@@privateer2584 The NEVE is my preamp, the apollo twin X is my interface and I use a different mic for every video. My last one was recorded with a Neumann BCM 104 (which I've had for several years but I only just got round to using for a video) and the one I'm working on now is going to be recorded with a Neumann TLM 107.
I couldn’t really tell the difference between pres enough to justify the cost! I’ve used real neves, vintechs, and golden age pres all on the same albums and nobody could tell the difference either. Everything had gotten so good now that it seems people only buy Neve for the name! 🤷🏿♂️
@southpau. I agree, micpreamps unless you are using them for obvious color (distortion) have very subtle differences even from decent built in interface micpreamps or ones found in mixers. If somebody has ridiculous money to spend on gear hell go for it but if you don't the cheap stuff really isn't much of a limitation to sound quality. Performance, mics, room, and skills are like 97% of the equation. That said I do enjoy my Golden Age Pre73dlx's for the subtle warmth they can offer. The Portoco however just seems like way too much money for a piece that doesn't offer enough character and is a bit shoddy, wow that power connector is downright embarrassing at that price point !!!
In my home studio I have both. The golden age is pretty good value for money but its box and construction justifies its low price. Neve portico is in one word "great" and I use it all the time. In two words "shockingly better" than the golden age. Especially on mics like the sm7b.
@@EliasVam2022 In what way 'better'? the Pre73 premier is a reproduction of a 1960s design using 50s and 60s tech, it is supposed to distort, in a pleasing way, particularly when driven hard. It isnt meant to have enough clean gain for a mediocre mic like an SM7 on its own. Both it and the Comp2A are made with Carnhill hand-wound transformers, the 2A is full of valve saturation even with no compression. Ofc the Portico is more versatile as a clean pre, but i already have great clean pres in my interface that can easily run an SM7 clean, or add gain to a quiet pre. But the EQ, compression and saturation on the 73 and 2A are a lot more versatile and characterful than whats in the Portico. And varying gain will vary the amount of sat, most of us have decent interfaces. Thats what would make a comparison interesting, they both have pros and cons for the money
@gaborb Listening to stuff like this on smartphone speaker is pretty meaningless. Even on good headphones or speakers the differences between micpreamps is quite subtle.
@@Fl4ppersExactly most pro level mic pres are one XLR inputs. It is not an audio interface and quality costs. Buy once cry once. That 1073 is a nice piece. I have the Bae version.
Luckily I have the 500 series so I’ll have to check that. The 500 series has some features that I want from this. Better meters, adjustable silk, and even a variable HPF.
Man, I've been obsessing over mic pre's recently and I'm stuck on deciding between the Portico and the 1073spx....maybe I'll flip a comedically sized coin to decide, heads or tails?
The Porticos were made to provide a relatively budget purchase point to the Neve sound. I remember when they first started hitting the market, wondering what corners were cut to make them possible. The years have been very good to the Portico line, with one glowing review after another. What was budget ten years ago has become even more so and I’m happy to see they still have a place. You are likely RN’s exact target, a no-compromises single channel user buying your own gear, as opposed to the commercial users they’ve supplied forever. Great review, as always, Andrew.
Thanks, Bandrew. It's subtle per track, but when multi'ed further and further the Portico certainly helps maintain better dimension and air-iness in the mix.
Never been a fan of the Portico stuff, esp on bass. And I can't really put my finger on why. Perhaps its that its kind of sterile? The differences between the interface and the portico wasn't huge in what im hearing. As always though, a great performance can make anything sound great lol. The blend with the DI and mic is probably the coolest feature of this esp for a singer songwriter. The compressor is a little rough, but could be a saving grace if set appropriately. The silk just sounded like a presence boost to me, again, for an all in one vox box, might help with something like a 7b or other darker mic. For $1400 id go with a used LA610 (usually around 1200 or so). More character and the compressor is more transparent and you get a bit more gain out of the setup. Great review as always!
I love these things. The price is a bit high but they are great and I love the silk feature. Wish there was a bass/treble eq setting but certainly not a factor in deciding. The portico, the 610, and the focusrite are 3 desktop pre's that I freakin' LOVE that all sound different.
I saw one of these in a video you did like 5-6 years ago. Was interested in a review and here we are! I feel like one of the big selling points of this unit would be it's portability. Like a small travel channel strip almost. I think you might be able to get a Golden age pre, comp and EQ for the same money and much larger flexibility if only 95% the quality. Great review though ty!
Funnily enough i said the same about a PreQ73 Premier and Comp2A - be quite a comparison. I'm not sure with the components theyre using it would be as low as 95%, tho ofc its not intended to be transparent.
With two preamps I could maybe justify the price as it would be great for tracking stereo or have daw tracks get some analog MOJO but for a DI box and one pre. No way..
I think the mid range emphasis of the portico and the SM7b add up and not necessarily in a good way. That’s my instant impression listening to them. Makes me wonder how it would sound with a TLM 103
I've never actually been a fan of this preamp. Though I do have other pieces from RND that I love. I lean way more into old school Neve/AMS Neve and API for preamps. When it comes to preamps I either want insanely clean or ALL of the character.
I remember when this thing cost like $800 during the pandemic, now it’s $1400? I noticed when they started raising the price some over time, and I haven’t looked at in in a year or two, but it has gotten very high now. I also remember when Bandrew had this back then and talked about it on his other channel. He didn’t say anything bad about it then, but it seemed kind of like it wasn’t a big deal to him then, but he is very excited about it now, which is definitely cool lol. It’s just interesting watching how things evolve over time lol.
Did anyone else hope to see Bandrew dragging a drum kit into his studio? "I spent two years learning to play just to make this test", says Bandrew. The fact you went for so many tracks in the music tests kind of hinted that you liked the sound you heard. Will this be the new preamp for all your recordings? Huge amount of money to just leave in it's dented box.
thanks for all the effort you're putting on these videos man! I’m wondering if you are down to make a video listing best budget mics for noise cancellation & a completely untreated rooms. It would be appreciated cuz I think it's the most common situation we will be in.
Using a G2 Scarlett as an example interface is a bit misleading these days, even a Behringer is (marginally) better. Pretty much everything has better pres than it now.
Roger that. Will use different interface next time I review an interface. I disagree that Behringer’s preamps are marginally better than focusrite though.
These were my thoughts as well. I use a focusrite clarett when I travel and I’m able to max out the pre on the interface with minimal noticeable distortion, even when the damage is obvious. When I max out my mobile 5017, there’s an awkward crackle. Do you have the same problem when you peak on the 5017? I don’t have this problem with my 517, 500 series model.
@@Podcastage Its certainly marginal. They use the same CS4272 converter but that NE5534 in the early scarletts is pulled straight of the CDB4272 dev board (thats all a Scarlett was) and just turned up to do pre-amp duties. The Midas pres are just meh. Either way theyre both fairly poor by modern standards. The THAT626x chips that run the Motu M and Audient Evo pres are probably most representative of budget modern interfaces.
imo the neve gives the sm7b a more silky smooth and warmer sound to it. some pre tend to make the sm7b sound fatiguing after some time but not with this one. thats a big plus!
and also the silk mode sounds pretty similar to the tube emulator found on the behringer mdx2600 pro xl v2 (that thing is not preamp only a channel strip tho) as pre i use the golden age pre73 jr which preamp has around 70db of gain!
Neve has been a world standard in studio preamps for decades. BUT - If I paid $1400 for a stereo preamp and it came with a laptop power supply, I'd be... unhappy.
![Yailin La Mas Viral, @kreizyk.official - Dale 2 (Remix) [Video Oficial]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/JaYHBzgqz94/mqdefault.jpg)
Been using one for two years. I can't imagine recording without it now.
Well your audio sounds fantastic, so the story checks out. Keep up the great sound!
What's the rest of your chain? You always sound fantastic.
@@privateer2584 The NEVE is my preamp, the apollo twin X is my interface and I use a different mic for every video. My last one was recorded with a Neumann BCM 104 (which I've had for several years but I only just got round to using for a video) and the one I'm working on now is going to be recorded with a Neumann TLM 107.
@@privateer2584 - I came here to ask this. 🙂
I couldn’t really tell the difference between pres enough to justify the cost! I’ve used real neves, vintechs, and golden age pres all on the same albums and nobody could tell the difference either. Everything had gotten so good now that it seems people only buy Neve for the name! 🤷🏿♂️
@southpau. I agree, micpreamps unless you are using them for obvious color (distortion) have very subtle differences even from decent built in interface micpreamps or ones found in mixers. If somebody has ridiculous money to spend on gear hell go for it but if you don't the cheap stuff really isn't much of a limitation to sound quality. Performance, mics, room, and skills are like 97% of the equation.
That said I do enjoy my Golden Age Pre73dlx's for the subtle warmth they can offer. The Portoco however just seems like way too much money for a piece that doesn't offer enough character and is a bit shoddy, wow that power connector is downright embarrassing at that price point !!!
Been using for a year now, love the way it sounds
Be VERY cool if you got the Golden Age PreQ73 Premier and Comp-2A to compare. They seem incredible value.
In my home studio I have both. The golden age is pretty good value for money but its box and construction justifies its low price. Neve portico is in one word "great" and I use it all the time. In two words "shockingly better" than the golden age. Especially on mics like the sm7b.
@@EliasVam2022 In what way 'better'?
the Pre73 premier is a reproduction of a 1960s design using 50s and 60s tech, it is supposed to distort, in a pleasing way, particularly when driven hard. It isnt meant to have enough clean gain for a mediocre mic like an SM7 on its own.
Both it and the Comp2A are made with Carnhill hand-wound transformers, the 2A is full of valve saturation even with no compression.
Ofc the Portico is more versatile as a clean pre, but i already have great clean pres in my interface that can easily run an SM7 clean, or add gain to a quiet pre.
But the EQ, compression and saturation on the 73 and 2A are a lot more versatile and characterful than whats in the Portico. And varying gain will vary the amount of sat, most of us have decent interfaces.
Thats what would make a comparison interesting, they both have pros and cons for the money
I’m a big fan of how you sound on this preamp with that u87, even the 7b. The brightness is subtle on the silk, but it sounds great.
Thanks for this review. Sounds like a Podcastage Mic Pre ranking could be a great video.
It feels to me like there's more precision and detail through the portico 5017 preamp but the UAD 610 sound great as well.
Gonna need to invest in one of these for our up coming studio! We have so much work to do. ☺
Thank you! I wanted to test the 5017 against the Neve Newton channel strip. The DI on the older 5017 I still think is better than the Newton!
Newton doesnt have DI. What to compare than?
Everything else that both units have in common. Sound, silk, compression, eq etc.
Can you review the Fifine AmpliGame SC3?
It's Fifine's budget response to GoXlr style interfaces
How did we ever survive the noisefloor of the puny focusrite 🤭😊
I LOVE how the compressor sounds all the way squashed.
What amp sims do you use for the guitar and bass?
No amp sims for guitar. That's micing up my amp. The bass is just the stock Logic Pro amp sim "Modern Bass" or something.
@@Podcastage Right on, thanks! Incredible demo as always!
Try next time an Iphone Mic also in the comparisons.
how do you connect your microphone into two interfaces at the same time?
Radial Mic splitter.
No difference hearable among those two on the Samsung smartphone (i have been watching all your mic reviews during Covid.)
@gaborb Listening to stuff like this on smartphone speaker is pretty meaningless. Even on good headphones or speakers the differences between micpreamps is quite subtle.
imagine if Pink Floyd had this. they’re music would have sounded so much better.
$1400! One XLR input? That's crazy.
That's Neve. My 1073spx cost more ..you're paying for higher quality parts that will last a lifetime.
@@Fl4ppersExactly most pro level mic pres are one XLR inputs. It is not an audio interface and quality costs. Buy once cry once. That 1073 is a nice piece. I have the Bae version.
Aucune différence 😂, sincèrement ça vaut vraiment pas le coup ….
That box is too beautiful to throw.
I'd love to hear your thoughts regarding this unit vs the similar 500 series pres! Excellent review! Killing it as always
Luckily I have the 500 series so I’ll have to check that. The 500 series has some features that I want from this. Better meters, adjustable silk, and even a variable HPF.
Man, I've been obsessing over mic pre's recently and I'm stuck on deciding between the Portico and the 1073spx....maybe I'll flip a comedically sized coin to decide, heads or tails?
Music test was beautiful
The Porticos were made to provide a relatively budget purchase point to the Neve sound. I remember when they first started hitting the market, wondering what corners were cut to make them possible. The years have been very good to the Portico line, with one glowing review after another.
What was budget ten years ago has become even more so and I’m happy to see they still have a place. You are likely RN’s exact target, a no-compromises single channel user buying your own gear, as opposed to the commercial users they’ve supplied forever. Great review, as always, Andrew.
Lul price of two of these can buy you AVALON pre amp. But good for its price.
That guitar riff was sick
0:05 It's "RUPERT NEVE DESIGNS". Not "NEVE". Totally different companies.
The Portico was Rupert Neves last creation which is actually created by Rupert Neve, not Neve designs
@@DonaldMerrit What are you talking about? There are 2 companies: NEVE, and Rupert Neve Designs. This product is RUPERT NEVE DESIGNS. Not NEVE.
It matters why?
Given the price Brutus is gonna have to stick with the Lindell Audio digital emulation.
Danke!
Portico Glue. Great playing btw
sending love to everyone...(keeping my warm73)
I think the 1073 SPX is better than the 5017. It's slightly more expensive but has an EQ.
Is that second U87 in the background with the black foam thing on top?
U should do the Universal Audio SC 1!!! I would love to see Ur reaction 🧡 great vid I love the porticos pre 💫
Thanks, Bandrew. It's subtle per track, but when multi'ed further and further the Portico certainly helps maintain better dimension and air-iness in the mix.
Never been a fan of the Portico stuff, esp on bass. And I can't really put my finger on why. Perhaps its that its kind of sterile? The differences between the interface and the portico wasn't huge in what im hearing. As always though, a great performance can make anything sound great lol. The blend with the DI and mic is probably the coolest feature of this esp for a singer songwriter. The compressor is a little rough, but could be a saving grace if set appropriately. The silk just sounded like a presence boost to me, again, for an all in one vox box, might help with something like a 7b or other darker mic. For $1400 id go with a used LA610 (usually around 1200 or so). More character and the compressor is more transparent and you get a bit more gain out of the setup. Great review as always!
Yeah, I've had this Portico for years and have never really liked it, nor did it remind of the actual Neve equipment I've recorded on.
Superb review. I would put the money into anything else but one of these. Personal choice.
I must have all things Neve. I’m ok I’m ok… sorry! 😵💫
Would love to hear it With a ls208 🙏🙌
I love these things. The price is a bit high but they are great and I love the silk feature. Wish there was a bass/treble eq setting but certainly not a factor in deciding. The portico, the 610, and the focusrite are 3 desktop pre's that I freakin' LOVE that all sound different.
Very good, now we just need some mixing board reviews!
I saw one of these in a video you did like 5-6 years ago. Was interested in a review and here we are! I feel like one of the big selling points of this unit would be it's portability. Like a small travel channel strip almost. I think you might be able to get a Golden age pre, comp and EQ for the same money and much larger flexibility if only 95% the quality. Great review though ty!
Funnily enough i said the same about a PreQ73 Premier and Comp2A - be quite a comparison. I'm not sure with the components theyre using it would be as low as 95%, tho ofc its not intended to be transparent.
Yeah I thought he reviewed this before too?
@@Tim_ArtistName_Tallent he showed how to connect an external mic pre to an interface and used the 5017. Didn’t really review it tho
@@dangerdaveball ahh ok ok thanks
With two preamps I could maybe justify the price as it would be great for tracking stereo or have daw tracks get some analog MOJO but for a DI box and one pre. No way..
I think the mid range emphasis of the portico and the SM7b add up and not necessarily in a good way. That’s my instant impression listening to them. Makes me wonder how it would sound with a TLM 103
I've never actually been a fan of this preamp. Though I do have other pieces from RND that I love. I lean way more into old school Neve/AMS Neve and API for preamps. When it comes to preamps I either want insanely clean or ALL of the character.
I remember when this thing cost like $800 during the pandemic, now it’s $1400? I noticed when they started raising the price some over time, and I haven’t looked at in in a year or two, but it has gotten very high now. I also remember when Bandrew had this back then and talked about it on his other channel. He didn’t say anything bad about it then, but it seemed kind of like it wasn’t a big deal to him then, but he is very excited about it now, which is definitely cool lol. It’s just interesting watching how things evolve over time lol.
Did anyone else hope to see Bandrew dragging a drum kit into his studio? "I spent two years learning to play just to make this test", says Bandrew.
The fact you went for so many tracks in the music tests kind of hinted that you liked the sound you heard. Will this be the new preamp for all your recordings? Huge amount of money to just leave in it's dented box.
Been waiting for that🔥🔥
thanks for all the effort you're putting on these videos man!
I’m wondering if you are down to make a video listing best budget mics for noise cancellation & a completely untreated rooms.
It would be appreciated cuz I think it's the most common situation we will be in.
Using a G2 Scarlett as an example interface is a bit misleading these days, even a Behringer is (marginally) better. Pretty much everything has better pres than it now.
Roger that. Will use different interface next time I review an interface. I disagree that Behringer’s preamps are marginally better than focusrite though.
These were my thoughts as well. I use a focusrite clarett when I travel and I’m able to max out the pre on the interface with minimal noticeable distortion, even when the damage is obvious. When I max out my mobile 5017, there’s an awkward crackle. Do you have the same problem when you peak on the 5017? I don’t have this problem with my 517, 500 series model.
@@Podcastage Its certainly marginal. They use the same CS4272 converter but that NE5534 in the early scarletts is pulled straight of the CDB4272 dev board (thats all a Scarlett was) and just turned up to do pre-amp duties. The Midas pres are just meh.
Either way theyre both fairly poor by modern standards. The THAT626x chips that run the Motu M and Audient Evo pres are probably most representative of budget modern interfaces.
Good budget friendly pream. UAD 1176 LN compressor can be bought later on.
Your studio is full now. I remember first videos in the empty room. It is time for selling stuff, and keep only the " reference" equipment.
Happy with my 10 $ usb external sound card (the one you showcased as the best one among them)
Great poly chords. Nice sounding unit. Most obvious on the acoustic guitars. Great review as usual.
The features and neutral sound of this preamp reminds me of a Focusrite ISA One.
It is very good. I used one in my last "Hey You" video!
you always have perfect grammar!
They have the Silk button. @mpw
imo the neve gives the sm7b a more silky smooth and warmer sound to it. some pre tend to make the sm7b sound fatiguing after some time but not with this one. thats a big plus!
and also the silk mode sounds pretty similar to the tube emulator found on the behringer mdx2600 pro xl v2 (that thing is not preamp only a channel strip tho) as pre i use the golden age pre73 jr which preamp has around 70db of gain!
so nice to see bandrew excited about good gear!
Neve has been a world standard in studio preamps for decades. BUT - If I paid $1400 for a stereo preamp and it came with a laptop power supply, I'd be... unhappy.
Why don't you do a preamp noise test anymore?
My thought is that the noise floor comparison to audio interface sufficed for that test.
Would be better with the Noise Gate
Cost more than the shure
Mic I was gonna get I’ll watch but no buy. Golden Age one I look at third price of this unit.
Wow... the UA 610 is so much better than this NEVE that it makes the NEVE sounds like a NEVE knockoff. LOL