A12 vs N72 on electric guitar

[clabella608]

I currently have a TLM 103 going into a John Hardy M1 into an Audient iD22 for my vocal chain. Now I'm looking for a pre to dedicate to mainly electric guitar, some bass and other miscellenaous things that could benefit from a more colored sound than the M1. I'm leaning towards the A12 because from what I've gathered people love it for electric guitars, but I'm interested in the N72 as well. I want to hear opinions from some people that have experience with both.

[Gearlust]

I saw that no one yet replied, so I felt obligated, considering I own 2 A12s and 3 N72s. The simple truth--get both. These modules are worth every penny, and you will love having both colors available (no, I don't work for SCA, just a customer).

Now for the opinion--N72 all day, and night. Yep, I said it. If you want the most versatility for guitar, bass, vocals... that is my opinion. Opinions rely on taste and are subjective, so don't get me wrong, the A12 is great, unique. I must say I do love it for bass... My point is, what are you after? If there is a certain sound that you like and/or know, go after that sound.

I believe the SCA website itself says (or it used to), if you aren't sure, order the assembled modules and listen for yourself. Then you don't have to rely on opinion and you can send back what you don't like - nothing. (Final Answer)

[Soundman1402]

I have 4x N72 and 4x J99. The J99s are similar to the Hardy M1 (but the J99 uses a two-stage gain, versus the M1's single-stage gain). The only real difference in performance is the J99 will have a bit more gain for low output mics, and a bit more headroom.

Anyway, that said... Both pres sound fantastic. But when it comes to the nether regions of the frequency spectrum, the N72 comes up a bit shy; the J99 simply reaches lower. So, if you're looking for deep bass -- a thundering kick drum, a soul-rumbling bass guitar, or a pipe organ that will launch woofers, the J99 should be at the top of your list. If you're looking for some MOJO that comes from some harmonics, use the N72. Note that this is all subtle difference.

I haven't used the A12 or any API preamps yet. However, music I've heard recorded with them (Like "Wasting The Light" by Foo Fighters, recorded on an API console) seem to have an aggressive, gritty midrange that works fantastically for rock music. The N72 is more creamy and smooooooth in the mids, and the J99 is uncolored, but without sounding sterile.

I recorded a church choir backed by pipe organ. I had a stereo pair of DPA 2006As plugged in to my J99s set about halfway back in the room; a pair of CharterOak SA538B tube LDCs on the pipe organ, plugged into a Sebatron Axis 200VU; four Shure KSM-137 SDCs to close-mic the choir, plugged into my N72s; and a stereo pair of AT4047s on a piano, plugged into J99s. I got an immense rumble out of the pipe organ -- VERY solid low end. It turned out that most of that bass was coming from the DPA pair plugged into the J99s.

I just ordered four more J99s. When budget allows, I'll also order four more N72s. I love them both.