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| Neve Portico Mini-Review [message #68711] |
Sun, 28 May 2006 00:19  |
Neil
Messages: 1645
Registered: April 2006
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Senior Member |
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So far have used this on two tracks by the same male
vocalist... one was a soft vocal track using my "Claytor-67"
tube mic, and as I said in a previous post, I was thoroughly
unimpressed & immediately went back to the Chandler TG2 for
that application. Tonight I had a chance to try it on a harder-
edged vocal track with a TLM-103, and it worked out pretty good
for that. The previous mic pre we'd been using for this was the
Focusrite ISA 428 on the ISA 110 impedance setting, and the
Portico definitely imparted a slightly thicker or richer, and
also a little bit smoother, quality to the track, but I
wouldn't call it a "warm"-sounding pre, necessarily. I liked
the "silk" setting - not sure what that circuit's all about,
but it worked for this application, and imparted a little bit
of color to what I'd consider to otherwise be a fairly dry-
sounding preamp.
I am tending to think that the Focusrite is a much faster preamp
than the Portico, because some rasp inherent in this guy's
voice was reduced (in a positive way) with the Neve, whereas
with the ISA it was VERY apparent, and in fact, I'd say it was
even emphasized (this was one of the things that guy liked
about the 428, actually, until he'd heard the takes a few times
& started "not" liking the emphasized rasp so much. The Portico
let some of this through, but it definitely had a smoothing
effect on it.
So in my first good use of the Portico, I'd say my first
impressions are that it's:
* Pretty clean, with little coloration
* Almost drab with the "silk" button disengaged
* Pretty Smooth
* Seems to have no shortage of headroom
* Is definitely what I'd call a "soft" sounding pre
* Has the potential for some "air" - I could hear it wanting to
try & throw some stuff around up there, so maybe with a
different mic, it would be more effective for this. Like
maybe Deej's Stephen Paul U-87, or my modded M-147 (going to
try this mic next).
Overall, I was hoping for more coloration & character, I guess,
but I think I could definitely find some uses for it,
regardless of that. So I'm right now I guess you could say I'm
in the "not blown away, but not disappointed" category with
regard to this pre. lol
Judging from using it with a -103, I think it would sound great
for overheads with this mic, and if you have a u-87, I have a
feeling it might take away some of the "honk" & add some air to
that one. I have a feeling it might be too smooth for a lot of
rock or metal guitar, but not having tried it on that yet, this
is just speculation based on what I heard tonight.
Bottom line - If you're expecting a classic "Neve" sound, this
ain't it... there's no wooliness in the lower mids, it's
not "mushy" or "creamy", and it's MUCH quieter & cleaner, IMO.
It sounds familiar to something else I've used before, but I
can't put a finger on it... it's the type of "smoothness"
quality it has that makes me say this; it's reminiscent of
something, but I can't figure out what just yet.
Anyway, there it is so far.
Neil
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| Re: Neve Portico Mini-Review [message #68726 is a reply to message #68711] |
Sun, 28 May 2006 09:58  |
Deej [1]
Messages: 2149
Registered: January 2006
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Senior Member |
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Nei,
My Outlook Express outbox is somehow hosed and I don't have the time to
troubleshoot it so I can't send you PM, but if you want to try the ADL-600
unit I've got here on demo, give me a call. I'll almost guarantee that it
will blow your socks off. I can box it up and UPS it to you on Tuesday. It
should be there by Friday (I sent it to a friend in Midland and it was there
in 3 days UPS ground.
Morgan was/is selling these at a very competitivbe price so the price would
be around the same for this as for the NEVE, I think, and if you are looking
for something like this, you really *need* to hear this thing. No **** man.
I'll stake what meagre reputation I may have here on this. To say it's *high
end* is an understatement.
Call me if you're seriously interested in something like this and want a
test drive......970-375-7081
Deej
"Neil" <OIUOIU@OIU.com> wrote in message news:44794f05$1@linux...
>
> So far have used this on two tracks by the same male
> vocalist... one was a soft vocal track using my "Claytor-67"
> tube mic, and as I said in a previous post, I was thoroughly
> unimpressed & immediately went back to the Chandler TG2 for
> that application. Tonight I had a chance to try it on a harder-
> edged vocal track with a TLM-103, and it worked out pretty good
> for that. The previous mic pre we'd been using for this was the
> Focusrite ISA 428 on the ISA 110 impedance setting, and the
> Portico definitely imparted a slightly thicker or richer, and
> also a little bit smoother, quality to the track, but I
> wouldn't call it a "warm"-sounding pre, necessarily. I liked
> the "silk" setting - not sure what that circuit's all about,
> but it worked for this application, and imparted a little bit
> of color to what I'd consider to otherwise be a fairly dry-
> sounding preamp.
>
> I am tending to think that the Focusrite is a much faster preamp
> than the Portico, because some rasp inherent in this guy's
> voice was reduced (in a positive way) with the Neve, whereas
> with the ISA it was VERY apparent, and in fact, I'd say it was
> even emphasized (this was one of the things that guy liked
> about the 428, actually, until he'd heard the takes a few times
> & started "not" liking the emphasized rasp so much. The Portico
> let some of this through, but it definitely had a smoothing
> effect on it.
>
> So in my first good use of the Portico, I'd say my first
> impressions are that it's:
>
> * Pretty clean, with little coloration
> * Almost drab with the "silk" button disengaged
> * Pretty Smooth
> * Seems to have no shortage of headroom
> * Is definitely what I'd call a "soft" sounding pre
> * Has the potential for some "air" - I could hear it wanting to
> try & throw some stuff around up there, so maybe with a
> different mic, it would be more effective for this. Like
> maybe Deej's Stephen Paul U-87, or my modded M-147 (going to
> try this mic next).
>
> Overall, I was hoping for more coloration & character, I guess,
> but I think I could definitely find some uses for it,
> regardless of that. So I'm right now I guess you could say I'm
> in the "not blown away, but not disappointed" category with
> regard to this pre. lol
>
> Judging from using it with a -103, I think it would sound great
> for overheads with this mic, and if you have a u-87, I have a
> feeling it might take away some of the "honk" & add some air to
> that one. I have a feeling it might be too smooth for a lot of
> rock or metal guitar, but not having tried it on that yet, this
> is just speculation based on what I heard tonight.
>
> Bottom line - If you're expecting a classic "Neve" sound, this
> ain't it... there's no wooliness in the lower mids, it's
> not "mushy" or "creamy", and it's MUCH quieter & cleaner, IMO.
>
> It sounds familiar to something else I've used before, but I
> can't put a finger on it... it's the type of "smoothness"
> quality it has that makes me say this; it's reminiscent of
> something, but I can't figure out what just yet.
>
> Anyway, there it is so far.
>
> Neil
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| Re: Neve Portico Mini-Review [message #68768 is a reply to message #68726] |
Tue, 30 May 2006 16:36 |
Neil
Messages: 1645
Registered: April 2006
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Hey Deej... thanks for the offer, but I usually don't like to
demo things if I can't afford to buy it at the time - otherwise
I may run across something that I just have to own or I will
die. :D
Neil
"DJ" <animix_spam-this-ahole_@animas.net> wrote:
>Nei,
>
>My Outlook Express outbox is somehow hosed and I don't have the time to
>troubleshoot it so I can't send you PM, but if you want to try the ADL-600
>unit I've got here on demo, give me a call. I'll almost guarantee that it
>will blow your socks off. I can box it up and UPS it to you on Tuesday.
It
>should be there by Friday (I sent it to a friend in Midland and it was there
>in 3 days UPS ground.
>
>Morgan was/is selling these at a very competitivbe price so the price would
>be around the same for this as for the NEVE, I think, and if you are looking
>for something like this, you really *need* to hear this thing. No **** man.
>I'll stake what meagre reputation I may have here on this. To say it's *high
>end* is an understatement.
>
>Call me if you're seriously interested in something like this and want a
>test drive......970-375-7081
>
>Deej
>
>"Neil" <OIUOIU@OIU.com> wrote in message news:44794f05$1@linux...
>>
>> So far have used this on two tracks by the same male
>> vocalist... one was a soft vocal track using my "Claytor-67"
>> tube mic, and as I said in a previous post, I was thoroughly
>> unimpressed & immediately went back to the Chandler TG2 for
>> that application. Tonight I had a chance to try it on a harder-
>> edged vocal track with a TLM-103, and it worked out pretty good
>> for that. The previous mic pre we'd been using for this was the
>> Focusrite ISA 428 on the ISA 110 impedance setting, and the
>> Portico definitely imparted a slightly thicker or richer, and
>> also a little bit smoother, quality to the track, but I
>> wouldn't call it a "warm"-sounding pre, necessarily. I liked
>> the "silk" setting - not sure what that circuit's all about,
>> but it worked for this application, and imparted a little bit
>> of color to what I'd consider to otherwise be a fairly dry-
>> sounding preamp.
>>
>> I am tending to think that the Focusrite is a much faster preamp
>> than the Portico, because some rasp inherent in this guy's
>> voice was reduced (in a positive way) with the Neve, whereas
>> with the ISA it was VERY apparent, and in fact, I'd say it was
>> even emphasized (this was one of the things that guy liked
>> about the 428, actually, until he'd heard the takes a few times
>> & started "not" liking the emphasized rasp so much. The Portico
>> let some of this through, but it definitely had a smoothing
>> effect on it.
>>
>> So in my first good use of the Portico, I'd say my first
>> impressions are that it's:
>>
>> * Pretty clean, with little coloration
>> * Almost drab with the "silk" button disengaged
>> * Pretty Smooth
>> * Seems to have no shortage of headroom
>> * Is definitely what I'd call a "soft" sounding pre
>> * Has the potential for some "air" - I could hear it wanting to
>> try & throw some stuff around up there, so maybe with a
>> different mic, it would be more effective for this. Like
>> maybe Deej's Stephen Paul U-87, or my modded M-147 (going to
>> try this mic next).
>>
>> Overall, I was hoping for more coloration & character, I guess,
>> but I think I could definitely find some uses for it,
>> regardless of that. So I'm right now I guess you could say I'm
>> in the "not blown away, but not disappointed" category with
>> regard to this pre. lol
>>
>> Judging from using it with a -103, I think it would sound great
>> for overheads with this mic, and if you have a u-87, I have a
>> feeling it might take away some of the "honk" & add some air to
>> that one. I have a feeling it might be too smooth for a lot of
>> rock or metal guitar, but not having tried it on that yet, this
>> is just speculation based on what I heard tonight.
>>
>> Bottom line - If you're expecting a classic "Neve" sound, this
>> ain't it... there's no wooliness in the lower mids, it's
>> not "mushy" or "creamy", and it's MUCH quieter & cleaner, IMO.
>>
>> It sounds familiar to something else I've used before, but I
>> can't put a finger on it... it's the type of "smoothness"
>> quality it has that makes me say this; it's reminiscent of
>> something, but I can't figure out what just yet.
>>
>> Anyway, there it is so far.
>>
>> Neil
>
>
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