Avalon Design AD2022 Microphone Preamp

Comments about Avalon Design AD2022 Microphone Preamp:

Say what you want about the unique coloration you can get with other mic pres; If you just want your tracks to sound really true, clean and present, and you're not on a quest for some particular vintage sound, this is your man!If you just need 1 monster pre and you've got the budget to buy this item, you might shop around a bit for single channel pres. As for me, about half the music recording I do for myself and others is with a baby grand piano, so I need to get true stereo recordings, making a dual channel pre a necessity.I've used the AD 2022 with a variety of mics including stereo AKG 414's, a Rode NTK, an Audio Technica 835b, and several different dynamic mics. It offers what you might call the identity property of gain. You hear the unique characteristics of each mic much more clearly than with other pres I've used extensively.Even in cases where other relatively high quality mic pres produce an isolated recording that sounds comparable to that of the AD 2022, the truth comes out in mixing. I now spend about 50% of the time that I used to separating sounds with EQ and other processors, and the end result is far better. I used to fish through the low mids and boost the highs on lead tracks, constantly weighing the balance of presence and harshness. The AD 2022 gives you presence without the need for excessive artificial brightness. Darkness can be rich rather than dull, and when you do accentuate highs, a little goes a long way--they tend to be clear and sparkling more than they are harsh. Compression? This signal tolerates a lot of compression, giving you room to get things really loud while keeping them clear and exciting. And super-close whispers on a decent mic, which can often sound dull and fake, can be made to sound like someone talking inside your head with a little light-handed mixing.Forget about noise and start worrying more about perfecting room acoustics. With only an inexpensive power conditioner in front of the AD 2022, subtle-but-noticeable line noise starts at around 46 dB of gain--more than you should ever need. And you get a ton of headroom.And it functions as the best DI box I've ever heard. Obviously, amp sims are never a perfect substitute for the real thing, but with this DI capturing the dry signal, you can do some pretty stunning fakery.