If you could only have one 2 channel preamp , what would it be?

[sdelsolray]

 

I want to get a very good 2 channel preamp. Im not looking for a cheap " itll do" preamp , I want a preamp that I wont ever want to upgrade from. Ive got a couple of the Presonus Studio Channels right now and they work ok , but they lack the warmth that Im after. My eyes keep coming back to the UA 2-610. What would you choose?

 

 

Here are some suggestions:

 

Tube:

Pendulum Audio MDP-1a

Sebatron

 

Solid State:

Great River 2NV

John Hardy M-1

ADK AP2

 

Special mention goes to the ADK AP2. It's a API 312 clone design (Jon Ericson of A Designs designed it), and it is a no compromise build. It has swappable op amps (following the API 2520 footprint) and swappable input transformers (utilizing daughterboards). WIth a few op amps and trannies, you will have quite a variety of sonics and behaviors. For example, with the Sowter tranny and ADK Vin-M (i.e., Melcor clone) op amp, you can crank it and get a very gritty/full bass guitar, and with the Jensen tranny and Hardy 990 op amp you can get a highly detailed, articulate and transient rich recording of a solo fingerstyle acoustic guitar.

 

The Pendulum MDP-1a is an incredible preamp, capable of very clean (with a bit of tube "warmth") to very aggressive (it's output can go to +35 dBu!).

 

The Great River and John Hardy are perennial favorites in studios around the world.

[southpaw pete]

I recently rented a Universal Audio Twinfinity, which is both tube and solid state, and sweepable between. From what I understand the tube side is similar to the 610. I loved the sound I got from those pres, and the ability to dial in the tube warmth. I used it mostly with a Rode NTK, for mostly male vox (and some female) and acoustic guitar. It was great to be able to rent it for a few months for a project, and find out if it worked for me. Turns out, it does, so once I release this CD, I think I will use some of the profits to buy one (or maybe the solo 610).

Good luck on your quest. If you were able to rent a few preamps from a local store to try out and compare on your own, it may be a worthy investment, so that you are able to get exactly what you want.