Meeting Topic: Microphone Preamp Evaluation
Meeting Location: Weston House Recording, Sacramento, CA
Microphone preamps were evaluated in a "shootout manner" for tone.
Both male and female vocalists sang through 3 microphones each. Mics used for the male were: Beyerdynamic M88, RFT CM-7151, and Shure SM-57 (mandated by chairman John McCormack as a known standard). Mics for female were: Neumann TLM-103, RFT CM-7151, and Shure SM-57.
Each microphone was tested through each of of the following microphone preamps:
-Warmenfat Prototype
-JC Prototype
-DaviSound TB-6
-API 3124+
-Vintech X73
-Summit Audio TPA-200B
-Audiotronics 501
-Sage Electronics SE-Pre
-ART MPA Gold
-BLUE Robbie
Conclusion:
A clear "winner" is impossible to come-by. However, a majority of those attending felt that the Warmenfat Prototype was the desert-island preamp of choice due to the wide range of tones derived from its vast selection of input impedances and selectable input transformer turns-ratio.
