Originally Posted by Salty James ➡️

This is incorrect.

Originally Posted by Derek Reese ➡️

I never did the shootout because i sent them back.
Wasn't my cup of tea.

Originally Posted by toledo3 ➡️

Can you clarify?

Originally Posted by Kronos147 ➡️

The Brent Averill 1073's are faithful recreations.

The information about 'only one amp' has to do with 1272's and how they were made to be mic pre amps. Read the Geoff Tanner stuff if you want to chase that rabbit hole.

FWIW, there are a lot of BAE models now. I don't understand the differences at all. I don't understand why the price varies so much. I do know that there are some BAE's that follow the original formula too. Like the vertical raw modules.



PS - anyone looking to unload a pair of the Brent Averill 1272's because you like the STAM or any other clone, let me know! I'm interested!

Originally Posted by Rockabilly69 ➡️

A few weeks ago I bought a BAE 1073 MPF and I found it has more than enough clean gain for my needs (acoustic guitar / vocals), but I think I'm going to buy a Warm 1073 EQ and compare them as direct as I can (bypassing the EQ on the Warm). If I do I will post the results.

I've never owned a real Neve 1073 and most owners of the BAE stuff typically seem to hold their 1073s in high regard so I though it would give one a try. The only pre that I own, that is remotely similar to a 1073, is my Neve Portico 5012 (with the silk button pushed in), and I can say without a doubt, the BAE1073 MPF has way more saturation on tap than the 5012

Originally Posted by Ox Han ➡️

Did you ever compare the BAE 1073mpf to the warm wa73? I’m very curious how the warm wa273 (no eq, just filters) compares to the bae mpf.

Thanks

Originally Posted by Ox Han ➡️

Did you ever compare the BAE 1073mpf to the warm wa73? I’m very curious how the warm wa273 (no eq, just filters) compares to the bae mpf.

Thanks

Originally Posted by Rockabilly69 ➡️

No because I liked the BAE MPF so much that I decided to spend the money I was going to use on the WARM for a Chandler Germanium Tone Control. Then I bought an Audioscape 76A and built a vocal channel around those pieces. That was the last piece of hardware that I bought for my studio so I'm pretty happy with the gear I chose.

Originally Posted by Carabinerx ➡️

I always feel like there are great results to be had from the GAPs, but anytime I hear a comparison like this against something like the BAE...it just makes me think, why do I keep this thing? haha

Originally Posted by Ox Han ➡️

Sorry to get OT, but the chandler tone control seems really interesting to me. I read it has 25db of gain. Could that be used as a preamp for a snare or Kick mic? Have you ever tried that?

Originally Posted by Rockabilly69 ➡️

It's tied in a rack to my BAE 1073MPF and Audioscape MP76 as a complete vocal channel, so I've never used it as a pre. But when checking it out originally I kind of remember at the highest gain settings it's got a little germanium dirtiness.

Originally Posted by Ry R ➡️

I own both the Stam 1073 with Sowter and line input, and the BAE 1073 (rack unit). Let me first say that if you're going for a BAE do not get the 500 series as it has way less head room and doesn't sound nearly as good as the rack mount version (power supplies matter). I suppose the only reason to get the 500 series one is for traveling reasons but it will breakup WAY faster and sounds less big and open. Here are my thoughts:

BAE = I've tried and owned a bunch of preamps. The BAE 1073 is the first preamp that made my jaw drop when I first heard it. I honestly couldn't believe my ears. The image is so creamy, thick, airy, smooth, wide as hell. It's pure bliss and took my ears to another dimension. I heard it and was like "THATS WHAT MY VOCALS SHOULD SOUND LIKE!!!" I like wide mixes and width in general so I'm biased toward this kind of sound. If you're into a similar sound, you'll want at least one of these. I've never heard anything like it. I tried to hate it because of the price. I even brought my singer friend to Vintage King to do shootouts against so many other pre's, and to me, the BAE always won (the BAE 312s are pretty cool too but super dark and much more narrow, very smooth though in a good way). I'll NEVER sell my BAE or my API 512s. As always, ymmv.

STAM (w/ sowters) = Much darker than the BAE, as well as super narrow in comparison. It almost feels like the BAE is stereo and the STAM is mono, it's that big of a difference for me. That could be good or bad depending on your goals. The tone isn't really to my liking either. Not saying it sounds bad, but it has this super dark low mids bump thing happening with a weird almost kind of distortion that I just don't dig. I'm trying so hard to justify keeping it, but I'm almost ready to sell it if I can't find a use for it. If I didn't own the BAE I'd keep it. I'm thinking maybe I can keep it for a darker 1073 sound, but damn that BAE really slays so what's the point? The EQ on the STAM is not as smooth as the BAE either.

The biggest difference to me though is the most important. With the STAM unit I always feel like I need to EQ a bit or the sound I want isn't all the way there. With the BAE, I almost never need EQ at all and I am happy 100% with the tone I'm getting. I will say I'm not into the AMS neve sound at all. It sounds like a toy and I'd rather have the STAM or BAE over the AMS.

These opinions are shared by a lot of peers of mine as well. And, when I'm recording vocals in my studio, the artist always picks the BAE over everything else. So I guess that says something....

My advice, if you want darker and more vintage dirty sound, with a more narrow image, go STAM with sowters. If you want a more balanced, open, huge sound with plenty of bottom and smooth top, go BAE. I have no experience with the STAM with carnhills.

Also I'm done with STAM. They owe me $1600 in refunds and I've been chasing them for over 3 weeks to get my money back. Still don't have it....

Originally Posted by metinmusic ➡️

Wonder if all of the good things you listed for the BAE 1073 also apply to the BAE 1073MPF series? Would a BAE 1073MPF drop your jaw too? I've read that a 1073 without EQ is not a real 1073, but unfortunately I can't afford a BAE 1073. I don't understand why this device costs 2,300€ more than the other rack models. 2,300€ more just for the EQ function?! I could only buy the MPF model, so only with a high-pass filter. Would that be on the same level as the BAE 1073 in terms of sound quality?

I'm looking for a preamp for pop vocals and can't decide between the AMS Neve 1073SPX and the BAE 1073MPF. The SPX was gutted here because it is produced cheaply thanks to SMT and the PSU is not supposed to be the best either.

But wouldn't a BAE be too dark for pop vocals?

I would be honored if I could read an answer from you.

Kind regards

Originally Posted by metinmusic ➡️

Wonder if all of the good things you listed for the BAE 1073 also apply to the BAE 1073MPF series? Would a BAE 1073MPF drop your jaw too? I've read that a 1073 without EQ is not a real 1073, but unfortunately I can't afford a BAE 1073. I don't understand why this device costs 2,300€ more than the other rack models. 2,300€ more just for the EQ function?! I could only buy the MPF model, so only with a high-pass filter. Would that be on the same level as the BAE 1073 in terms of sound quality?

I'm looking for a preamp for pop vocals and can't decide between the AMS Neve 1073SPX and the BAE 1073MPF. The SPX was gutted here because it is produced cheaply thanks to SMT and the PSU is not supposed to be the best either.

But wouldn't a BAE be too dark for pop vocals?

I would be honored if I could read an answer from you.

Kind regards

Originally Posted by cheu78 ➡️

Let’s start to answer these q’s with the easy one..
The bae MPF will do absolutely very well on pop stuff, being vocals, gtrs, bass or whatever you want to track.

The reason why a bae 1073 costs so much more is because of how it is built: like the old ones.
That means that they use expensive elma switches, and if you look on google on a 1073 gut picture you’ll understand why..
They are full of resistors which are soldered one by one by hand. That is done in their shop in LA (I believe North Hollywood). the inductors are quality ones, the Marconi knobs are quality pieces, pcb are thick and also quality pcb’s..
nothing is assembled by machines with smd’s.. all through hole. That has a cost.

That said if you want that “N” family sound with more sparkle on top you could look into Aurora Audio units, their GTQ2 is well priced, has 2 channels with a small eq.. or their GTQC is a great channelstrip with the same minimal eq and 2 compressors (which could be used also together, chaining them).
He also have some units without the eq, which are a little bit less expensive.
The Aurora units have a livelier topend, more “open” than a real vintage neve (or the bae units, which are imho also excellent).

In the 500 series world there’s the Avedis MA5, incredible piece.. neve topology, not a clone, but very high quality.

I tend to not like companies who prefer to trash the whole motherboard when something goes wrong, because it’s cheaper to replace it with a new one (since it’s machine made and with smd) that fixing the existing one.. our world can’t afford this way of doing business anymore.



Cheu

Originally Posted by Ox Han ➡️

Who makes Marconi knobs? I have different types but both came from BAE

Originally Posted by cheu78 ➡️

Let’s start to answer these q’s with the easy one..
The bae MPF will do absolutely very well on pop stuff, being vocals, gtrs, bass or whatever you want to track.

The reason why a bae 1073 costs so much more is because of how it is built: like the old ones.
That means that they use expensive elma switches, and if you look on google on a 1073 gut picture you’ll understand why..
They are full of resistors which are soldered one by one by hand. That is done in their shop in LA (I believe North Hollywood). the inductors are quality ones, the Marconi knobs are quality pieces, pcb are thick and also quality pcb’s..
nothing is assembled by machines with smd’s.. all through hole. That has a cost.

That said if you want that “N” family sound with more sparkle on top you could look into Aurora Audio units, their GTQ2 is well priced, has 2 channels with a small eq.. or their GTQC is a great channelstrip with the same minimal eq and 2 compressors (which could be used also together, chaining them).
He also have some units without the eq, which are a little bit less expensive.
The Aurora units have a livelier topend, more “open” than a real vintage neve (or the bae units, which are imho also excellent).

In the 500 series world there’s the Avedis MA5, incredible piece.. neve topology, not a clone, but very high quality.

I tend to not like companies who prefer to trash the whole motherboard when something goes wrong, because it’s cheaper to replace it with a new one (since it’s machine made and with smd) that fixing the existing one.. our world can’t afford this way of doing business anymore.



Cheu

Originally Posted by kev1n28 ➡️

Anyone else have any experiences with Stam vs Bae?

I have a SA1073MPA Carnhill that has treated me well but I'm looking to compare to a single channel Bae to see if any marginal gain in the Bae would justify the purchase as its my main vocal pre. I may arrange to shoot them out at Vintage King with a tube pre in the mix aswell. Meanwhile anyone else play around with these two and gathered any more thoughts?

Originally Posted by tekn0 ➡️

Has anyone tried the newer AMS Neve 1073 SPX? Seems like a really nice price point. BAE is the gold standard to my ears, but the new AMS 1073SPX is half the price.

I consider pretty much anything that's not BAE in the mid-tier. I wonder if the new AMS NEVE version could also make the high-tier for a solid price?