Tube Preamp Test | D.W Fearn | Chandler LTD | Analogue Tube | WeightTank

[@DWFearnHazelriggIndustries]

Thank you for including us in this discussion. And thank you for making the download files available.

[@Christian_svedin]

Thanks for the reply. I always give away the highres files so people can judge for themselves. Transparency 👍 when it comes to quality gear it's more about subjective opinions then facts 😊

[@hauntedbytheliving1175]

Thanks for this… happy VT-1 owner here. All the legends are true. Somehow larger than life and still natural. Big, rich bottom and articulate top but not scooped, maintains an accurate but somehow opulent mid range. It just sort of “eats evil” and enhances what’s left. When you get mic pres like these your entire mic locker is refreshed. All of these sound great but I still think that the Fearn is the one to beat just for the enhanced sense of “dimension” it imparts. The most euphonic gear I’ve ever heard.

[@vonotebook]

DW Fearn Vt2 is my prefered one : beautifull silk, full, proper, no harsh ... beautifulll. Thanks for this test.

[@derek-vanguardaudiolabs9779]

offering Hi-Res files is 100% the way to do this, glad you do it when other reviewers often don't!

[@Christian_svedin]

Thanks! Yeah I mean I always give my subjective opinion but It's always best for people to make up their own mind. When it comes to quality equipment it's more subjective then facts! Thanks for checking out my channel 🙏

[@Jabbaerwocky]

Simon delivered my AT3s just last week. I am chuffed. The AT3 is portable and that is an important factor to me for location recordings. An allround great package. ❤

[@nickafflitto7519]

Thanks so much for doing this. I much preferred the Redd. Just ordered one. Can’t wait to record with it!

[@zeitakulobusta]

I'm going to listen more closely later but first impression was a/the chandler did sound GREAT and b/I didn't really notice any extreme brightness

[@siriusfun]

This was great. DW Fearn all the way.

[@Md2802]

Thanks for another excellent video. That Fearn is gorgeous - like fine brandy. The AT-3 has a really well-balanced tone, perfectly voiced as a workhorse for modern music - like smooth whiskey. The REDD is not so well behaved - it's 80ABV moonshine. But sometimes brash is what you need. It's not very flattering with this example recording - but sounds incredible for in-your-face rock, adding bite to guitars and drums without getting thin. It also gives definition to bass, as you can hear in this shootout. The Weight Tank sounds like the AT-3, but voiced differently (more band limited, with a push in the upper-mids). It's spiced rum, I guess. I agree with your conclusions on this one. I like to record mellow, with a touch of soft saturation at the preamp - so the Fearn is king here, with the AT-3 holding its own. The REDD wouldn't be appropriate as my main preamp, but would be an incredible tool for the arsenal.

[@charliewilkins3041]

The VT-2 sounds amazing. So full, wide and big. Sounds like its already mixed and “produced”.

[@aaroneschenburg4018]

The fearn is so open and rich. Really the best of the bunch

[@marcdanielnelson317]

Fearn is a nice little magic gift! :)

[@onlyjonesy8]

Great video! The DW Fearn sounds like music to my ears.

[@shopdummys2441]

Great review i really loved the mid push of the AT-3 super silk and beautiful low end no contest!!

[@eranddroory9987]

Thanks Christian for all your effort and reviews. Don't aunderstand why this channel haven't blown up yet. I'm sure it will soon..

[@javierjanaid]

Thanks for that. I really need this Fearn

[@kimwirzenius9955]

Listening the comparison on KZbin I couldn't make much out of it, but when I opened the WAV files in DAW, the differences are obvious. I prefer the DW Fearn by far. It has the biggest and most solid sound, all the detail and weight with no funky emphasis on any part of the spectrum. The Chandler is indeed very bright. I'm not sure in which context I'd prefer to use it, maybe if recording with a dark mic in a completely damped room.

[@Christian_svedin]

D.W is very well balanced and polite in many ways. I liked it! The AT-3 is a favourite on rythm instruments since it's so fat sounding but I think they vocals would have benefited from some of the more midboosted pre

[@courroux-coucou6547]

@@Christian_svedinhi ! I tried to reach you but unfortunately the link to your studio page doesn't work (and I don't have insta). To be brief, I have a few metal songs to mix and I thought about you because what I heard from your work is absolutly great. Thanks for your answer ! Nicolas from France

[@Christian_svedin]

@@courroux-coucou6547 hey, shoot me an email at [e-mail]

[@Rgdonaire_07]

You can tweak the Redd 47 to reduce the highs and bump the low mids. If you decrease the fine gain to a minimum and increase the gain you will obtain a warmer tone.

[@niklassilen4313]

D.W. Fearn sounds by far the best to my ears.

[@MillSounds]

Great shootout! I agree with everything you said. The AT-3 seemed like the "most different" out of all of them, really interesting midrange focus. The Fearn sounded really classy, but was probably my least favorite. The REDD was noticeably brighter than the others, but I can see that being really useful in some situations where you need more clarity. My favorite was teh Weight Tank, always a good day when the cheapest option is your favorite!

[@joelfarr882]

Great stuff as always Christian!

[@NoirEtBlancVie]

Wonderful stuff Christian!

[@Christian_svedin]

Thank you 🙏

[@MariJu1ce]

Downloaded the files, and really liked the Analouge at3 the best!

[@wakka_wakka]

That was a really good test

[@MiguelNoyola1]

Like the Fearn but the Chandler has some 3D image that is welcomed at the Preamp stage

[@almerinofirmino6832]

Hi Christian Could you test the redd 47 and the coil audio preamp ? Thank you for your great work

[@Christian_svedin]

I wouldn't mind but Coil hasn't even responded to my emails so that probably won't happen I'm afraid. Super curious though! Heard great things about coila

[@lordwindsor]

@ChristianSvedin I am curious of your thoughts on the DW Fearn vs the V76 pre you have? Is the Fearn more hi-fi then the V76? Which do you prefer if had to choose between those overall?

[@marcsmith8146]

Is the song available? Just wanted to test this with other tube pre's with these here. I really like the sound of this song as well. Thanks

[@Ashot_LA]

Thanks 👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@officialreijn5003]

Fearn and Chandler Redd.47 stand apart to me. Also, sorry to disagree but I owned a Chandler Redd.47 (have owned several) and it is definitely NOT too bright. One of the most versatile preamps I have ever used across genres from sultry R&B, to Hip-Hop and even Jazz and some alternative stuff. Again, most versatile preamp I have ever used, far more than any Neve. To control the brightness, you're supposed to use the "Fine Gain" knob which changes the color/character. When I was first learning to use it, there were definitely instances where I recorded too dark for a modern Hip-Hop track and other times where I recorded too bright. That's just evidence of true versatility and a call to learn the gear. Couldn't do that with a one trick pony preamp like a Fearn. Definitely a true desert island pre. That being said, I would love to own a Fearn VT-1 for the increased detail in the low mids and smooth top-end. The Chandler has a slight crackle/crunch that is addictive to listen to but can leave you wanting for something smoother when dealing with a nasally performer. The Chandler also has an airier bottom end. I would use solid state for the rest of the chain and preferably a bump with a Pultec EQP-1A (solid state version) at 100hz. I used mine in conjunction with a Burl B2 Bomber ADC for a bit more warmth. Which is also the best converter I've ever used for recording, hands down.

[@rectape]

Hi Christan, did you remove your episode on the c414 eb vs tim campbell?

[@matthewbrabender1421]

Great video. Wondering how you got that drum sound - they sound incredible! Getting a great sounding kit in a song like this I find much harder than loud slamming drums. Would you consider doing a video going through that?

[@Christian_svedin]

Thanks man! Super simple actually, great pre and great mic then it's is usually easy. But that seems like a fresh take so let's see what I can do. For me just getting a real hihat in the mix makes it easier even if you can't play lol 😂

[@matthewbrabender1421]

Well you sure did nail it. Cheers! @@Christian_svedin

[@Christian_svedin]

@@matthewbrabender1421 also dampen up the snare. I used a cloth, it really helps to fatten up the sound. Generally I like ringy snares but then you need a good room, OH mics etc. This is example is a very effective way to get a good snare sound fast

[@Rareos]

Great comparison, just wondering why you didn’t include the Bishop?

[@Christian_svedin]

I only have a 4-way splitter and it was only a loaner from a friend.

[@Rareos]

@@Christian_svedin i see, were you able to form an opinion while you had it? I‘m considering it but have yet to find any real world testimonials.

[@Christian_svedin]

@@Rareos it was quite bright, and saturated very easily. The compression was fine, but I'm not a super big fan of all-in-one boxes. In that price range I'd go for the analogue tube at-1, it's wonderful.

[@Rareos]

@@Christian_svedin interesting, sounds like I’ll avoid it. I‘m tempted to go the Fearn / Hazelrigg route because I have a VT-7 and it’s mindblowingly nice, but I’ll have to check out the at-1 now. Thanks a lot and keep it up.

[@Christian_svedin]

@@Rareos if you can afford the VT-2, it's amazing. The AT-1 is fatter. Which one did you prefer in this test?

[@sebbityseb]

Thank you!!

[@hudsonfair5019]

AT-3 sounds very expensive and silky. Captures the bass with real detail. I choose the AT-3.

[@UndetectableBomber]

Think i like the Redd the most out of the 3

[@TP-ev8xp]

D. W. Fearn VT-2*

[@keithrichards4296]

I love to see how bias works on people. I would love if someone could do a test like this but provide wrong images/sound relation to fool people. I bet 100% of people would still "love" and prefer the DW Fearn even the sound being actually from a Weight Tank. 😂

[@studio_person]

According to my ears: 1) AT-3 2) VT-2 3) REDD 47 4) WT-72

[@doubleg1094]

dw fearn +1

[@Cherrypopissweet]

Redd 47

[@icollided]

I was hoping to like the cheap one. Nope. Like always... I like the most expensive...

[@whittymusic]

thanks for this. Shows you how over rated gear is. Inaudible different at least through KZbin and a pair of Focal Twins.

[@natlove219]

I would'nt kick any of these outta bed

[@Mixingmachine774]

More warm open and hot sound is redd47 🫡