In the interest of keeping the pres as close as possible to the mics...

What are some best-quality remote controllable mic pres?

Two I've found so far:

Gordon Audio- can be controlled from hundreds of meters away (FWIW!), standard XLR cable for control line, also word has it these are very fine pres

Crookwood Paintpot- similar deal to Gordon- can be controlled from 1000m away, standard XLR cable for control line... anybody used these things?

What else is out there that I ought to be considering?

Aphex 1788...dig output option available

SSL make one, I think it's called the 'super pre' part of the X Logic range

AMS Neve makes the 1081R remote mic preamps.

Flo

I got to second the Aphex 1788s.

A bit pricey, but within reach.

Grace Designs 801R... Requires its own special cable for the remote, though. As I'm sure you know, Grace pres sound awesome- of the straight wire with gain type.

http://www.gracedesign.com/products/801R/model801R.htm

--Ben

A friend of mine has an 8 channel and a 2 channel remote controlled preamp. They sound really wonderful. They are custom made by a well known name in classical stuff;Rens Heijnis. I don't think he has a website. But the following link is close to him and uses his stuff alot: http://www.northstarconsult.nl/northstarhome.html

Fokke van Saane
Amsterdam

thanks all!

AMEK (RIP) did one called the RCMP...4 channels I believe. Neve design. Was designed to go with the AMEK DMC/Fairlight FAME and Prodigy digital boards. Was discontinued some years ago.

Cheers,
Tim

If you buy the 801R remote controller, Gracedesign include a convertor that let's you send the control signal through a standard mic cable/multi.

Not what you meant, but worth mentioning; the little Aphex 107 tube pre's have a remote On/Off jack in the back. Any switch silently mutes the pre. I have it wired to my console and use it ALL the time; changing mics, mutes between vocals or to keep a guitar track clean unmute it just before the entry - saves a lot of "clean up" time afterward. Such a simple, great idea.

To add to the above:

SSL do a remote version of the 9000 preamps

API have built at least one remote system based on their little (200 series?) units.

Sonosax make a modular preamp rack with remote as an option (or at least they used to)

Cadac do the same - at a price that makes Sonosax look like a bargain! But excellent quality.

Creation made a very heavy and superb sounding 4U, 8 channel unit. (Not sure if these are still made but they are excellent units if you can get one)

I vaguely remember some talk about Midas making a remote controlled stand alone version of the Heritage series (?) preamps. Don't know whether it ever came to fruition though.


I use the Crookwood Paintpots and I love them. For clean gain and reliability I'd say they're hard to beat.

We have used Crookwood Paintpots ("the bucket") for 10 years and they are incredible. These are the best remote controlled mic amps we know of.

Each phase leg of the RT./LFT. channel is amplified separately and the tonal quality is outstanding. There is also a basic tilt UP/DOWN EQ built in and selection switches to use DC coupling for vintage tube mics. Various impedence selector switches complete its flexible set-up.

The remote will power 20 channels if I recall correctly and only needs 1 xlr mic cable from the remote to attach to the pre-amps.
Then the rest of the pre-amps are attached with 1 mic cable as well.

This is da bidnizz!

Just saw a new ad on GearSlutz for this:

Prodigy Engineering - Products: Anima

And then of course there is this:

https://gearspace.com/board/remote-p...d-mic-pre.html

Also, the millennia hv-3r is remoteable.
As is the RME Micstasy, control over midi and via madi.
The Metric Halo interfaces can be remoted over FireWire or more feasible, midi.

The Paintpot has to be one of my favorite sounding pre's. If the budget is there, Crookwood also has the "ipre" multi channel rackmount preamps.

Whatever you do, don't try out the Gordon Model Five... It may well cause a serious depletion of your ready cash (and, likely, ready credit)...

Nice, nice, nice.

It did for me. It persuaded me to buy another Crookwood

Not for me. Saved me money.. wasn't blown away.

Guess my mileage varied. But, then, that's why there's Gordons and Forssells and PaintPots and the rest. I don't own one... I just know I'd like to. Glad y'all are happy where you're at.

No one else mentioned them, but the AMS-Neve 4081 includes a remote control option. Might as well count the Metric Halo interfaces here too via MIDI.