"color vs. clean" pres and comps

xiandishinger · Post by **xiandishinger** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 12:52 pm

looking for "colored" pres and compressors. i have a 2108 and have been looking at 2-610. distressor is "colored" too, correct? any other comps? any help appreciated

The Scum · Post by **The Scum** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 1:19 pm

Chandler Germanium.

A.David.MacKinnon · Post by **A.David.MacKinnon** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:15 pm

Comps - depends on how much or little you want to spend.
1176, Alesis microlimiter, CBC volumax, Gates Sta-Level/Solid Statesman/Level Devil, Altec green face comps of black face 1612B, Gain Brains, Shure level-loc or the limiter built into their later mic mixers, EH Black or White Finger, DBX 163, 163x, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc. So many choices.

mechanicalmastering · Post by **mechanicalmastering** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 4:32 pm

That's such an an open-ended question! WHAT color? Wooly? Dark? Sparkly? Beige? Brown? Yellow? That is the real question. Did you need someone to pick for you?

Mane1234 · Post by **Mane1234** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 4:27 am

Got Meek? And ever since I got some Yamaha PM1K mic pres and the Scully 280 mic pres I've been pretty happy with my color selection. Same is true with the Syteks. Even transparent is a color to choose for recording. The combination of my mics and just those mic pres is enough to keep me occupied.

Jeff White · Post by **Jeff White** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 11:33 am

I happen to really like preamps that have transformers in them (BAE 312s, Yamaha PM1000s). The Presonus MP20 that I've had for 9 years is nothing to sneeze at either, and mine doesn't even have the Jensen transformers in it (it has the Burr-Brown mod, though). With that said, I also love my Syteks. And I'm really digging tracking with compression these days; dbx 160X, 163X, Valley People Dynamite. I really think that everything that isn't sterile has a color to contribute. And remember, mics DEFINITELY contribute to color.

I would also seriously consider some spring reverb, tape echo, etc. We always talk about preamps and compressors, but there are a ton of other great boxes that can totally make a track shine. For instance, the Echoplex EP-3's preamp section is pure magic. I can't explain it. Even without the tape echoing away, just running guitar through this box is some sick shit.

Jeff

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 3:47 pm

+1 on the Meek, love my VC1Q, and VC3Q, altho' the latter is about lo-fi in comparison. Great on rock and jazz vox.

I am also really digging the Summit 2BA-221 what lets you add tube (not starved) on top of a pretty clean SS. I use it on vox, and guitars and acoustic guitars.

I just gotta UA710 today what adds tube in parallel to a pretty colored SS pre.

I have a Eureka and while it's not exciting, it's very nice as a second-color, for example on BV's and rhythm guitars - a rather thick sound, nice on bass.

I have a VTB1 what is cheap and quite useable, from cleanish to dirty with starved tube. I have used it a lot on guitars and vox.

A have a ART TPS that is about meh, except I love it on DI bass, and it's handy on stereo sources, whether mic'd or DI keys.

My fave all-arounder, not as transparent as you might think with a wonderful subtlety, is the ISA 1.

Other cheap pre's include a Trakmaster what I find usable but redundant for me, and a MP105 that I've not found a use for.

I could mention some comps, if ya want ...

losthighway · Post by **losthighway** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 4:05 pm

The Scum wrote:Chandler Germanium.

Seconded.

Nick Sevilla · Post by **Nick Sevilla** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 7:40 am

xiandishinger wrote:looking for "colored" pres and compressors. i have a 2108 and have been looking at 2-610. distressor is "colored" too, correct? any other comps? any help appreciated

Tell me :

What color you are after.

Then I'll tell you what you need.

mechanicalmastering · Post by **mechanicalmastering** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 12:43 pm

What color you are after.

Then I'll tell you what you need.

Not to derail the thread, but I'm on the prowl for a clean, stackable preamp around $1k street with some sparkle, the closest thing I've found is the Forssell SMP-2, which sounds less detailed and "earthy" but more sparkly and prettier than the Gordon Model 5, maybe you could suggest one? John Hardy perhaps? I wish the DAV BG-2 had transformers.

Nick Sevilla · Post by **Nick Sevilla** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 1:24 pm

John Hardy.

But buy a pair or four, you'll definitely use them.

Cheers

mechanicalmastering · Post by **mechanicalmastering** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 9:18 pm

John Hardy.

Thanks!

(Now, OP, that is how you ask for a preamp suggestion, use adjectives!

)

The 610 sounds somewhat "wooly" from what I've gathered, and if that's what you're after, I'd suggest the Peavey VMP-2, (don't mind the name), it's an amazing sleeper tube pre. If clean, color for use on multiple "stacked" tracks is what you're after then you should really consider the Hamptone JFET, after lots of research and help from my good friends here I just ordered one. It has lots of dimension, is very stackable, sounds like royal purple and it will totally knock your socks off. The Distressor uses distortion when compressing so yeah, it's colored. A Symetrix CL-150 or 501 can get some of that same mojo and cost a lot less. I hear that the Valley People DynaMyte has lots of midrange crunch as well.

losthighway · Post by **losthighway** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 7:21 am

mechanicalmastering wrote:
What color you are after.

Then I'll tell you what you need.
Not to derail the thread, but I'm on the prowl for a clean, stackable preamp around $1k street with some sparkle, the closest thing I've found is the Forssell SMP-2, which sounds less detailed and "earthy" but more sparkly and prettier than the Gordon Model 5, maybe you could suggest one? John Hardy perhaps? I wish the DAV BG-2 had transformers.

I would look into what one channel of Avalon costs these days.

I don't know if I would call Sytek sparkle, but they're affordable, powerful and viscerally clean.

I'm Painting Again · Post by **I'm Painting Again** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 8:19 am

the distressor has some subtle coloring with its controls..it also tends to make things sound "flat" to me which is good and bad depending on what you're after for the sound..

altec 1566 is my most "colored" preamp..it's from the 1950's so it's noisy and distorted and awesome..it's "colored" whilst retaining a 3D sound which is really nice..

a lot of the "color" I find comes from the source sound most of all..if I could only use one preamp and comp..I'd definitely pick a high fidelity one without any color..

you can always add color but not add any higher fidelity..make sense?

Nick Sevilla · Post by **Nick Sevilla** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 8:40 am

I have a pair of Tonelux mic preamps coming.
I can post some high falutin adjectives vaguely describing their painting attributes if you like, once I've used them a bit.

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"color vs. clean" pres and comps

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