Joemeek threeQ - Microphone/Instrument Preamp

Comments about Joemeek threeQ - Microphone/Instrument Preamp:

To say I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this compressor would be an understatement. I was blown away. This has the quality of compressors and preamps that cost several multiples of this unit.. If you only need one input, because that's all it has, then this is a strong contender to consider.

Comments about Joemeek threeQ - Microphone/Instrument Preamp:

I purchased this compressor / EQ without hearing it first. Basically it works ok but I wound up liking the equalizer more than the compression. As for the compression (which is what I bought it for) I intended to use it on my vocal on live shows performing as a solo blues guitarist / singer oftentimes in noisy places. The idea was to get the dynamic range squished a tiny bit so that with make up gain I could get my vocal louder and more present sounding without being abrasive to peoples ears. The compressor worked out ok for that purpose but I was hoping to use it in the recording studio also to get some cool sustain on my electric bass. Back in the late 70's I used an MXR Dyna Comp on my bass for slapping and I liked it a lot. I somehow assumed the ThreeQ would sound as good and so far the compression is a bit of a disappointment. According to the manual (which is excellent) the level indicator above the compression section is supposed to register when the threshold is being crossed and the compression kicks in. The problem for me is that by the time the Compression and Attack knobs are turned up enough to get a reading from the light display, the sound has been radically over compressed. Up to that point I do not hear any increase in the gravelly sustain, fret/string noise, sustaining harmonics and other positive aspects of a gnarly bass sound.

On the other hand, the Meequalizer is really good. Easy to dial in a rich deep yet edgy vocal sound.

The ins and outs on the back are good. I especially like the insert feature.

Maybe as I use it more I'll get a better grip on the compression section.

Comments about Joemeek threeQ - Microphone/Instrument Preamp:

This little box is solid, clean and lots of bang for the buck. In 5 minutes I was tracking vocals with ease.

Comments about Joemeek threeQ - Microphone/Instrument Preamp:

This threeQ replaces a JOEMEEK VC3Q as a preamp for recording vocals and voiceovers from various microphones including condenser studio, dynamic handheld and wireless lapels. I love the amount of usable gain and headroom. The compression controls allow for a variety of options (but you can easily overdue it). The Eq is great for my application. The threeQ is much quieter than my VC3Q. One downside is it doesn’t appear to have a rack mount option like my VC3Q, as it is sold as a desktop unit.