*** The Pre-LP Scrapbook***

Pictures from the Pre-LP

The People

34 preamps, 37 signal paths, 4 acoustic sources, 12 hours of intense listening over two days. It definitely was "Preamp Boot Camp." Here we are at Classic Recording in Franklin, listening and taking notes. Standing (l-r) are Dennis Corley, Bob Williams, George Cumbee, and seated (l-r) Lynn Fuston, Doug Mitchell (hidden behind me), John Wheeler, and Bart Slater. If you look on the console center section, you'll notice the Radio Shack Sound Level Meter, that was used to confirm listening levels. The monitoring levels during the testing are reported on the 3D Pre CD, so you can set your levels in your studio to the same SPL that we used.

As we listened (below), I was recording the output from the preamps directly to hard disk. Notice the AD-1 audio analyzer software on the computer screen on the left. This was used to monitor peak digital values and average levels on the digital recording. I used this to confirm that the performance levels were consistent. Seated are Lynn Fuston, Dennis Corley, John Wheeler, and (standing) Bob Williams, Matt Engle, and Ben Catania. Dan Kennedy, with his hands on the switcher, standing behind the rack, a position that he maintained for two straight days. Note the fabric that was draped in front of the preamps to maintain their anonymity.

Dan Kennedy (below) behind the rack of preamps. They are (left to right, top to bottom)

First stack--Daking, Manley, Oram MWS, Vintech, Earthworks, API

Second Stack--Great River, Langevin, Audio Upgrades, Hardy M-1, dbx 386, Aphex, Grace, Focusrite 430, dbx 786

Vertical Rack (the blue one)-My Focusrite ISA-110s

Third Stack--ART, Cranesong Flamingo, Millennia HV-2, Avalon, DW Fearn, Sytek, Buzz Audio

Fourth Stack--Presonus, GML, Amek 9098, Focusrite Red 1, Millennia M-2b, Neve 1081 with Martech on top

Fifth Stack--Mackie 1604 VLZ Pro, Meek (which was not auditioned) and VacRac.

The very capable and supremely proficient technical staff consisted of (below, l-r) Dan Kennedy of Great River Electronics, George Cumbee, owner of Classic Recording, Phil Cooper, staff engineer at Classic Recording, and Kenny Fairris, independent recording engineer.

(go back)

The 3D PRE CD-The easiest way to hear $75,000 worth of preamps in your own studio.

 

To order your copy of the 3D Pre CD, Volumes 1 and 2, click here.