Raydar
09-02-2005, 08:21 PM
I know, these question all have the answer, "It depends", but I'd like to hear some thoughts anyway.
I started off a while ago shopping for a dual compressor to add to my personal/project studio. I was considering something like the RNC - inexpensive, but well regarded.
I am currently using a TL-Audio EQ1 as my primary front end: Tube preamp and (switchable) tube program-EQ stage. My biggest gripe is the lack of any kind of metering, since the unit is a program EQ first, with a tacked-on preamp.
Then my local dealer had a significant price drop on the Toft and Joe Meek stuff, and I started looking at the twinQ and ATC-2, both of which had suddenly become affordable. It seemed like a bonus - a dual compressor and another mic pre and EQ to boot. The thought of another flavour of mic pre started to sound intriguing.
The EQ and compressor in the Toft have received a fair bit of recognition as having that Trident sound (as they should), so that seems like a good choice. Then again, I'd kind of like a pre with a transformer input to fatten up sounds a bit, so I'm thinking Meek.
I'm not sure if either is a stellar mic pre, and trying to think long-term, now I'm wondering if I should just pickup an RNC (as originally planned) and save my pennies for a while longer, and get a Great River ME1-NV.
So, bottom line of this ramble is:
Toft ATC-2 vs.
Meek twinQ vs.
ME1-NV + RNC
Thoughts? :confused:
(I'm hoping to be able to line up all 3 of these at some point and do a bit of a shootout, but I'm still waiting for that slow boat from China to make it's way to Canada with the twinQs)
:cool: Ray
I started off a while ago shopping for a dual compressor to add to my personal/project studio. I was considering something like the RNC - inexpensive, but well regarded.
I am currently using a TL-Audio EQ1 as my primary front end: Tube preamp and (switchable) tube program-EQ stage. My biggest gripe is the lack of any kind of metering, since the unit is a program EQ first, with a tacked-on preamp.
Then my local dealer had a significant price drop on the Toft and Joe Meek stuff, and I started looking at the twinQ and ATC-2, both of which had suddenly become affordable. It seemed like a bonus - a dual compressor and another mic pre and EQ to boot. The thought of another flavour of mic pre started to sound intriguing.
The EQ and compressor in the Toft have received a fair bit of recognition as having that Trident sound (as they should), so that seems like a good choice. Then again, I'd kind of like a pre with a transformer input to fatten up sounds a bit, so I'm thinking Meek.
I'm not sure if either is a stellar mic pre, and trying to think long-term, now I'm wondering if I should just pickup an RNC (as originally planned) and save my pennies for a while longer, and get a Great River ME1-NV.
So, bottom line of this ramble is:
Toft ATC-2 vs.
Meek twinQ vs.
ME1-NV + RNC
Thoughts? :confused:
(I'm hoping to be able to line up all 3 of these at some point and do a bit of a shootout, but I'm still waiting for that slow boat from China to make it's way to Canada with the twinQs)
:cool: Ray