I'm down sizing

I'm having a good time w/ an mxl -$100 ribbon.  I'd rather have a more exensive one, but this one sounds pretty good.

Preamps?  You need a bunch or something flexible.  The new Warm Audio Tone Beast will be out in a month or so - I've got a prototype.  Very nice.  It does the vintage API thing like the Warm, but can do clean, too.  You can switch between two op-amps, two different transfomers (or none?), and gain and output knob.

@

If you are single tracking I'd suggest the Tone Beast.  It ain't a clean straight wire sound, but gets pretty close.  But it can add all manner of thickening to that cleanish sound.  It should be out in June, if you can wait, for about $600.

The Warm Audio (see tape op or SOS) is an api -sih preamp.  Very vintage but fast w/ tons of gain and headroom.  $400.

There are plenty of other choices for more or less.  I still think my ISA One is a great all arounder.  The transformer is always in line (for the preamp, anyway), so it thickens up the sound some.  Kinda a Goldilocks mean - not too rich, not too thin.  Whether it is just right depends upon your ear.

The Neve Portico preamp etc. are hard to beat, tho more expensive.  Big, modern sounding.  It has a silk mode that adds some harmonics for a more vintage sound.  They are to-fer units, tho.  I think they still make a preamp/comp unit if you don't need 2 preamps (or w/ an EQ).   If you want a one box for everything, the Portico II channel is killer.  Everything is top notch, does de-essing, in the box parellel compression and has vairable silk.  You can dial in the type and amount of "vintage" harmonics, which is a ton of fun on rich sounds (like electric guitar).  Ton of fun, and a ton of coin.  But it is my first choice here at home for just about everything.  I just wish I could afford a second one to send stereo through.

Have fun.  I have an old Ramsa board, too, that is put away.  No need since I don't track drums here and don't use the tape deck anymore.  But a fun board.  But bigger than I have room for.

@