VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Edo]

REVIEW: Millennia STT-1 mic pre

As soon as I opened the box I fell in love wit hit. Okay, I promised to also give my ears a go at criticasting this very cool looking piece of equipment. Even if you‘ll never use it, impress people with it just by its looks.

First of all I wanted to know whether it would work wit low-budget mics or for that matter… no-budget ones. It does. I started out with a dynamic handheld Samson mic costing no more than €39 ($49). I recorded a piece of piano. Even then I was surprised by the openness of the mono sound. I really got the impression we’d be dealing with a stereo unit here! Great presence, lots of clarity.

Then I tried VO-ing very close to the mic, but this clearly wasn’t the thing the mic’s made for. So I switched to a Blue Kiwi, a Rode NT-2, an AKG 451 /w CK1 capsule and a Brauner VM1A Tube (I’m kidding now, I could probably never afford one unless I have a spare 10 grand lying around somewhere) actually it’s a Brauner Phantom Anniversary I picked up for €990 + VAT.

Obviously the Brauner and the Blue did top notch as you can expect. Since neither of us voicedudes and dudettes have a money tree growing in our back yards, I particularly took interest in trying the more affordable mics in my collection. Thus I tried my AKG and the Rode mic.

The Millennia STT-1 channel strip is as versatile as it can get. You can switch this thing in any which way you like. Be it transformerless tube circuit, solid state, tube EQ or countless combinations of the previously mentioned. Now I didn’t do the math, but I guess this comes down to well over a hundred different settings and combinations at your fingertips and in the best possible sound quality as well!

A special thank you is in order for the guy (or gal) that designed the compressor section of the STT-1. Geewhizz… does that sound awesome. I tried my best to ruin the sound by compressing the heck out of it, but even at a slamming 20dB reduction (with the very classy looking meter’s needle rammed all the way to the right and not moving) it doesn’t sound strange. I know there’s a lot of compression, but you can’t seem to hear the unit sweating to achieve that. Compression is just there without being heard… how ‘bout that!

VO’s will love the fact that the compressor also has a de-esser built in, and even when I was speaking with as many whistles in my voice I could achieve, the STT-1 couldn’t be fooled. It does a great job. I’m in love.

The multitude of switches and knobs might be scary at first, but they couldn’t operate more intuitive. Even if you’re nowhere near being a certified soundwizzard, you can get a very nice result quickly, so easy it is to operate. We also tried to saturate the large membrane mics by shouting at very close range into the mikes… no distortion from the pre… also switching between tubes and solid state is totally silent, no clicks or pops in your monitors when doing so. The lit buttons look ever so professional. Did I mention I fell in love?

We also did a session with a female singer doing harmony vocals to a 30 second radiocommercial and it immediately became clear there was more to discover in her voice. With the four band EQ with variable Q, you can add a sense of air so delicately, it sounds like the singer is performing that with her voice. And no… she was not. I want one , I want one. (oops, I already want two).

You can also use the STT-1 as a instrument pre, since it has a very high-Z input so any low-power source can be hooked up with it. I bet it’d even sound awesome amplifying a pickup cartridge from a record player (although there is no RIAA circuit present… major design flaw, hehehe) I did say I fell in love right?

In the unit I recognized 12AT7 tubes, which are also present in one of my previous guitar amps. Great warmth, great specs, great gain. Unplugging the mics and modelling instruments, it also spelled pure magic. Play sax? You sound like you’re telling an intimate story. I connected an electric guitar and got an instant cut-through sound Carlos Santana would be jealous of. That is, if I had been able to handle a guitar the way he does. \rvrn dop, my guitars fell in love too.

I’m supposed to return the Millennia STT-1 this Wednesday, I doubt whether that will happen. If you haven’t found out yet that I … fell in love, please let me state clearly that I have no connection to Millennia, nor do I get paid to be this enthousiastic about this pre. I strongly suggest that if you have the chance you give this one a listen, since it is right up there with the world’s absolute best rackgear. It is by far the best pre I have ever heard so far.

The only competitors in this range will be the AMEK 9098, the Manley/Langevin models and let’s not forget the extremely good Tube-Tech stuff. Only… at x times more the Millennia investment obviously. This might just be the best pre at any price. I love it (sorry).

It is a black shiny way cool looking 2 RU unit, the only downside I can think of is that it’s also available in platinum-colour front

In other words… I’m in love.