Reply To: Preamp / Channel Strip

[Nick D.Participant]

I know a lot of people aren't so fond of Joe Meek anymore, but i really like the twin Q. i have had it for years and it can be clean or very aggressive, and that is the preamp as well as the compressor. you can bypass the transformer, and the eq is ok. Since its 2 channel, i like to use it for parallel drum bus sometimes too. If you cant find a channel strip you like, a better choice may be to get into the 500 series and build the pieces you want. although it is more expensive up front, it can give you a lot more versatility later.

I have the VCC in the mix rack, and it can add some color to tracks, but i don't feel like it works the same as a hardware preamp. i really think its how voltage hits the transformer and especially tubes that do not seem to quite translate right. i do like them though and use them often, generally to add saturation or characteristics of the chosen preamp. The new slate mic system may work better with it than other mic/preamp combos but i cant comment on that.