Channel Strips User-reviews
Mindprint En-Voice
By RickD on 04/23/2008 at 00:22 Serious about music, want to make it your profession.
By RickD on 04/23/2008 at 00:22 Serious about music, want to make it your profession.
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Characteristics 
Manual & large pictures: http://www.mindprint.de/cms.php?scr=products&mode=1&r=p&pr_kat=5&pr_id=10&aktiv=n#
-What Technology? (analog, digital, tube...)
Analogue, tube & transistors.
- What available effects, or type of effects, are there?
Preamp, semi-parametric 3 band EQ with parametric mids, compressor, tube saturation.
- What connection types are there?
Line in & out on jack + XLR.
Mic in on XLR with Phantom power switch on the back.
Instrument in on the front panel.
- Is it rackable, or in rack form?
Regular 19" unit.
-What Technology? (analog, digital, tube...)
Analogue, tube & transistors.
- What available effects, or type of effects, are there?
Preamp, semi-parametric 3 band EQ with parametric mids, compressor, tube saturation.
- What connection types are there?
Line in & out on jack + XLR.
Mic in on XLR with Phantom power switch on the back.
Instrument in on the front panel.
- Is it rackable, or in rack form?
Regular 19" unit.
Utilisation 
- Is the general configuration/setup simple?
Yes, straightforward, plenty of switches in case you ever need them...high-pass filter etc.
- Can you easily get a good sound?
Kind of, yes. ;-)
- Is the manual clear and sufficient?...
Never had it.
Yes, straightforward, plenty of switches in case you ever need them...high-pass filter etc.
- Can you easily get a good sound?
Kind of, yes. ;-)
- Is the manual clear and sufficient?...
Never had it.
Sound Quality - Is the sound of your instruments or your microphones faithfully reproduced?
Is the pre-amp transparent or does it color the sound?
This is not very transparent, but then again it's got a tube in the front window so do you really want it to be transparent?
This is no high-end piece of gear and i think it was kind of expensive given the sound, but is there much to complain about? I'm not sure. It's a very decent piece of kit. With the optional digital out it becomes quite interesting, but that is extra...and i think it should have been included for that money (almost £400 i think).
Don't expect this to make your mic sound fantastic, it won't. Sounds ok on a bass guitar, though.
Does the compressor work wonders? Not really, but it's quite powerful so one can't complain.
It does its job.
Is the pre-amp transparent or does it color the sound?
This is not very transparent, but then again it's got a tube in the front window so do you really want it to be transparent?
This is no high-end piece of gear and i think it was kind of expensive given the sound, but is there much to complain about? I'm not sure. It's a very decent piece of kit. With the optional digital out it becomes quite interesting, but that is extra...and i think it should have been included for that money (almost £400 i think).
Don't expect this to make your mic sound fantastic, it won't. Sounds ok on a bass guitar, though.
Does the compressor work wonders? Not really, but it's quite powerful so one can't complain.
It does its job.
Overall Opinion - For how long have you been using it?
Several years.
- What thing do you like most/least about it?
It was there.
Lent to me for free by a friend. Still is.
- Did you try many other models before getting this one?
I used to have a DBX286a, sold it. Would sell this too if it was mine!
The DBX at least was also a gate and deesser, plus it was much much cheaper.
Maybe it had more hiss though...
Also have an ART Tube MP but hardly comparable...
- What is your opinion about the value for the price?
Too expensive. Find something cheaper or something much more expensive and better.
Overall, i find that next to the very old DBX286a it doesn't do enough.
If you can afford it, check out the SPL Channel One...
Several years.
- What thing do you like most/least about it?
It was there.
Lent to me for free by a friend. Still is.
- Did you try many other models before getting this one?
I used to have a DBX286a, sold it. Would sell this too if it was mine!
The DBX at least was also a gate and deesser, plus it was much much cheaper.
Maybe it had more hiss though...
Also have an ART Tube MP but hardly comparable...
- What is your opinion about the value for the price?
Too expensive. Find something cheaper or something much more expensive and better.
Overall, i find that next to the very old DBX286a it doesn't do enough.
If you can afford it, check out the SPL Channel One...
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Characteristics 
The Universal Audio LA-610 channel strip in my opinion is the best channel strip you can get for your buck. Both the pre-amp section and the compressor section are extremely useful. Most of the time I will record using the compression straight to Pro Tools, but many times I'll go back and use the compressor on previously recorded things. It has XLR inputs and outputs and is it rackable.
Utilisation 
In terms of ease of use, it doesn't get much easier. The pre-amp has a bunch of equalization options as well as gain and a leveler. The compressor is only two knobs, like the LA-2a which it is based off of. I haven't had a need to use the manual, it is easy enough to use if you have any sort of experience with recording and compressors.
Sound Quality I couldn't be happier with overall sound this thing produces. It sounds great on vocals (I'm using a Neumann TLM103) as well as on guitars and drums. For bass I just plug directly in...I have no need for my direct boxes anymore when recording keys or bass, I just use this. The pre-amp is pretty transparent if you run it with no EQ, but I love having the options of boosting or cutting using the pre's EQ.
Overall Opinion I've been using the LA610 for about 6 months. The thing I like most about it is that it is a compact channel strip that I can use over and over again for my overdubs. I haven't had any complaints, although I wish there were some 1/4'' connections in addition to the XLRs. I've used all sorts of other Universal Audio products (LA-2a, 1176, LA-3a, etc) and this definitely can hold it's own. If I lost it or broke it I would definitely buy a new one. Being that I work out of my project studio mostly and I am on a limited budget, I couldn't have asked for anything more.
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