Electro-Harmonix 12AY7 Mic Pre

XLR balanced in XLR balanced out (have never used the 1/4" balanced out). Flick the phantom power switch to power your condensers. Adjust the gain nob. Couldn't be easier.

I just love this thing when coupled with something like a good FET condenser (i.e. AT4050). It's just a really good tube pre (not starved plate). Nothing fancy, no compressor, no EQ (but it does have a bass rolloff). It really sounds good. If you want a good clean tube pre without a lot of bells and whistles to open up and sweeten a mic, then this is an excellent choice. If what you are looking for is a heavily colored tube pre for a special effect, then look elswhere. This does not sound like a cheap pre. I would like to think of something bad to say about this pre (other than the fact that it looks so ugly and looks so cheap).

never had an issue of any sort . . . plug it in and it works.

Never needed to call (never had an issue with a piece of EH gear).

This is just a really nice piece of gear at a truly ridiculously low price ($189.00 !!!!). I don't think anyone should be without at least one if you are serious about recording. Even though it is really ugly and looks more like a stomp box than a mic pre, it would not be out of place in any studio from the lowliest bedroom affair to a million dollar room. I have one of these and plan on getting at least one more (if not a couple more). I use it for vocals and recording acoustic guitar with both large and small diaphragm condenser mics.

This is a follow up to my review posted two reviews down.

The "clipping" problem I described in my review was not the EH pre's fault. Rather, I'd been running the EH pre into my "unbalanced" soundcard (M Audio 2496). The EH pre is a balanced piece of gear. The solution was to purchase a little box that converts the signal from balanced to unbalanced. In addition to eliminating the clipping problem I was hearing, this little box also got rid of a "hum" noise I thought I'd just have to live with to get this thing's great tube tone for 185 bucks. I like it even more now.

First time I emailed EH, they ignored me. The second and third times I emailed them, they responded within hours.

9

This thing rocks. I have a prototype and a production model. They are 99.9 percent the same.

The other review here states that the "input volume and the output..."

There is no input and output. The 1/4" out goes through an IC based buffer amp. You are not getting REAL mic pre sound if you are using the 1/4" output, placed there as a "favor" to those with latency issues... kind of. (that is my opinion, not EH).

What IS a fact is this: there is a gain knob, and a separate trim for the 1/4" out.

When used properly, this little pre is amazing.

Great sounding pre for little money.
Compare this pre to any classic tube pre and it walks along side no problem. It may not take the lead in certain instances, but it keeps up, amazing for the price point!

Totally great. You can even "hot swap" the tubes (as long as you mute the channel, of course it will POP when you yank a tube out0 for color variations if you have a collection of 12ax's or 12au's around. amazing.

EH is EH. Call them. Someone will talk to you.

This little mic pre is amazing. When used properly, it really stood up to some of the classics I own and operate daily. I would be proud to use this pre in any session I do.
The fact that this pre is UNDER 200 dollars is absolutely insane.
Check out this website to see who I record:
http://www.vsa.cape.com/~twreck

My thanks to harmony central for allowing me to post a review that doesn't fit the format here. I just got done typing this over at homerecording.com, and I'm hoping to reprint it here for you all who have been such a help to me over the years.

First, to give you an idea of what my "ears are accustomed to hearing" recording-wise, I'm used to recording with an FMR RNP. Most of what I'll have to say here is in comparison with it. Before the RNP, I owned a Mackie 1202-VLZ.

So far I've had the best luck with vocals. I've got kind of a nasally, thin voice. This thing really warms my voice up. I use a Studio Projects B3 Large Diaphram Condensor for vocals. I wasn't sure what to expect. I was hoping to at least be able to distinguish between the EHX and the RNP when I listened back to vocals. I was really pleasantly surprised by what I heard. Major difference. Vocals recorded with the RNP sound clear and tight, whereas vocals with the EHX sound warmer, more "robust" (cringe on that term), and cozy. You get a better sense of who the vocalist is as a person when you listen to vocals recorded with this thing (which is ironic, because the RNP seems to be more "accurate"). Proximity effect (bass) seems exaggerated in comparison with the RNP (which shines on the high end), but in a flattering, non-muddy way. Great stuff.

Next best application is acoustic guitar. I've got a little Taylor Big Baby. Great "airy midrange" on this guitar, but it's missing the bass. The EHX does wonders for this guitar. My personal mic of choice for this particular acoustic is an SM57 (did you guys know the Traveling Wilbury's record features acoustics recorded with SM57's?) Nice warm balanced tone with this combo. The only problem is that with a dynamic mic, the 50db of gain is barely enough. I should mention here that my EHX arrived with a broken tube. SoundSource.com (our local guitar shop, and a great one at that) was nice enough to float me a Groove Tube to replace the broken one. I don't know what this tube was "rated" - maybe an "early breakup" tube? I had to crank both the pre and post knobs, AND cozy up to the mic (6 inches) to get a good strong signal to the hard drive.

Next best is drums. When I played back the room mic signal I had recorded through the Studio Projects B3 and the EHX I was initially blown away. It sounded all "Flaming Lips." Reallly compressed (UA 1176 style) without having been ran through a compressor. It sounded explosive. I was so pumped! Then I realized shortly afterwards that the sound was really clipped - ugly breakup when I laid into the bass drum and the crash cymbal. Really harsh - like digital distortion. I know I hadn't clipped the signal to the hard drive, but I may have had the input gain set too high on the pre - I dunno cause I couldn't see the led light while playing the drums. I'm thinking with the right tinkering, this pre could sound awesome as a room mic pre for drums.

For electric guitar I mic'd up my 70's Deluxe Reverb, with 60's Mustang into an Ibanez TS9, then into the amp. I used the SM57 stuck right up against the grill. Great tone! I can't believe the difference between the RNP and this thing. The guitar tone was just so much warmer, rounder, alive, etc. The difference between the two pre's was as big as the difference between a really nice solid state guitar amp (I believe there are some good ones) and a nice tube amp. It just sounded "right" for guitar. BUT, there was the same harsh-ass digital clipping sound that I heard on the drums. Only this time I am sure I didn't clip the pre, because I was looking at the damn led. In the context of the mix, you have to be listening to hear the ugly breakup. But if you solo the track, you're thinking, "what the shit is that crackling behind this GREAT tone?" I thought it was my snare rattling in the background at first. I turned off the strainer, then rerecorded wi