What preamps are y'all liking these days?

[digitaldrummer]

sounds like a couple nice scores there. What would you be compressing with said compressor?

[alexevansohio]

sounds like a couple nice scores there. What would you be compressing with said compressor?

Yeah! Not bad options, for sure. The germanium channel strips are really, really cool—like the Hungarian equivalent of early solid state EMI or Neve stuff but not $6000/channel.

I’m tracking a lot of vocals and guitars (acoustic and electric). A fair amount of bass too. Keys sometimes, drums rarely. Mostly stuff in the spectrum between folksy singer-songwriter and post-punky indie rock. The Buzz Audio comp does well on a lot of these sources and can be pretty transparent at lower settings—nice for tracking or buss compression. I’d just like to add another option that works well across at least a few of these sources. Bonus points for something stereo and useable both in tracking and mixing.

I’m limited both on rack space and patchbay space, so versatility in a small form factor is probably ideal, but part of me reaaally likes the idea of getting a LA-2A or a Sta-Level or something else tube and vibe-y for vocals. I think another stereo compressor like the Daking FET III or something would maybe be more versatile for tracking and mixing, but I’m open to options. I’m not likely to ever have more than 5-6 channels of outboard compression total (unless my room magically gets bigger and I can get another rack and another patchbay) so I’m trying to be practical in my picks.

[digitaldrummer]

I don't have one, but saw they were on sale (and would love to have one for sure) -- https://www.locomotiveaudio.com/wt-comp
Vari-MU type. There's a Tape Op review and the reviewer liked it a lot.

A DBX 160A (or older X, XT) are great for some stuff (like bass guitars). I've got a Lindell Lin2A and Lin76 and I get a lot of use out of both - usually in tracking where I'm trying to make sure we don't blast the converters going in. But they can be used for mixing too of course (and I do if I'm not getting what I want from a plugin). Distressor's are still pretty popular, but if you are not doing drums, then maybe not? The Stam and Audioscape clones look great too (and loads of glowing reviews). I've got a Klark Teknik 2A-KT (La-2A clone) that I've modded, but it still isn't knocking my socks off. it's ok and I use it but probably will replace it some day down the line. Really there's so many compressors out there and I tend to do a lot of it ITB when mixing.

[Recycled_Brains]

sounds like a couple nice scores there. What would you be compressing with said compressor?

...I think another stereo compressor like the Daking FET III or something would maybe be more versatile for tracking and mixing...

Never used a FET III, but the FET II is one of the all-time greats. It was my first real compressor back in like 2009 or something, later got a 2nd one. They rule on individual sources, but combined they make for a really nice buss compressor. I've used em on a lot of mixes. Also often used on electric guitars, drum buss, vocals... one of them is almost always snare when I'm tracking. They rule. Easy to find used. Geoff Daking is maybe the best dude ever (along with Scott Hampton) when it comes to customer service.

I'm fucking dying to know what these new Hamptone projects that you referenced are. I have my 2nd 500 series JFET preamp on the way. I sent him the one I already own so he could calibrate them together so they match up.

[trodden]

Along the way, a friend of a friend was selling a spectacularly cool pair of germanium channel strips from a 1968 Hungarian broadcast console—72db of gain, big transformers, inductor three-band EQ with HPF and LPF, and a full fader on the output. They’re built like tanks with switches for every control. I simply couldn’t pass them up, especially for the price. So, that was another two channels in the rack.

AWESOME. I'm a huge fan of Combloc gear of all kinds, so this sounds totally cool.

[vvv]

Another dbx160XT lover here - it lives on my rack for bass, usually in parallel with a Meek VC3Q, typically mic'd but sometimes DI'd, great either way.

I have a stereo dbx 166 also - totally useable - I have a stereo Digitech pressor (866II) that's very close in sound.

As well as the Symmetrix 522.

I like the Klark Teknik 2A-KT also, but usually use it after the Eureka, stacked with that compressor.

If you dig Meek, The C compressors are pretty cool, pretty colored, pretty inexpensive onna good day on the Ebog.

I even like the ART VLAII for some stuff - use it without a pre for stereo DI keys (mostly Refaces).

Then I have an Gyraf 1176 clone I bought from someone here some years ago - my fave vocal comp and I like to stack it after the Eureka or a VC1Q (weird that it keeps blowing the meter lights, tho').

[trodden]

sounds like a couple nice scores there. What would you be compressing with said compressor?

Yeah! Not bad options, for sure. The germanium channel strips are really, really cool—like the Hungarian equivalent of early solid state EMI or Neve stuff but not $6000/channel.

I want to see what the Hungarian pres look like.

[alexevansohio]

Thanks for all the replies, y’all!

Ryan—I’ll shoot you a message on IG re:new Hamptone stuff. Don’t want to go spoiling Scott’s release on the forums.

For those excited about the germaniums, I’ve attached a photo of a prior one (mine are in lil walnut enclosures). The person who racked them (Sasha Katsuba, @gmnk.gmnk on IG) said they out of an EAG (later BEAG—basically the Hungarian equivalent of Lomo?) broadcast desk. They are crazy heavy duty—everything’s on switches and really chunky. Other preamps are quieter, but these have a ton of vibe. Lots of gain, three-band inductor EQ with selectable frequencies for the cut-only mid band, HPF and LPF, and a full fader right on the front of the unit. I know Mike Bridavsky at Russian Recording in Bloomington has a pair, but I’m not sure if there are any others kicking around on this side of the Atlantic.

Thanks all for the compressor recommendations, also! Seems like there are a bunch of relatively affordable options out there that could work. I’m very tempted to try and find a pair of Daking FET IIs, though—they seem to be universally loved. I could see those, the stereo Buzz Audio DBC, and something big and tube-y being a nice flexible selection.

[trodden]

For those excited about the germaniums, I’ve attached a photo of a prior one (mine are in lil walnut enclosures). The person who racked them (Sasha Katsuba, @gmnk.gmnk on IG) said they out of an EAG (later BEAG—basically the Hungarian equivalent of Lomo?) broadcast desk. They are crazy heavy duty—everything’s on switches and really chunky. Other preamps are quieter, but these have a ton of vibe. Lots of gain, three-band inductor EQ with selectable frequencies for the cut-only mid band, HPF and LPF, and a full fader right on the front of the unit. I know Mike Bridavsky at Russian Recording in Bloomington has a pair, but I’m not sure if there are any others kicking around on this side of the Atlantic.

Way fuckin' cool!

[Calaverasgrande]

Depends on what I am doing. I like my LA610 on basses or vocals.
For guitars lately I've been using just the UAD preamp modeler for Neve or Helios flavors. I know its not going to be as fat as the real deal. But it's also without the price of the real deal.
Also been diggin a Wendt location mixer/pre.
It has a certain tone that my more ordinary pres do not.
Sounded really nice on some metalophone percussion I recorded on a remote with my MOTU M4.
My other tube solid state hybrid pre wont get a brand mention because the price was higher than I expected when I looked into getting a second one.
Suffice to say it's a very American topology and sounds very solid state in a good, early 70s kind of way.
I used to be in to using modded old mixers for pres, like old Yamahas and Shures. But I think I am done with lofi.

[AndersonSoundRecording]

Love my Jensen Twin Servo on anything (and really any of my pre's built by John Hardy).

Millennia are my faithful old standby for anything that needs to be sqeaky clean and precise; but there's something about the big fat transformers in my Hardy's...

[trodden]

Love my Jensen Twin Servo on anything (and really any of my pre's built by John Hardy).

Millennia are my faithful old standby for anything that needs to be sqeaky clean and precise; but there's something about the big fat transformers in my Hardy's...

My new favorite overly distorted high gain guitar recording chain is the RCA BK-5 through a Millennia preamp.

[trodden]

Love my Jensen Twin Servo on anything (and really any of my pre's built by John Hardy).

Millennia are my faithful old standby for anything that needs to be sqeaky clean and precise; but there's something about the big fat transformers in my Hardy's...

I see you do a lot of remote recording. Do you have a preference between the Sound Devices preamps vs the Zoom F8n?

[AndersonSoundRecording]

Love my Jensen Twin Servo on anything (and really any of my pre's built by John Hardy).

Millennia are my faithful old standby for anything that needs to be sqeaky clean and precise; but there's something about the big fat transformers in my Hardy's...

I see you do a lot of remote recording. Do you have a preference between the Sound Devices preamps vs the Zoom F8n?

I know this is blasphemy, but I tend to prefer the Zoom over the MixPre for music - both for sound and feature set. I must say: I base that on my experience using the older f8n - haven't really put the later f8n "Pro" version head-to-head with the MixPre.

There is a difference between the two f8's - very subtle - but I've noticed a sharper waveform from the "Pro" on the screen when I put the two side-by-side. Sonically, they seem pretty similar to my ear, but something in the circuitry is different.

[trodden]

Love my Jensen Twin Servo on anything (and really any of my pre's built by John Hardy).

Millennia are my faithful old standby for anything that needs to be sqeaky clean and precise; but there's something about the big fat transformers in my Hardy's...

I see you do a lot of remote recording. Do you have a preference between the Sound Devices preamps vs the Zoom F8n?

I know this is blasphemy, but I tend to prefer the Zoom over the MixPre for music - both for sound and feature set. I must say: I base that on my experience using the older f8n - haven't really put the later f8n "Pro" version head-to-head with the MixPre.

There is a difference between the two f8's - very subtle - but I've noticed a sharper waveform from the "Pro" on the screen when I put the two side-by-side. Sonically, they seem pretty similar to my ear, but something in the circuitry is different.

Right on. My only real Zoom experience is using a Hn6 for demo recordings at a rehearsal space, and it does what it needs to do. I did use it as a redundancy backup for a location recording, and the pres in my focusrite Clarett sounded "better" than the Zoom's.