I love my Presonus MP20, you can pick them up for about 350 used, and its two channels!
+1 on the MP20. If you upgrade the opamps to Burr Brown OPA627A's this preamp is absolutely killer. It is very clear, detailed, fast, and clean. The parts cost less than $100 and you can easily do it yourself.

Agreed. I made this move back in 2006 and it is a totally different beast now. I see them selling on ebay for $400 w/ BBs

Jeff

E.Bennett · Post by **E.Bennett** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:46 am

studio technologies mic preeminence. i've picked them up for under $200. really fast, clean pre (especially after a little hot rodding). if you want inexpensive accuracy, grab one.

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What about low budget solid state mic preamps

What about low budget solid state mic preamps

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