[Fler]

Hey all, just doing a little research. As i'm in the process of assembling my new studio and i'm on the lookout for a stereo valve preamp with S/PDIF digital output. Basically i'm maxing out the input capacity of my Presonus FireStudio with two Digimax FS' and a stereo valve preamp to complete and round out the rig.

I've been quite keen on the Presonus Eureka (was going for a pair w/ A/D card), but I thought I should look for something a little different, see if I can add some interesting flavour in there instead of making my rack look like a Presonus showroom. But I do have requirements. Obviously, as mentioned to fit into the final two inputs of the FireStudio it'll need to have digital capacity as the ADAT optical inputs are taken up by the two Digimax FS units. Although i'm quite keen on the Eureka, as with all Presonus stuff the balance of features/price is fucking fantastic. It's just that this is for stereo micing of sound's i'd really love to retain as much of a warm, organic vibe as possible for. My main market at the moment is jazz/classical players/students at the two main music schools in Auckland, New Zealand where I reside. So lot's of recording of lovely acoustic instruments and also small orchestras/ensembles. But I record things that go all the way up to needing pretty intense amounts of microphones. My drummers kit isn't particularly small and I know when it comes time to do official releases i'll be having a field day with all those inputs. For that case, the stereo valve pre would be lovely on dual micing a snare or stereo overheads.

The unit will need to have on board compression/EQ, but that's pretty much it. Something with a stereo link feature could also be kinda cool but I don't really mind too much about that.

Obviously if i'm looking at Presonus stuff, price is a bit of an issue. I am a student, and I am already having to spend very large amounts of money on this entire setup. So yeah, I really can't go spending heinous amounts on this unit. Ideally i'd be looking at up to USD$1000 at the most, put i'm willing to stretch it a little for something really special. So yeah, if anyones got anything to recommend that would be well appreciated.

Cheers guys!
OM

[CynicEidolon]

I guess I don't quite see what you are asking. With the FIrestudio and the FS's... You already have all the inputs of the Firestudio filled. Why are you asking for 2 more inputs?

And if you are looking just for something with better pre's, it doesn't have to have any ADAT conversion. You can simply run the line out of that pre into an input of your setup.

[Fler]

The Firestudios 25th and 26th inputs are S/PDIF. So I figure they may as well be used, and logically I felt it to be a good idea to use those inputs for some stereo valve flavor, rather than the 24 preamps that preceed it. If I don't have to run it into one of the other inputs, I won't. I'm a bit of an anal retentive bastard about organising hardware in little ways like this, as pedantic as it is. There are reasons for it, but I won't go into explaining cos that'll get a little epic =P

I actually just came across the ART Digital MPA II, which fits almost all my needs rather well, so thats quite cool. Most likely going after one of those.

[E Lucevan Le Stelle]

Use 'em for the Axe FX (in particular, setting it up to reamp with)?

[darren]

We recently rented a Presonus Eureka and were really impressed with how transparent it was. We've been using it for recording guitars (along with a Joe Meek for the other mic) but where it really shines is with a high-end mic for vocals. I would imagine it would sound spectacular for micing classical guitars as well. I think for acoustic recordings, i'd want the mic and preamp to be as transparent as possible, so you get more of the sound of the instruments in the room, like "being there".

The Joe Meek is great for recording amped guitars, as it adds a nice warmth and "girth" to the sound. But for acoustic stuff, we tried a bunch of different options and the Eureka with a nice Neumann mic was like being right in the room. Everything else sounded like we were listening to the gear, and not the subject of the recording.

[Fionn]

dbx 376 and 386, SSL alpha channel!

[Fler]

Darren, that is exactly what I wanted to hear, thank you very much. I've been looking at those Joe Meeks as well, they look brilliant, i'm hoping to borrow a few from the distributor down here to give them a good try.
Do you have anything else to say about the Eureka? Do you think a stereo pair would serve well still? I'm still rather tempted. Transparency is more or less what I go for, in the sense that you described, so that could still well be worth me considering.

Regarding using the AxeFx. I suppose I could use it for reamping and such, but honestly, it's not really a technique I am into using so much. I feel that it doesnt work quite convincingly enough. When you play a particular amplifier your playing responds to the way it sounds and it becomes quite a cycle that the reamping process isn't quite able to replicate in my opinion.. Also, I do a lot of feedback based droney stuff, so it wouldnt really work for that. However you actually raise a pretty clever point there, using the S/PDIF outs on the AxeFX. Although again it somewhat defeats the purpose a little, i've already bought appropriately lengthed XLR cabling for connection to the Firestudio from the Axefx and those cables are always in there permanently, somewhat just factored into the way I organised the layout. However thanks for bringing that up, I never though to use that. Cheers!

Originally Posted by Fionn

dbx 376 and 386, SSL alpha channel!

SSL? Aw man, my dream is to be running a studio with a monolithic SSL desk. Those things are designed to a phenomenal level of engineering, truly monolithic! Who knows maybe going for one or two of their channel strips isn't a shabby idea, i'm probably investing in a Duende PCIe or Classic at some point soon. Still debating that one.

DBX I've been having a look at, still considering those quite temptingly.