'Best' dual preamp in the $1500-2000 range

[Zeppelin4Life]

Im mostly going for vintage rock n roll, some jazz things. I need a preamp with character. Im looking at the UAudio 2-610s now..any suggestions for another one I should look at?

Dave

[gyraf]

A DIY G9 dual tube mic pre?

8)

Jakob Erland
Gyraf Audio

[bigtoe]

no best preamp in that range. my fav is the hardy.

Mike

[chetatkinsdiet]

There's so many good ones, no one is "the best" as it all depends on the source and everything else in the chain. Even then, I might like API, you might like Neve, someone else might like Great River, etc.....
I'll throw out my standard answer though....if you're going for a vintage vibe and want character, but want something that's going to work well on just about anything. Take a serious look at OSA. The old school audio pres are API-ish. They have a few different models that are variations of this. The pres cost around $450-525ea from retailers like Atlas Pro. You gotta get a lunchbox to put them in which will run you another $500 or so. But, the beauty is that these boxes will fit any other OSA module as well as any, 500 series API module. The 512 pres, 525 compressors, 560 eq or the 550 eq. Whenever you get another extra $500+ you can grab another pre or save up for one of the eq or compressor modules.
Other than that....Brent Averill or Vintech make some decent pres as well that are either real vintage API, Neve or other racked pres or knockoffs that are very good.
later,
m

[auralman]

Gyraf is right - the G9.

Or...if you love paying through the nose for things...the tubetech MP1A is based on the same design.

The best tube pres are all based on the Pultec MB-1. In my opinion, anyway.

[stereopathetic_banjo]

i agree with chet on the OSA pres- i got a 11 space rack a few months ago, and right now ive got the mp-1c module, which is great all around. i went back and forth between getting real api's the brent averill versions, etc, but i decided to go with the osa to begin with because they seemed to have the most colors to choose from. kinda a leap of faith, but again, you can get other modules down the road once you outlay the $ for the rack. the thing i do like about the osa's that the others don't have ( that i'm aware of) is a output attenuation knob. for me, that's a big selling point. nice to be able to crank the pre and then turn down the output to get various shades of grit. for $1500-2000, you could easily get a box, and 2-3 pre's. that'd be an awesome start for any rock oriented recordings. hope this helps!
-travis

[analogcat]

I like the pres on my TL Audio EQ-1, what about their PA-1
http://www.tlaudio.co.uk/tlaudio/docs/p ... /pa1.shtml

[Jaws of Hell]

I love my OSAs and Nathan at Atlas Pro Audio is really great. I got two "C"s and I will be getting an "L" and an "L3" after Christmas.

I got a steal on my lunchbox so I'm averaging about $550 per pre. Beat that!

[I'm Painting Again]

i just got 2 channels of Audix 35102 and i like them a whole lot..it was 1900 shipped with a vintage output transformers/balanced out mod and 3ru boutique rack from vintage king..they are 1:1 copies of neve 31114 modules..its like 2 neve (but a little different, kind of API-ish) pres and 2 neve parametric eqs that..they were from consoles made by guys who left neve who started to compete with them..I cant tell you how awesome they sound..

they look like this :

[dc11]

I like the pres on my TL Audio EQ-1, what about their PA-1
http://www.tlaudio.co.uk/tlaudio/docs/p ... /pa1.shtml

The PA-1 is amazing on guitars.

[heylow]

Man,

Not the typical route but I gotta say that I am LOVING my Hamptone Jfet pre....character for days. I'd love to get the tube version. For that kind of scratch, you could get both!

Just a thought.


heylow

[Red Rockets Glare]

i just got 2 channels of Audix 35102 and i like them a whole lot..

you need to post some pictures of your studio amigo. I like ninjas as much as the next guy, but....

[Luke]

Greatriver 2NV. Very nice.
Good Luck

[SeventhCircle]

Well, since Jakob chimed in...

Why settle for two channels when you can have four for the same money? A pair of N72s and a pair of A12s will run just about $1500 in kit form. Have us build them for an additional $550 if you're not into soldering. Either way, you will like them. A lot.

[Meriphew]

API
Great River MP2NV
Chandler TG2