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[woofhead]

Hi,

I'm looking for a 2 or more channel pre to use with the 3 beyer m160's that I have, that will also possibly work well with various dynamics- re20, m201, m69, etc.I have 4 channels of rnp's that work very well as well as tascam dm 24 board pres which work ok with condensors and close miced dynamics.I find the rnp a little noisy with the m160's for grand piano but pretty cool for drum overheads.I'd like to find something quieter to use them for piano and maybe acoustic bass as well.Suggestions at various price points would be much appreciated-thanks in advance,

Mike

[Fletcher]

You might want to check out something like a Speck Electronics 5.0... they're very quiet, very clear, quite opulent sounding and not all that expensive.

They also have the capability to form a stereo summing buss when you have more than one.

[mdbeh]

I've had good luck with an M160 into a Great River MP2NV.  The 70 dB of gain comes in handy, and I've been quite happy with the sound.

[moogus]

I have the same mic, well actually an M200 and M130 and have the same problem.  I usually use a 60db mic pre then get the rest from the compressor they invariabley go thru.

Were working on a 'pre pre' for ribbon mics at the moment.  A little plug in tube that gives 20db to the signal at the mic, so you never need more than the standard 60db at the mic pre.  

Also (I know this is a long established fact) Ive found those mics change a lot depending on what xformer is loading them.  I have a number of different pres with a certain Beyer input xformer, and I find that I usually prefer the way they sound into this xformer.  So I would consider not only the amount of gain the pre gives, but also probably do some tests to see which loads the M160 the best.


M

[woofhead]

Hi again,

Thanks for the input everyone. Moogus: what are the pres you like that use that certain Beyer input xformer and which transfomer is it? Have any of you had any experiences with the sytek 4 ch pre with m160's or other beyer ribbons?(I realize it's transformerless) thanks,

Mike

[moogus]

woofhead wrote on Mon, 07 June 2004 04:26

Hi again, Thanks for the input everyone. Moogus: what are the pres you like that use that certain Beyer input xformer and which transfomer is it? Have any of you had any experiences with the sytek 4 ch pre with m160's or other beyer ribbons?(I realize it's transformerless) thanks, Mike

Theyre all pres that you probably wont have access to: MCI 416 console channel, and some late 60s Phillips A class pres from a broadcast console.  I cant tell you the xformer number without opening up the preamps, but theyre quite common and turn up on ebay quite frequently.  Theyre very small - not much bigger than the end of your finger, and can barely handle 0db in, but have a great sound to them.  They work really well in front of pure IC style circuitry, like in the MCI.

No, I havnt ever used Sytek pres, but I hear theyre on the pure side of dirty.

I think its going to be a case of try it and see - if I can find out how the Beyer xformer loads these ribbons, Ill post and let you know.  Youve got me curious now.


M

[woofhead]

Hi Moogus,

Thanks for the info-I look forward to learning more.

Mike

[drumsound]

I think the Great River MP2 was designed with ribbon mics in mind.

[rusty cage]

Another vote for the Great River NV. I just tried an M160 thru one on a guitar amp, engaged the impedance switch, and went to heaven.

[Jules]

I'm using my vintage balck Helios pre/ eq's on M160 overheads

But I should try a few more of my pre's out to find the perfect match...

I  belive the M160 + Helios is the Zeplin overhead drum signal chain (aint it?)

[Roland Storch]

In theory a DC coupled input of a mic pre is perfect for any dynamic microphone - though for a ribbon too.

But I think avery quiet mic pre with the ability for high gain settings is good for a ribbon.

Millennia Media HV-3 B/D has optional DC coupled inputs and sounds very clean.

FM Acoustiss M1 has switchable input impedances, some ribbons sound different then. The FM Acoustics sounds less clean then the Millennia Media, still transparent but in a way with more energy. Almost like a tube, but transparent and faster for sure.

[YuriK]

I have just tested an SPL Gainstation DI/Pre. Has 70dB of solid state gain and 20dB of tube gain on top available at the same time. 2 limiters , filters many features.

Sounds very natural and transparent except that when you try the 8 channel version the power supply is separate and very big and bulky. The unit also runs hot but the sound is all there, and is very comparable to our Buzz, Millenia, Cranesong, Giles, Amek.... Preamps. By that I mean its in the same quality ballpark and sounds great. Lots of different sound shades when mixing valve and SState sounds. Grat with ribbons. YMMV

Yuri

[moogus]

Jules wrote on Fri, 02 July 2004 06:48

I'm using my vintage balck Helios pre/ eq's on M160 overheads But I should try a few more of my pre's out to find the perfect match... I  belive the M160 + Helios is the Zeplin overhead drum signal chain (aint it?)

Is that so?...very interesting.  Where did you read that?


M

[Jules]

This will have to hold you over untill I can find some Zepplin spesicfic info. Its an interesting Helios / M160 read anyway...

Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy"
Mix,

[Jules]

Here is a sometimes interesting sometimes embarasing (for me) thread from rec.audio.pro 4 years ago!

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&a mp;safe=off&threadm=38CF74B3.287048B%40btinternet.com&am p;rnum=1&prev=/groups%3Fq%3DRon%2BNevison%2Bgroup:Rec.au dio.pro%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26group%3DRec.audio.p ro%26safe%3Doff%26selm%3D38CF74B3.287048B%2540btinternet.com %26rnum%3D1

[Jules]

Led Zep interview snippet

Rick: And you've finished your new album?

Plant: We finished that, and we did it in our own home. Well, how it went was that we used a mobile truck for our recording unit and we went to an old manor in Surrey. There we put up all the equipment in one room and stuck all the mike leads through a window. Straight into the recording van. So anything that we did just went straight down on tape. Bit by bit it grew up into a great collage of numbers.

Rick: Do you like it?

Plant: (nodding head): Yeah. It was another atmosphere altogether.

-------

The mobile truck he's referring to had a Helios console in it.

Looking around the web quickly - I cant seem to find any supporting evidence regarding the M160's as the mic's actually used.. So I will have to re-enforce that my opinion was a hunch more than a presented fact and a matter on which I still seek clarity!

Here is the original statement -"I believe the M160 + Helios is the Zeppelin overhead drum signal chain (ain't it?)"

Along with did AW use use samples on the mix of Nevermind? - this could be  perhaps one of the great  unanswered audio engineer mysteries of our time!

[hurricaneE]

Fletcher wrote on Fri, 04 June 2004 20:17

You might want to check out something like a Speck Electronics 5.0... they're very quiet, very clear, quite opulent sounding and not all that expensive.

If it's not too late, I LOVE the above chain on bass, and imagine it would be great for vocals, too (I don't use a 160 on vox but can certainly see doing so).

[vernon]

Quote:

Looking around the web quickly - I cant seem to find any supporting evidence regarding the M160's as the mic's actually used.. So I will have to re-enforce that my opinion was a hunch more than a presented fact and a matter on which I still seek clarity!

jules, i don't know whether M160s were used for regular overheads, but i did hear that they were used as distant mics when the drums for "when the levee breaks" were recorded in a concrete stairwell or something like that. so i tried using the 160s as room mics on a kit in a room with just brick walls, no acoustic treatment etc.. and now i'm sure that that was what was used - the sound i got was very similar, and that was with no processing at all. just sticking those mics up in a big old echoey room.

[playon]

The Beyer M-160 thru either Great River preamp is a wonderful thing... the MP2H is probably the most versatile, and was made with ribbon mics in mind -- I believe it designed around the RCA BK-11.

Al