Recommend me a studio preamp

[petemoore]

  simple tube mic preamp...
  To my eyes this looks real neat, I don't know that I'd need the direct box.
  Where can I read about the functionality of tube mic pre's for stage use? Clarity and signal integrity seem to be the catch words, I've never seen a tube mic pre on a stage or in a rack...just wondering...

[sfx1999]

Is there a replacement for the INA chip from TI?

The INA127 is just an instrumentation amplifier. If I had to guess, you could just use one with a similar bandwidth.

Anyway, they have a whole page of them:

http://focus.ti.com/paramsearch/docs/parametricsearch.tsp?family=analog&familyId=587&uiTemplateId=NODE_STRY_PGE_T

[Minion]

The "Green Preamp" was actually my first real project.....I built a 2 ch version and made my own PCB"s and sourced my own Parts...

It is a Pretty nice sounding preamp but to tell you the truth my new 2 CH Pre Based on the INA217 actually Blows it out of the water sound quality wize, I actually haven"t even used my Green sinced I racked up my 217"s as the Dynamic range just seems much better and I get a Much clearer High end.....

I think it might be because the Green Pre has a few electrolytic Caps in the Signal Path were my 217"s only have the 2 DC Blocking caps and no other caps in the signal path Pluss it was much easier and cheaper to build (less than $10 per channel not counting connectors and chassis).......

The SSL 9K actually has a very simular topology to the green so that is probably why they sound so simular pluss they use the same Opamps......


Cheers

[Pushtone]

The TI link above has the INA217 chip priced per thousand. 
Still a no-go for the $5 preamp.

But wait hold on there...

When I googled "DIY SSL 9000 preamp"
the first hit was from that strange five fish website I posted above.

It had this little nugget of text I snipped
The THAT 1510 is a high performance audio preamplifier suitable for use in microphone preamp application. It is pin compatible with the now discontinued, Analog Devices SSM2019 and SSM2017 IC chips, and the Texas Instruments INA217 and INA163 mic preamp chips.

And found an auction on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/THAT-1510-Microphone-Preamp-IC-Repl-SSM2019-Lot-of-5_W0QQitemZ120113398877QQihZ002QQcategoryZ113484QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem



So about the$5 preamp...
I'm I right to think the $5 preamp would also need an output transformer or inverting opamp to drive a balanced, low-Z input through a 75 meter cable?
It looks like an unbalanced output on the datasheet app notes.

[vanessa]

It is a Pretty nice sounding preamp but to tell you the truth my new 2 CH Pre Based on the INA217 actually Blows it out of the water sound quality wize, I actually haven"t even used my Green sinced I racked up my 217"s as the Dynamic range just seems much better and I get a Much clearer High end.....

Blows it out of the water? Tall boots to fill. That would mean it is one of the best mic preamps ever made. Are you truely saying that it is that good?

I think it might be because the Green Pre has a few electrolytic Caps in the Signal Path were my 217"s only have the 2 DC Blocking caps and no other caps in the signal path Pluss it was much easier and cheaper to build (les34s than $10 per channel not counting connectors and chassis).......

The SSL 9K actually has a very simular topology to the green so that is probably why they sound so simular pluss they use the same Opamps......

It sounds like you have given up on your Green Pre. Too bad. It sounds like some poking under the hood would bring it back to life. What kind of iron do you have in there? How's your grounding? And if you still have the 5534's in there, there are better quality options. What applications are you using it for? Each preamp has its own characteristics that sound great on different applications. You can't have enough preamps I always say. Lots of things to consider before you write off one really great (and confirmed by some of the top studios in the world) sounding preamp.

[MartyMart]

I've been looking at all the options available for a while, including those mentioned that are
at prodigy pro.
I came to the conclusion that the costs of parts and time, outweighs the cost of some great commercial
preamps , in particular the DAV BG-1 - unless you WANT to DIY something for fun/learning.

This is the "Decca" preamp, designed/used at the Broadhurst Gardens Decca records studio.
I'm about to pick one up, a friend has one and it's one of the quietest and most neutral mic-pre's
that I've tried out.
It's two channels and minimal controls, but the sound quality is superb   - costs around £490 ( UK pounds )

MM.

[vanessa]

This is the "Decca" preamp, designed/used at the Broadhurst Gardens Decca records studio.
I'm about to pick one up, a friend has one and it's one of the quietest and most neutral mic-pre's
that I've tried out.
It's two channels and minimal controls, but the sound quality is superb   - costs around £490 ( UK pounds )

MM.

That looks like a good deal Marty.

Hey here's another one that' on my list of builds. It's a single tube mike pre and can be built cheap.

http://www.prodigy-pro.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6711&highlight=one+bottle

[Rodgre]

I've been looking at all the options available for a while, including those mentioned that are
at prodigy pro.
I came to the conclusion that the costs of parts and time, outweighs the cost of some great commercial
preamps , in particular the DAV BG-1 - unless you WANT to DIY something for fun/learning.

This is the "Decca" preamp, designed/used at the Broadhurst Gardens Decca records studio.
I'm about to pick one up, a friend has one and it's one of the quietest and most neutral mic-pre's
that I've tried out.
It's two channels and minimal controls, but the sound quality is superb   - costs around £490 ( UK pounds )

MM.

Nice link, Marty. Other than your mention, I can't seem to find prices on that website though. Not sure what the current dollar/pound conversion is, but would that be around $1000US?

Roger

[MartyMart]

http://www.kmraudio.com/catalogue/product_reviews_info.php/products_id/694/reviews_id/58?osCsid=50e20e2ae1092ad4a7ab41460dc57143

Heres price/info and a review of it too.
I guess the US price would be around 750 bucks - it's never twice the UK price !!!
Try sweetwater and audiomidi in the US ....
There's four and eight channel versions, David Gilmour has just fitted some of the eight
channel versions in his studio - so they MUST be quite good eh !!!

Van - the "one Bottle" is on my list also - looks VERY cool and quite simple too.

MM.

[vanessa]

Van - the "one Bottle" is on my list also - looks VERY cool and quite simple too.

MM.

Yes that New York Dave has some very cool builds overthere. That One Bottle pre would rock with a 4:1 Edcor OT and a pad. Really cheap too. The only thing you really have to drop $$$ for would be the input transformer and the PT. Input's? For you a Sowter, me a Cinemag or a Jensen.

But I'm one upping you Marty... Right now I'm in the middle of building a dual channel Abby Road REDD.47 

[Minion]

It is a Pretty nice sounding preamp but to tell you the truth my new 2 CH Pre Based on the INA217 actually Blows it out of the water sound quality wize, I actually haven"t even used my Green sinced I racked up my 217"s as the Dynamic range just seems much better and I get a Much clearer High end.....

Blows it out of the water? Tall boots to fill. That would mean it is one of the best mic preamps ever made. Are you truely saying that it is that good?

I think it might be because the Green Pre has a few electrolytic Caps in the Signal Path were my 217"s only have the 2 DC Blocking caps and no other caps in the signal path Pluss it was much easier and cheaper to build (les34s than $10 per channel not counting connectors and chassis).......

The SSL 9K actually has a very simular topology to the green so that is probably why they sound so simular pluss they use the same Opamps......

It sounds like you have given up on your Green Pre. Too bad. It sounds like some poking under the hood would bring it back to life. What kind of iron do you have in there? How's your grounding? And if you still have the 5534's in there, there are better quality options. What applications are you using it for? Each preamp has its own characteristics that sound great on different applications. You can't have enough preamps I always say. Lots of things to consider before you write off one really great (and confirmed by some of the top studios in the world) sounding preamp.

Well I used my Greens mostly for Micing the Bass and Snare drum on my Kit (the rest of the Kit went through a Mixer) and I also used it for Micing my Guitar/Bass amp ,I never used it for Vocals But then again I have never recorded any Vocals as I can"t sing worth Sh*t....

The Greens work as good as they did when I first Built them a year ago and served my well but I just notice that My recording really came to life after I started useing my 217"s.....The greens that I built were the Version 1 of the preamps without the extra Bells and whistles Just with the Rotary Gain pot and Phantom power and no LED Meter or Trim and I used standard generic Film Caps and no Input/Output transformer (the green doesn"t have any Iron) and I used a Regulated Supply useing LM317/337 regs......
I used the Standard NE5532 opamps and the grounding seems fine as there is no Hum or any other noise it just seems very Mid rangey and it is a Bit lacking in the high end....

It"s not that I don"t like my greens as they are good pre"s it is just that I like my 217"s more and I only record by myself and I can only record 4 tracks at a Time (Bass,Snare and a stereo Mix of the rest of the kit) so I don"t have enough inputs to use the green but when I get a Bigger interface I will definately be useing them....I think I might get a Line mixer so I can use my preamps as opposed to useing my Mixer pre"s.....

Cheers

[MartyMart]

But I'm one upping you Marty... Right now I'm in the middle of building a dual channel Abby Road REDD.47 

That's great - well I've built a couple of valve amps and a Hamptone mic-pre , which is quite nice !
I have a pair of old "Studer" mastering limiters to re-condition, that's my next "to do" !!
They came from EMI's old studio in manchester square London - so there's some history surrounding them
.... a few "Hits" went through those circuits
I need bulbs/knobs and a 24v PSU for them, apart from re-capping all the electro's  
MM.