Best All-Round 500 Series Pre (1st in the rack)

[micyourbrain]

Sorry if this topic is posted often...

Just got a 500 rack and I'm looking forward to filling it up.

I am looking for the best all around 500 series preamp for my first "pro-level" preamp

I am looking at:
Great River MP-500NV
A Designs P-1
Shadow Hills Mono Gama
Purple Audio Biz
API 512c
OSA L3

Important Factors:
-color: I want/need a full, big, detailed sound that stacks well. I would take fullness over excessive clarity. being able to add grit is a plus.
-gain: I want high gain, like 70-80 so I can use ribbon or other low gain mics (like my darling 441) on quiet sources at a distance and get good signal with little noise
-price: Great River and Shadow Hills are probably going to cost $800 since they are not usually available used. OSA can be bought used for $300. Others are in the 500-700 range. Of course I could certainly put that $500 difference (between GR and OSA) to good use.

I have Digi003, Joe Meek VC3, and Art MPA GOLD preamps.

If you feel like recommending the first 3 or 4 preamps you would get in order, that would be interesting too.

thanks for your help

[micyourbrain]

bump

if this is a played-out subject please give me a link to a place that it is covered. i did a quick search

otherwise I think the 500 series format is perfect for those beginning to transition to serious high quality recording and it is therefore useful to many people out there besides myself

[calaverasgrandes]

My first impulse would be to get an API in there. After all they are the originators of the 500 series format, if not the box in a rack concept.
I also dont see any other 500-ish mic pres that are much cheaper than a 512. So why not a 512?

[mjau]

I haven't used all that you listed, but I can say that the Biz will cover a lot of ground and would make a great starter to any lunchbox.

[bantam]

im really happy with the great river. it was my first and sounds great on just about everything.

[snatchman]

im really happy with the great river. it was my first and sounds great on just about everything.

I agree with the GR. I have three of the pres in your list ( GR, L-3, Biz, )...All are good. The GR I think, would be my first choice if I had to start over. The Biz sound good on most stuff, but you did say you wanna a little color... ..If I had to go with the OSA, I'd pick the "L" ( Mutant) ( which I have also), instead of the L-3 for various sources tho'. It seems the most versatile of the two. Good luck...

[micyourbrain]

im really happy with the great river. it was my first and sounds great on just about everything.

I agree with the GR. I have three of the pres in your list ( GR, L-3, Biz, )...All are good. The GR I think, would be my first choice if I had to start over. The Biz sound good on most stuff, but you did say you wanna a little color... ..If I had to go with the OSA, I'd pick the "L" ( Mutant) ( which I have also), instead of the L-3 for various sources tho'. It seems the most versatile of the two. Good luck...

Thanks for the help guys. The great river is my instinct too just because I have loved all the sound clips I have heard from this preamp

I saw some used OSA's that were unlabeled as far as model number, just OSA. Does anyone know how those compare to their current models?

[UXB]

Sorry if this topic is posted often...

Just got a 500 rack and I'm looking forward to filling it up.

I am looking for the best all around 500 series preamp for my first "pro-level" preamp

I am looking at:
Great River MP-500NV
A Designs P-1
Shadow Hills Mono Gama
Purple Audio Biz
API 512c
OSA L3

Important Factors:
-color: I want/need a full, big, detailed sound that stacks well. I would take fullness over excessive clarity. being able to add grit is a plus.
-gain: I want high gain, like 70-80 so I can use ribbon or other low gain mics (like my darling 441) on quiet sources at a distance and get good signal with little noise
-price: Great River and Shadow Hills are probably going to cost $800 since they are not usually available used. OSA can be bought used for $300. Others are in the 500-700 range. Of course I could certainly put that $500 difference (between GR and OSA) to good use.

I have Digi003, Joe Meek VC3, and Art MPA GOLD preamps.

If you feel like recommending the first 3 or 4 preamps you would get in order, that would be interesting too.

thanks for your help

Wow, you've picked some great choices. Each one is going to do something a little bit differently. I own a few of the pieces listed and have used the others. I think it would really help to know what source material you were recording, as what helps an electric guitar may sound quite unnatural on violin.

So what are you going to use it for?

[micyourbrain]

Hopefully I'm going to use it for everything...

LDCs because they benefit the most from a nice preamp IMO. if I'm tracking multiple things at once (probably as the center overhead pre for glyn johns).

Vocals and acoustic guitar - natural acoustic sounds also benefit greatly from a smooth, natural full sound. I'm have a degree in psychology so I know that we are especially sensitive to the minute details of the human voice.

For guitar cab I'll be using it with a 441 or an AT4033 on my Vox AC-30 with Weber Blue Dogs.

I think I will use it with ribbon mics for singing and banjo or other intimate old timey stuff a few feet back for the natural room effect (which is why I want a lot of clean gain.)

I would like to use it for bass direct, although the MPA does that alright for now.

I plan on using like this: when doing the basic rhythm tracks I'll use it for overhead, then run every individual thing afterwards through it, using it for the mic that will benefit most if there are multiple mics. Using it in this economic way should ensure that the money I spent on it will go a long way and I'm sure it will make a huge difference in the clarity and quality of my mixes

thanks again for your help. I've always felt tape op people are my kind of people ever since getting my first issue in the mail.

[Blade]

If it were me, I would sell the lunchbox rack and get some unique pieces that will help define the sound of your studio.

Not to dog the API stuff, or anything else that fits into that rack, but in a listening test, I wouldn't know one from the other....and it may have clarity, but it's bland.
How many slots are in your rack, maybe a six slot? That alone will cost you at least 5 grand to fill up. Hum......?

If your wanting something that can add grit and fullness, then it's only my opinion that your barking up the wrong tree. You may want to look into something with valves and big ass transformers, and if you search, you can find them on the cheap in most cases. Also, the older gear has plenty of DB juice to make your ribbon mics sound phenomenal.

As far as stacking tracks, good conversion has more to do with it than preamps.

Just my two cents worth.

Good luck with your decision!

Rock on!

[Smitty]

im really happy with the great river. it was my first and sounds great on just about everything.

also my situation and sentiments exactly... and it's relatively cheap used for the quality you get. excellent, excellent piece of kit.

everybody's looking for a different sound, but if you're already leaning that way i'd say definitely try it out.

[Meriphew]

1st choice = API
2nd choice = Great River

[aaronaustin]

I've got two L3s and I love them. Use them on Kick and vocals all the time. Sometimes guitar. Not sure it would be the only pre I would want in my rack. It's pretty colored, but sounds nice and big. I've also got a couple of Elixirs and they're also great. Nathan over at Atlas suggested the combination of the L3s and the Elixirs and it's been great. The Elixirs sound awesome on acoustic guitars and drum overs. I've got an OSA MP1-C (which is supposed to be something like an API) and it's really nice on electric guitars and snare. Not sure if that helps. Out of all of these, the Elixir would be my pick for an all around pre. After that, I love the contrast of the L3. But that's just me.

[pan60]

Sorry if this topic is posted often...

Just got a 500 rack and I'm looking forward to filling it up.

I am looking for the best all around 500 series preamp for my first "pro-level" preamp

I am looking at:
Great River MP-500NV
A Designs P-1
Shadow Hills Mono Gama
Purple Audio Biz
API 512c
OSA L3

Important Factors:
-color: I want/need a full, big, detailed sound that stacks well. I would take fullness over excessive clarity. being able to add grit is a plus.
-gain: I want high gain, like 70-80 so I can use ribbon or other low gain mics (like my darling 441) on quiet sources at a distance and get good signal with little noise
-price: Great River and Shadow Hills are probably going to cost $800 since they are not usually available used. OSA can be bought used for $300. Others are in the 500-700 range. Of course I could certainly put that $500 difference (between GR and OSA) to good use.

I have Digi003, Joe Meek VC3, and Art MPA GOLD preamps.

If you feel like recommending the first 3 or 4 preamps you would get in order, that would be interesting too.

thanks for your help

certainly looking at some nice pres!
the A Designs P-1 is and has been a big time favorite of mine, a pre i recommend as a staple in any rack or lunchbox.
the A Designs P-1 has some very nice color, very nice and full, awesome upper mids, great clarity, stacks oh so very very well!
i would add a Great River when the budget allows, it is very nice on the bottom as well as the top.
70 to 80db of gain is really not necessary i feel, i use a few ribbons and the A-Designs P-1, or the EM-BLUE has always been more then enough gain.
another great thing about the A-Designs pres, is the different sound from different units, and they stack up oh so well!!!!
pick your color pick your poison.

[Smitty]

holy crap, pan's breached TapeOp!

for those who don't know, this guy's a guru of the 500 format, and i've always found his posts on other forums to be quite informative and helpful.

welcome!