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[dejacky]

I have about a $300 (can go a little higher if needed) budget for a new vocal mic preamp that will be used with a Sennheiser e835 and Marshal MXL V77 mic. What are some good options (DIY included) in this price range? Someone recommended I just buy an ART ProChannel, but I thought I'd be able to build a better preamp for the money...is it plausible? Thanks in advance!  

-dejacky

[Y.Landrian]

DIY - seventh circle audio mic pre's are good..

[Ralf Kleemann]

Y.Landrian wrote on Tue, 28 December 2004 15:19

DIY - seventh circle audio mic pre's are good..

If I may throw in the models by Scott Hamptone, http://www.hamptone.com/ - not as cheap, but they rock.

Regards, Ralf

[Middleman]

Your first Seventh Circle will cost around $650 because you need to get the power supply and case which are about $400. After that each module will be somewhere between $250 to $400 per channel. Good stuff though. I believe I read somewhere that Geof Tanner, ex designer for Neve, said the Seventh Circle designs were close to either the Telefunken V72 or maybe it was the Neve 1073. He frequents this board so maybe he can comment.

My local gear rental shop tells me they heard the Hamptone and the opinion was that it surpasses the Great River ME 1NV, which is a considerable compliment.

Myself, I am going down the Seventh Circle route because you can have optional V72, API and Jensen Servo sounds in the same box. Up to 8 channels. I figure 4 channels of API for basic drums, 2 V72 for vocals things and 2 channels of the servo sound when you need it clean and big. That's a lot of sound options for the price.

[dejacky]

I ended up getting a Groove Tubes "the brick" preamp for $350.  Did I get a good deal or was it a mistake?  If there is something noticeably better for $350 (including DIY), lets hear it .

[kato]

Seventh Circle does not make a telefunken V72 based module. The "V72" label is a bit misleading. It's actually a "neve" inspired creation.

[dejacky]

if i'm not mistaken, isn't it called "N72?"

[Ken]

This might not be what you're looking for, but I'll mention it just in case...

FMR RNP makes a mic preamp that I think sounds absolutely wonderful.  It's $475, well over your stated budget, but that's for TWO mic preamps.  The sound is very clear and open, and there's plenty of headroom.  And as a bonus, it looks kinda like a DIY kit!  

[hank alrich]

Ken wrote on Sun, 20 February 2005 07:51

This might not be what you're looking for, but I'll mention it just in case... FMR RNP makes a mic preamp that I think sounds absolutely wonderful.  It's $475, well over your stated budget, but that's for TWO mic preamps.  The sound is very clear and open, and there's plenty of headroom.  And as a bonus, it looks kinda like a DIY kit!

IMO, the RNP is the most versatile and best sounding inexpensive mic preamp around, and it offers a pretty danged good DI, too.

[Ken]

...and in my opinion, Hank Alrich is one friggin' cool guy!  How's it going?

Ken (Eleven Shadows)
www.blueberrybuddha.com

[hank alrich]

[quote title=Ken wrote on Wed, 23 February 2005 17:44]...and in my opinion, Hank Alrich is one friggin' cool guy!  How's it going?

Hey, Ken, now you're showing everybody you have set a very low value for "cool"? <g>

As for how it's going, a friend just told me when I asked him that, "Any day spent above ground is a good day!" So today is an RND!