VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Living Culture · Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2010 12:26 am Post subject: Amek 9098 or Red 6

I recently got my mind set on getting a UA TwinFinity. But, some deals have just come up that I thought I'd ponder before making a purchase. A studio is selling both a Amek 9098 EQ (Rack version) and a Focusrite Red 6. I googled both and they seem to share a completely extreme love/hate response . What are your opinions on these 2?

The Amek is about $600 more than the Red.

I found contradicting threads about which is cleaner and which is more coloured.

DAMMMN! i was sooo close to starting some threads that had absolutely nothing to with mics or preamps...but now I have completely forgotten what they were about...
Then again, if they had nothing to do with mics or pres they probably weren't important.
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Mike Sommer · Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2010 8:46 am Post subject:

I would pass on the Amek.
The Red is nice but you can do better with the Golden Age Pre 73, for the money that is. The 73 is a Neve style pre too.
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Living Culture · Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2010 8:59 am Post subject:

I just misses a used GAP 73 here. I had my mind set on the 710 at that stage, and when I decided to get the GAP it was gone. Bad side they are not common here (I cannot find the local dealer) Good side is that it was going for same price as new one in the US... Some product prices are really skewed here.

The Red 6 is three times the price now. But would you really put the GAP in the same level as the Red? Same studio has a green voicemaster too, but as far as I can make out, these were the predecessors of the icky platinum range.
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Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

The Chameleon Labs pres are very similar to the GAP pres. Take a gander at those too.
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Living Culture · Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 7:16 am Post subject:

I'd like to, but the Chameleons are 5x the price, and no local distributors again!! There is seriously a lack of choice here. I think once a few people use a product, everyone else jumps on it and that small group dictates what comes in.
Also...I am looking at whatever comes up in the used market, which is also pretty small. I think I need to go across to Singapore. The city state has more recording studios there than Taiwan has across the whole island.

I have narrowed my choices to:
1. Get the Red 6.
2. Get the UA TwinFinity and have enough left to get new monitors.
3. Buy the NightPro EQ3 they have and drown myself in that Celine Dion-esque airiness. Seriously...has anyone ever used these for VO?
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Frank F · Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 8:22 am Post subject:

Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

UA needs to look at the MPA Gold (or MPA I Sleep

and drop their Twin Finity price to about $399.
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Living Culture · Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 8:49 am Post subject:

Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

Oh geez...I think you'll be happy with most pres over a 386. I don't mean to sound gear-bashing, I just think the consensus on those is pretty low. I've only used one once years ago and it wasn't good. A 286 should work, though.

If you're looking to drive a SM7, get a nice clean preamp. The True P-Solos are good for dynamics, and I'd recommend my speck 5.0 if you could get your hands on one of those. John Hardy, Grace, True, Daking, Great River - get a good SS preamp...stay away from these tube-distortion units for dynamics, the gain has to be too high. I would think you could even be done with a Mackie Onyx board and be happy.
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Living Culture · Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 10:22 am Post subject:

"A 286 should work, though".
FUnny, I wanted one of those a while back and opted for Presonus Studio Channel only because the 286's were out of stock indefinitely.

"- get a good SS preamp"
Thats my intention.

"True P-Solos, speck 5.0, John Hardy, Grace, True, Daking, Great River"
Only Grace is available here. I don't want a Grace though. I want something with at least a little character for using on vocalists too. I tried tracking down dealers for some, closest I got was Summit dealers saying that they would be glad to help, but that was last reply I ever got... Shocked

If I can't find anything used, I might opt for an SSL ALpha X channel strip. Reasonably priced and have a bit of SSL character.

"I would think you could even be done with a Mackie Onyx board and be happy."
I believe that. I have had a few sessions where I have just used the Saffire LE's onboard pres and been happier.
I was looking at a Mackie SR24, which has Onyx pres if I remember correctly. Not that I have any need for a 24 channel desk, but my o3D has been acting up....and it would just look so cool Ninja

Or if I wanted quality over quantity...there is an Allen & Heath GS3....
Gearitis..Nah...The only reason I do this in the first place is to twiddle with knobs and faders and push shiny buttons.
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Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

Yeah, if you're doing production work, just get a nice board and have different microphones for the character since you use different voices. A SM7 is an SM7...it has its own wonderful character. If you're recording different people I'd say have a nice clean standard board and then different mics: that choice and mic placement will give you more options. Forget about stand alone preamps.
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Living Culture · Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 7:20 am Post subject:

Frank F · Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 9:04 am Post subject:

To put a simple answer to your question - Yes. The pre's are over priced.

If you choose an MPA Gold - change the tubes. Do not settle for an inexpensive set of tubes - spend few bucks on the right set for the job. MPA's are, in my opinion, an under-rated Pre. (Cavaet: they have a few quirks such as cheap knobs and switches - but they can be replaced easily.)

Pre's are all about clarity and power. The latter comes from how well the tubes are driven and the cleanliness comes from how much power is given to the tube and how the clean the power is in relation to the gain. Colour comes from the tube and how the power effects the internal components including the transformer circuit and other essential parts.

Since you do more production than the recording side - consider a Channel strip (although I not a big fan of CS's for VO). More bang for your buck and they can be driven harder (even to distortion) without too much pain.

As for an SM7, as a dynamic mic it's a good tool to have available Where the frequency response rolls off around 16k and slightly increases in the mid's - the SM7B is good for radio broadcasters and certain other vocal situations requiring a solid workhorse. Would I use the Shure for an everyday, go-to, money making microphone? NO.

An SSL is always a good choice.

With today's technology, consider going board-less or at least consider a controller for your DAW; letting your equipment work for you instead of against you.

Frank F
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Living Culture · Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 9:42 am Post subject: