Overall Rating: What can I say? It's considerably cheaper than getting a (also excellent) Brent Averill or Dave Marquette racked Neve 1272 stereo pair, and to my ears I can hear no difference in the tone. It sounds as much like a Neve 1272 as any other 1272 does. The build quality is excellent, and so far it's been as reliable as a brick. Add this to their outstanding customer support and you really can't go wrong. I have no connection to this company whatsoever, other than owning one of their products.
I make my living with my tools and my ears, and I recommend the Vintech preamps without hesitation or reservation. Definitely a "best buy"!
Sound Quality: I've got a fairly extensive mic collection, and have used this preamp with everything from vintage Telefunken ELA M 251's to RCA ribbon mics, Rode NTK's, AKG C-414's (including a Stephen Paul modified pre P48 EB) and low cost dynamics like the Shure SM57's, on sources as diverse as drums (kicks, snares and overheads), electric guitars, bass (mic'ed and DI through the line input), lead and backing vocals, etc. and in every case the 1272 has given me that "classic Neve" tone.
The "sound" of a Neve preamp isn't transparent by any means. There's a saying about them that "the sound is in the iron", and the Vintech uses the original St. Ives transformers, and gets that classic thick, warm and fat tone. If you're looking for absolute faithfullness, look elsewhere (Great River, Grace Designs, etc.), but if you're looking for a preamp with great tone, vibe and attitude, this is a great device to check out!
Reliability/Durability: I've had mine in a rack in the studio for the past few months and it's not had a single problem to date. I use it daily in a commercial recording studio environment, so it has seen a lot of use, but it's only been a few months. Still, on something like this, if it was going to die, it probably would have happened by now.
Ease of Use: It's very easy to use this preamp. Plug it in, plug in a mic, and plug the output into your fave recording device's line in... Apply phantom (48V) if needed. Adjust gain as needed.
There's only one complaint in this regard... while you have a single meter for gain, there's no clipping indicator. Still, there isn't one on a vintage 1272 either, so I guess you can't complain too much.
Customer Support: This is one of the few companies you can call and get the "head dude" on the phone, and he (Dallass at Vintech) is not only very knowledgeable, he's quite friendly and helpful. I have called him a few times, and in each case (before and after the sale) he has been great.
One more item you may want to know: The "stock" Vintech 1272 ships without a capacitor on the input leg of the transformer. The original Neve 1272's had this capacitor, and Dallas told me he feels that removing it allows the p[reamp to sound a tad more open on the very top end. If you are looking for the exact same circuit as the original 1272, you can request that they add this cap to your Vintech, which they will gladly do at no additional charge. For the record, I have it on mine.
Price: $1300.00 USD
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