I say if you are not 100% happy with the Peavey and someone is also willing to offer you a great price for it then there are two good reasons why you might think of changing. They might really want and desire it for its ability to crunch so it could be put to a better use maybe. The box like appearance of the +4 setting looks like it is hinting at clipping somewhere. That signal should look as good as the -10 signal. (unless it is really compressing hard say or distortion due to the way the op is using it)

This might be a good opportunity to swap it out for something a bit newer maybe with a nice transformer front end followed by quality solid state electronics and electronically balanced outputs. This will give you the cleaner sound when you need it. It should have plenty of output to drive the Delta. And upgrading that is always an option. You will more than likely get a better sounding interface now.

I would be as bit wary of using preamps that may thin the sound as well. You could be altering the sound in a bad way making it harder later to get right and perhaps apply plug-ins to. I think plug-ins work best with better quality tracked signals. 

This might be a good opportunity to swap it out for something a bit newer maybe with a nice transformer front end followed by quality solid state electronics and electronically balanced outputs. This will give you the cleaner sound when you need it. It should have plenty of output to drive the Delta. And upgrading that is always an option. You will more than likely get a better sounding interface now.

Good points - all. Regardless of the offer, both the preamp and the delta sell reasonably well on ebay. I would like to get something clean with a little bit of roundness to the sound without breaking the bank. Is there a particular preamp you like?

I like the focusrite ISA One.  Good, clean w/ a hint of roundness.  Same w/ the Warm Audio WA12 - I bought the review model I was checking out.  Api ish.  The Really Nice Preamp (RNC) is another good preamp, transformerless and stereo.  All are about $400-500.

Still, I've heard nothing but good things about the peavy.  I'm not sure if I wouldn't try the above before I sold the peavy.  You might be able to get by w/ a Rane or something clean like that - and cheap (-$200).  But, I never seem to get rid of anything, even stuff I don't use.

@

To close up and do a followup: I received the new balanced cables today (cannon to trs) and I'm a little frustrated and also very happy. :)

I listened to some folks telling me years ago to bypass the transformers and not use the balanced outputs. They are flat out wrong, and I was wrong for not fully checking it out. The frustration is with me more than anything. I was operating a great sound tool at less than optimum level. The difference is large.

This preamp is more than great sounding now. There is something screwy going on using the unbalanced outs at +4. It should work that way, but as another user stated on another forum, it just sounds nasty and boxy. Using the unbalanced out of the vmp2 to -10 on the delta produces a very good sound. I would have been happy with that for a long time. However, the sound I'm getting from the balanced to balanced running at +4 is outstanding. Clear with lots of  gain and thick character. I shudder at thinking I was considering getting rid of it. 

Thank You to all who offered advice and education. It was very worthwhile and I really appreciate it!!!  You guys are the best and why I rather trouble shoot here than anywhere.


Thanks Again!!

Glad you got it sorted out and kept the peavy.  Although if I had some extra cash around I might have offered you a deal ;-)

Well Dave I am glad to hear that things seemed to have worked out. At least this is the cheapest option by far as you have gained much better performance by the sound of it from a modest outlay.

Interesting though because from reading the manual it really comes across that the unbalanced outs are delivering the same signal level for which they are not it seems. I assume you can get a nice clear waveform with no apparent squaring off or clipping in the waveform now running at +4 setting.

Keeping the Peavey sounds like a good idea but perhaps entertain the idea of still investing on a clean solid state preamp that has a nice transparent sound perhaps with no output transformers and then you will have the option of recording through either giving you the best of both worlds.

@Jeff

It really should have worked that way according to spec. The unbalanced produces up to a +10 signal. I emailed back and forth with Peavey this week. I was surprised they were so helpful for such an old product. Also looking around the different forums from guys who own this unit, several complained of the same problem I was having. 

I would like to get another preamp for adding different sounds to projects. The Phoenix Audio DRS series sound clips I've heard sound good along with several others (Great River). I think I would be happy to pickup a RNP or Focusrite One for a good price. I've also checked out the Warm Wa12 which sounds great and I would buy that one, but might be duplication. I'm open to a number of them with price playing a part in the decision. Speaking of that, there is a small Rane on ebay I'm watching. It is way on the budget side though, and that kind of scares me off.

Thank Again!
 

AT


Glad you got it sorted out and kept the peavy.  Although if I had some extra cash around I might have offered you a deal ;-)

:) You have been very helpful and I appreciate that. I'm still kicking myself for going all this time and not really maximizing the sound. Thank you, this unit is a keeper. I recorded with it last night and was shaking my head at the full sound. Like it!  :)

The Warm is a good unit.  Never having really worked w/ the Peavy I can't say how "different" it is soundwise.  When I shot it out w/ a real API I couldn't really hear a difference, tho the engineer at the studio said he thought there was a little more bottom end.  But it is punchy, and found it better than my ISA and Portico for getting rid of female sibilence (that just sounds wrong).  The ISA is probably the most middle of the road preamp of those three.  A single input transformer, so it has that "thickening" you get from a transfomer but yet clean and a detailed high end.  I still use the portico on just about all solo stuff, since it is a channel strip and the preamp is simply great.

Really, I don't think you could do wrong w/ any of them, or a RNP or even a rane to give a little different flavor.  Just don't think it is going to be one of those night and day differneces - even on a top notch monitoring system.  It can make it easier to get a sound tho, depending upon the mic and placement.

Have fun and let us know how it works out.

@

The Warm does look and sound good on the clips I heard. I was reaching for my wallet a couple of days ago... I think I would be very happy with that one.

Something on the light, clear and round side of things might be a good companion for the peavey. Right now though, this one sounds so nice it feels like a new toy anyway. The before and after is night and day. I didn't expect such a change - real happy so I'll be patient for a while longer.

Thanks for giving me the preamp info - that and maybe upgrading my soundcard are both on the wish list.



---- Just checked out your site and your review on Focusrite - wow! Great review! Listening to T for Texas right now. That is a really cool song!! 

Thanks again for helping!