Liquid Channel, Millennia Origin or something else?

[brandons]

I am in need of a new mic and a preamp for my home studio. I think I will try the Mojave MA-200 for a general purpose vocal and acoustic mic.

On the preamp side of things I only need one good channel at the moment as I will likely be recording one track at a time. I am trying to wade through all of the tonal choices as well as the available configurations. On one end of the spectrum is the vintage flavor like the neve clones or api's (e.g. vintech, great river, etc.). Then there's the transparent stuff like Grace, the Millennia HV-3 stuff, etc. I am also hearing good things about the Pacifica from A-designs which is probably more vintage.

Then there is the question of do i need to go the channel strip route to utilize compression and eq or should I just get the preamp and do the other stuff in the daw with plugins? Along the channel strip lines I've been looking at stuff from Focusrite (ISA 220 and 430), Millennia Origin STT-1 (this box really intrigues me as it offers so many different signal paths and does solid state and tube), etc. I've also heard good things about the Liquid Channel but there are those who rail against it as well.

The styles of music I would be tracking would range from jazzy, fusion type stuff to pop and acoustic rock type styles, possibly even country.

Any opinions and guidance on setting up the front of my signal chain would be appreciated. The range in gear that I am willing to consider is a bit flexible (you can see that I am thinking about everything from the ISA 220 level to the Origin); I don't want a halfway solution but I don't necessarily need the most expensive audiophile stuff out there either.

I am currently using a Motu traveller so I know that my converters will eventually become the weak link but I'll work on that part next. Any suggestions or recommendations are appreciated.

Thanks

[chrispick]

Here's a reputed solution that'll take care of your high-end pre and conversion issues in one fell swoop:

API A2D

http://www.apiaudio.com/a2d.html

I can't give a first-hand vouch though as I've never used it. We're talking two 312s though which are industry-famed.

Here are two pres I own, use and recommend:

A-Designs Pacifica

http://www.adesignsaudio.com/pacifica.html

UA 6176

http://www.uaudio.com/products/analog/6176/index.html

Neither are as vintage-sounding as you'd assume. And the 6176 is, of course, a channel strip.

I tell people new to high-end pres to forgo worrying about the solid state vs. tube thing. Many are under the false impression that solid state translates to clean capture (often not true) and tube translate to smooth, colored capture (also often not true).

[BradLyons]

Brandon,

Congrats on your choice of the MA200, that is an absolutely AMAZING microphone! I've provided several here with that same mic and all of them have raved about it back to me. You're right, there are so many preamps to choose from out there---but mind you you need to be concerned NOT about the mic and NOT about the pre....but about the combination of the MIC and PRE and how they will mix together. With that said, I can not be convinced that there isn't a better signal chain for the money than the MA200 and the ISA220. This combination provides amazing clarity, but not sterile sound. You get wonderful warmth, but not darkness. THe mid-range is there, but not piercing. The compressor on the ISA is can be smooth as silk, or punchy when pushed. The EQ, oh the EQ is absolutely GORGEOUS sounding.....very musical. The De-Esser is about the best for an onboard as it gets.

When you step up to the ISA430mkII, you don't get a better pre---it's the exact same. HOWEVER, you have the choice of an Optical Limiter or VCA compressor, you have more filters in the EQ, add a Gate, and some other things. Either way, however, you want to add the A/D option---the A/D converter is EXCELLENT! There are some other great and wonderful pres on the market, I've used many. I have owned (3) Liquid Channels and (2) ISA430mkII's..... I honestly/truly/sincerely believe the ISA430mkII is THE BEST channel strip on the market for what it cost v/s what you get. It really wants a tube mic, and the MA200 delivers.

[brandons]

Brad,

I noticed that you guys don't carry the Origin but you do have some of Millennia's other products. Why is that and do you have any experience with the origin?

[BradLyons]

We carry their products, but it just might not be in our website. While we are a dealer for their product line---personally, I'm not a fan of their products. That doesn't mean they are bad, not at all---just not my kind of sound. I used the Origin twice, both times I switched to something else. If you want one, I have a client trying to sell a pair off. I sent him a Presonus ADL600 and a Summit DCL200, he's preferring these instead.

[brandons]

Brad,

Do the ISA 220 and 430 work well for tracking bass guitar; not rock but more jazz/fusion/gospel bass styles?

[chrispick]

Brandons,

You're overthinking it, man

Any quality outboard pre will likely prove a step up from Traveler pres. And any quality pre will be plenty sufficient at tracking any number of instruments.

Don't get hung up on these "what pre for what genre" issues. Don't fall prey to the opinion histrionics you find on net bulletin boards. Variations in preamp sounds are very subtle. Different mics offer much greater sonic variety. Mic placement offers greater sonic variety.

You're not going to know if a pre is a perfect fit for you until you've lived with it for a while and have used others. So, don't sweat the details.

Pick a price range. Narrow down a few choices. You can't lose really.

[jaxsn]

Well I use a Lawson L47mp tube mic, and a Manley 40db pre into a v-mu (or dbx 1066) into a 2408MK2 or 24 I/O
then a mix wizard (nice eq) sometimes UAD- EQ Plugs (neve, pultec, etc)
and leave the wizard flat.
nice warm full sound, and very clean (dbx is solid state and actually
makes it sound a little too warm but not as clean - sometimes)

Jaxsn