Good SOLID STATE Preamp for Project Studio

Lots of preamp threads that you can read and enjoy with a search, but anyway. . .

According to alot of the preamps posts, the Grace 101 sounds like exactly what you want.

Rigel

I love my RNP - it fronts an emu 1820m that I only use for 2 in 2 out. Very clean signal path, great imaging, lots of gain. Under 1K for all except computer and software.

I have an 828 MKII that I haven't touched in months...

You didn't indicate how much you were willing to spend but Grace is a good choice and also look at Avalon (they make ss models).

I hear a lot of people slam the TT Pro because it isn't the Red or the ISA units Focusrite is famous for. I like my TT Pro. It's clean and has an overall good sound for the money.

For a low to mid-priced pre (channel strip, actually) I'm still real happy with my Presonus Eureka.

ORIGINAL: mark4man

Rigel...

Thanks.

I might go with the Grace...but I would miss my line level inputs. How about the Focusrite TT Pro?
. . .
mark4man

The Grace does have a 1/4" instrument input. For line-level sources like hardware synths, you don't need a preamp - they can plug directly into the soundcard inputs. I think it sounds better that way, especially since you're saying you don't want the preamp to do anything to your sound.

Concerning the TT Pro: I have the Focusrite Penta, which is a single preamp and stereo optical compressor, also in the Platinum range, and I like it. If you need 2 channels and want to be in that price range, I think TT is a valid option and good value.

In comparison, the single channel Grace 101 costs almost as much for just one channel, and no optical compressor. They *will* sound different. The TT will probably give you a little of the Focusrite "edge" (my own term), whereas the Grace is characterized as "straight wire with gain" clarity. I like what the Focusrite does for the sound, which means it does "do something". If you know you don't want that, then the Focusrite stuff might not be your best choice. The RNP which is also recommended alot gives you two channels for a little less than the one-ch Grace.

Here are some comments about the RNP from a review on atlasproaudio.com:

"It's clean sound and is ideal for many sources. It's not "ultra" clean. Think of ultra clean as a glass pure spring water, and the RNP as a glass of pure spring water with 2 teaspoons of sugar. "

I'm guessing the Grace qualifies as "ultra clean"

"In a side by side comparison with a Grace 101, you can certainly tell that the RNP is somehow making the source sound "better" than real life, whereas the Grace caused the brighter and less pleasing frequencies to be accentuated IMO."

Click to read the review:
RNP Lowdown
Yes, the review is done by people selling it, so consider that. But it does sound consistent with what other people say about the RNP.

But I do know I want straight gain, with little or no coloration...with as much quality & as little noise as possible.

It still sounds like the Grace is what you want, based on your original post.

But again, it depends on your overall needs. If you need to record stereo tracks running through the pre(s), then you'll need two Grace 101's, which puts you up to $1130. If that's out of your price range, the RNP or TT start looking better again, and I don't think either will color your sound anywhere near the "tube-based preamps" you talked about in your original post.

Hope this helps.
Rigel

ORIGINAL: mark4man

The TT will probably give you a little of the Focusrite "edge" (my own term)

Rigel,

What is the "edge" characteristic?...is it top end?...is it sizzle?
mark4man

Yes, it's both - top end and a little sizzle. Works nicely on male vocal tracks using the C1, and female voc with the V69. I associate this with Focusrite only because when I was testing preamps, the Focusrite Red 1 ($2799) also had this high-end/sizzle. The MindPrint DTC ($1799) and Avalon 737 ($1995) both also seemed to have it, but to slightly lesser degrees. The mid-priced Focusrite (to my ears) sounded the closest to these particular "big-boy" preamps. I couldn't test Neve, API, Great River, etc, I guess I wasn't in the right shops for that. My testing did also include PreSonus, Art, dbx, Bellari, Behringer.

Unfortunately, the "buy it...use it...not sure I like it" routine is called experience - it's hard to get around it. The fact that you've been through some probably means you're now closer to your destination, and that's a good thing. In the end (even more $ than you're getting ready to spend this time), you might not really be happy until you have that Neve for your vocal tracks, and at least 2 channels of Grace for everyting else.

Rigel