Quote:
Originally Posted by
feral frequency
β‘οΈ
Just want to bump this to see if there are any new opinions on these. Especially the tube version.
Howdy, I'm a longtime lurker but this is my first post. Hopefully I will find more time to post when I see fit as I have found some invaluable information in these threads over the past few years. Anyway...
We have 4 vintage Siemens V72 pres in our studio and have been looking for a "modern classic" to replace them to free up some cash for more toys. We received two D2O 500 series modules last week and did a few comparisons on drums, vocals and electric guitar.
In all cases the microphone signal was multed into the D2O and the V72 so we could hear the same performance through the same microphone. The only variable was the preamp. Once all the recordings were done we did blind listening tests and discussed our thoughts.
Drums w/AEA R84 ribbon: The drummer could not hear a difference. We both liked the D2O better. We were shocked at how similar the preamps were but the D20 had a little more punch to it.
Electric Guitar w/Royer 121 ribbon: Close, but generally liked the v72 better. The v72 came across slightly less murky through the mid. The difference was small enough that mic placement would easily address the midrange.
Vocal w/Korby modded C12vr: The D2O won here too. Again, it was a subtle color difference but we agreed that the D2O module sounded better on that particular voice.
Thoughts: Our hope to find a cost friendly way to replace our vintage v72 pre's was met and exceeded. The fact that the sonic differences from all three sources was so minimal was really a shock. That the Triton module actually was preferred in some cases made it even more shocking. All in all the D2O is no better and no worse... unless you factor in cost, then Triton all the way.
When we went to fire up the second unit we noticed there was an issue with the tube. We contacted Triton and they were super friendly and they assured us that all modules are tested before they are shipped out. They are making things right with our module and it was a pleasant experience. Obviously, it is preferred that things work properly right off the bat, but after talking to them on the phone we are very comfortable that they are a company who stands behind their product.
-Jason