UnderToneAudio MPEQ-1 Microphone Preamp/EQ/DI

This is an amazing piece of gear, based on my description of what I was looking for (or not looking for) in an additional preamp. My main pre/eq strip for the past several years has been a Great River that I bought from VK, and it has been great with tons of mojo, however, being 1073-ish I found it to be a bit crunchy when pushed, not horribly crunchy but enough for me to notice.

So when I went in I explained my dilemma
to Anthony at the LA Showroom and he suggested either this piece or the Shelford Channel. He was super patient I went back to a couple of times on my vacation there and after listening and researching I trusted my gut and went for the Undertone, although the Neve was alluring and would’ve been the more standard way to go.

When it arrived at home in Hawaii I quickly unboxed it, there are a bunch of different options for the input and output and the eq is a little bit different but after spending some time with it I found a magic setting and I haven’t looked back since. It is open but not sterile has the mojo that I love about the Great River but with a bit more clarity. There are other options as mentioned running the output and input through the transformers or transformerless gives you a plethora of options. All in all I am super stoked with the sound I am getting and how the vocal tracks are sitting in the mix. I would definitely recommend this piece and purchasing it from VK! They take the time to find you what you need and want they have come through for me on numerous occasions.

If you want eq flexibility, stop wasting your time. It’s got everything and more, but I think the mic pre is perfect. It has the perfect balance of clean but warm, and it plays well with every mix I’ve sent through it from ribbon to tube to pencil to large diaphragm condenser.

I find the UnderTone MPEQ-1 to be an extremely useful marriage of artistic creativity and technology. Simply beautiful. I never hesitate to reach for that pre, or heck, even just the EQ section (you can use them separately or together) This box is precise, flexible and the EQ is amazingly comprehensive. I mean, how many preamps have a low pass section on the EQ? Great for guitar amps or anything with unwanted high frequencies. For example, Ive noticed that my vintage 1176 performs better when I filter out anything above 20k, especially when Im using a mic that goes to 40k (Earthworks QTC40. The 1176 seems to not enjoy having to react to all that energy above what is audible.) You can even change the slope of the low pass filter!

I can drive the transformer of the mic preamp for some wonderful color, dial it back all the way to super clean, or even use the transformerless output for astounding transparency. Theres also a transformerless option when choosing microphone impedance. I love ribbon mics thru it, tube LDCs, and everything else. Ive yet to be disappointed, so kudos to Eric V and UTA. I can get just about any sound I want from this box. I would say it has the classy beauty and depth of a D.W. Fearn, the transparency of a Grace Design (if wanted) or the classic color of Chandler or of our Studer console, all in one box. I dig.

And I sure do like this trend of engineers and producers making great audio tools for other artists to create art. Thanks, and please don't stop!