I'm recording vocals. Here's my situation. Right now I have a M-audio proffire 2626. My microphone is a neumann TLM 102. I understand that the 1073 is going to make a difference because of it's brand and price difference but what is this preamp really going to do different from my proffire 2626. Im not please with the pre in my 2626. I also understand that ill have to get a new mic as well. BUt I'm taking steps. While using my tlm 102 with the Neve will it bring into my DAW a better vocal recording? ANd WHy?
I need advice and feedback on a preamp that Im going to buy. Neve DPD 1073!
- Thread starter Jredd05
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dights
Mix Engineer
I could go on at length about Neve mic pres, in particular the 1073, and even how without the EQ as in the original module it's not the same, or that the 1084 is actually what you want. There are plenty of people that will, trust me...
Bottom line is, if you are going to spend £2000 on a mic pre you should use it before you it!
If you want to know what difference it is going to make, find out with your ears. Go and rent one for the day for £30 from any reputable rental company. The shops that sell them will probably even give you a demo unit to try for a few days for free if they think they will get a sale...
Try it. If you like it, buy it. Simple
Bottom line is, if you are going to spend £2000 on a mic pre you should use it before you it!
If you want to know what difference it is going to make, find out with your ears. Go and rent one for the day for £30 from any reputable rental company. The shops that sell them will probably even give you a demo unit to try for a few days for free if they think they will get a sale...
Try it. If you like it, buy it. Simple
dights
Mix Engineer
Like I said mate, I could waffle on for ages because I'm a gearslut and I've used many different Neve pres.
The main thing is to find out personally if you like what the 1073 DPD does for you at that price point, people will waffle on all day especially about Neve pres. You'll also find that it's one of those bits of audio gear that everyone will rant about, even having not really used one.
Seriously, try it and see for yourself. Let your ears decide, and there are plenty of other options and flavours out there. If you are going to buy a 1073 DPD, I would suggest trying to find a good 2nd Hand one as you will pay less... If you buy it new it will be worth what you will pay for the 2nd Hand one the minute you walk out of the shop!
If you want a short answer to your question: The Neve 1073 was originally a module for a Neve desk, and it contained both the pre amp and the EQ. The Neve 1084 is a module that was designed a little later, it has a Neve 1073 pre amp and a modified EQ with a higher frequency shelf and an option of a narrower mid range cut/boost. A 1084 module is a 1073 pre amp.
The Neve 1073 DPD is a re-issue dual 1073 pre amp with an A/D converter built in.
It really depends what you want, but bear in mind that a re-issue Neve 1073 module or Neve 1084 module (both with EQ) will set you back around £2500, and then you'll need a chassis for power which will likely be up to £1000... and that's for one pre-amp. If you want to get an original vintage module, first you have to find a good one and you'll also spend more as they're rare.
These days I think Neve have actually re-issued the 1073 module as a stand alone with built in power supply (Neve 1073n), although I'm not sure it's exactly the same circuit wise and I've not used one... it's around £1700.
The main thing is to find out personally if you like what the 1073 DPD does for you at that price point, people will waffle on all day especially about Neve pres. You'll also find that it's one of those bits of audio gear that everyone will rant about, even having not really used one.
Seriously, try it and see for yourself. Let your ears decide, and there are plenty of other options and flavours out there. If you are going to buy a 1073 DPD, I would suggest trying to find a good 2nd Hand one as you will pay less... If you buy it new it will be worth what you will pay for the 2nd Hand one the minute you walk out of the shop!
If you want a short answer to your question: The Neve 1073 was originally a module for a Neve desk, and it contained both the pre amp and the EQ. The Neve 1084 is a module that was designed a little later, it has a Neve 1073 pre amp and a modified EQ with a higher frequency shelf and an option of a narrower mid range cut/boost. A 1084 module is a 1073 pre amp.
The Neve 1073 DPD is a re-issue dual 1073 pre amp with an A/D converter built in.
It really depends what you want, but bear in mind that a re-issue Neve 1073 module or Neve 1084 module (both with EQ) will set you back around £2500, and then you'll need a chassis for power which will likely be up to £1000... and that's for one pre-amp. If you want to get an original vintage module, first you have to find a good one and you'll also spend more as they're rare.
These days I think Neve have actually re-issued the 1073 module as a stand alone with built in power supply (Neve 1073n), although I'm not sure it's exactly the same circuit wise and I've not used one... it's around £1700.
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i don't know your level of skill in recording and I don't know where or how you are recording your vocals currently...
So, that being said, I will guess that you are relatively inexperienced with recording and trying to figure out how to bring your productions to the next level... I am basing this guess on all of the posts you have made here at FP asking very general basic broad "how-to" questions.
Are you using the M-Audio Profire 2026 as your interface? How do you know it is the mic pres that you don't like? Maybe it is the A/D converters?
Are you still going to use the M-Audio Profire 2026 as your interface? if so, can you bypass the pres and use it properly as a standalone converter? because you will still need a converter.
Are you sure the issue with your vocals is the Profire 2026? Could it be the room you are recording in? your vocal skills? your mic technique? your production/mixing skills? anything else?
You will be spending a lot of money on the Neve 1073. You should be able to get a very good quality recording from the Profire and TLM 102. If you are not getting a very good recording from those, I'll bet you will be no happier with that Neve or any other mic pre. If you know how to record well, you should be able to get a very good recording from basic consumer level gear. If you do not know how to record well, you will not get a good recording even from the best gear.
I could go on the road and record a vocal in a hotel room using a laptop, an mbox and an sm57 (which I would not consider an optimal working situation)... then get back home and drop it into my session back at the "real" studio and it would sound like a nice professional vocal worthy of being on any big record.
If you can do that with what you have, then upgrading your signal chain will make your recordings really shine.
If you can't, then the mic pre is not your real issue.
and why do you think you need a new mic?
...sure, the Neve is a good piece... but "good" is quite subjective.
Personally, I don't think I have ever been happy with a microphone or mic pre purchase I have made on somebody else's recommendation. You need to listen to the Neve yourself... I would not advise spending that much money on something without hearing it first.
Also, the fact that you don't know what a better mic pre will give you different from a lower level pre tells me that you are probably not ready to spend a lot of money on a mic pre.
So, that is why the Neve will not necessarily give you a better vocal recording. The biggest factor in the quality of your recording is you and your skills.
Imagine you have an old TV from 15 years ago and you are thinking of buying a new top-of-the-line HDTV. The picture on your current TV is all static and you can barely see a picture, so you want to get a new HDTV so you can watch shows with beautiful bright sharp perfection... So you buy a brand new HDTV and plug it in, but your picture still looks just as shitty as before with the old TV... You see, the TV wasn't even your problem... the problem was that you don't have cable and were using a "rabbit ears" antenna to pick up broadcast analog signals in the middle of nowhere, so you are still picking up the same shitty signal but now you are looking at it on a nice new HDTV... it still looks just as bad, though. The problem with your picture was never your TV to begin with.
Thanks for your input. I'd say I'm fairly decent with recording and mixing. My level of singing is average but I just wanted better quality. I just feel as though that Ive grown out of just recording into my daw with a interface and mic. If you listen to one of my projects you'd be able to understand where i'm coming from. But My quality isn't really bad i just want a better recording going into protools with analog gear. But Ive got some advice from a couple professionals and now i'm leaning towards the avalon 737 sp. But I will be listening to it before I purchase one.
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Here is is a perfect example of why you need to make your own decision rather than buying on a recommendation...
an Avalon 737 is not even on the list of pres I would ever see myself buying.
Of course I have used one... That is how I know I don't want one.
there is nothing "wrong" with it... I just don't care for it.
some mic pres I own that I use on a daily basis are DW Fearn, Vintage Neumann, telefunken, some German broadcast pres, API (the API being my least favorite of the bunch)...
and there are others I have which I use less regularly.
i like everything I have over the Avalon. That is why I have them and don't have the Avalon.
the only reason they are better is because I like them better. There is nothing objectively better about anything at the "pro" level. At that point, everything is "good" but it is all subjective as to whether someone prefers it.
But it doesn't matter what I think or what anyone else thinks..,
all that matters is what you think.
dights
Mix Engineer
I'd have to agree with dvyce, as I said you need to hear different pres and make your personal choice. I could tell you what my first choice vocal chain would be, but it's my preference... and it would change based on the singer anyway.
As said, when you get to that price bracket they're all good mic pres it's just a question of taste and usage (preference of certain pres for certain sound sources).
I've also never been a massive fan of the 737. The pre is good, but a little too creamy for me (personal choice)... The problem is it's a strip, you're paying for the EQ and compressor as well. The EQ is nice in the top end, but I've never been a fan of the compressor - it's average to me, and I'd always want something else.
Now the Avalon 747... That is a beautiful mix buss tool!
You could go down the road of a 500 series lunchbox. There are so many different pres to choose from in 500 series (including Neve and Neve clones) and the second hand market is great, so if you want to add more modules (pres, EQ, compressors, FX) you don't have to buy new, and you can easily sell unwanted modules.
Just a thought.
As said, when you get to that price bracket they're all good mic pres it's just a question of taste and usage (preference of certain pres for certain sound sources).
I've also never been a massive fan of the 737. The pre is good, but a little too creamy for me (personal choice)... The problem is it's a strip, you're paying for the EQ and compressor as well. The EQ is nice in the top end, but I've never been a fan of the compressor - it's average to me, and I'd always want something else.
Now the Avalon 747... That is a beautiful mix buss tool!
You could go down the road of a 500 series lunchbox. There are so many different pres to choose from in 500 series (including Neve and Neve clones) and the second hand market is great, so if you want to add more modules (pres, EQ, compressors, FX) you don't have to buy new, and you can easily sell unwanted modules.
Just a thought.
kristiankay_
KRISCHIN
both suck
Let me guess... I'll bet you have never used either of them.