Reviews
"...it made me want to play"
I had the pleasure to try out the Busby 2Rack preamp in the studio today. As most guitar players know trying to capture a sound that is inspirational is an elusive quest at best and impossible at worst. In my own meanderings through this journey I only notice that something has changed with equipment when it affects my desire to play and the Busby 2Rack did that, in a very positive way it made me want to play.
What impressed me most of all was the direct into the console sound which was transparent while at the same time delivering a controlled and un-muddied warmth that expressed itself in making the Gibson L5 balanced at the bottom end and liquid and crystalline in the top register. We also compared a contemporary Asian solid pressed spruce top single floating hum-bucker arch-top. The 2Rack seemed to melt away the unwanted over brightness and interpreted a crisp, warm, expensive and expressive sounding response out of a guitar that is 1/20th the cost of the L5 and totally stock at time of testing.
I would suggest the 2Rack to anyone wanting to add some too often much needed warmth and control to any digital recording environment or to any serious instrumentalist desiring to achieve clarity of auditory vision in that crucial upper percentile that makes the difference between good and great.
Lloyd English, Guitar Player and Musician
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I recently had the pleasure of using the Busby BE-22 Tube pre-amplifier.
It is a very versatile, controllable pre-amp with smooth, even response from the lowest lows to the highest highs.
By utilizing the input pads, volume, and gain controls in concert you can generate any level of overdrive your heart desires, whether it be for a little edge on a vocal track or a full blown overdrive guitar. It's smooth top to bottom and the BE-22 is, in my opinion, the best bang for your buck on the market today.
GJR Stuart, Studio owner
email for more information: Click here
On Friday we had the pleasure of receiving a demonstration of the new Busby microphone preamp.
First we tested it direct with an active bass pick-up. It sounded great! Donn then used a DI into the pre and blended that signal with the direct signal. That sounded amazing. Our bass player had just been in the studio recording an album where they used an Avalon VT737SP in the session. His immediate reaction was that he wished it would have been a Busby instead! in his words, "The tone was crystal clear!".
The second session we listened to was what personally blew me away. Donn played a Martin acoustic through a Neumann TLM67. Unbelievable! Beautiful open top end, defined midrange with an accurate and tight bottom end. It is a great sign when people enter the recording department, turn their heads and ask what recording is playing over the monitor speakers. We had the privilege of telling them it was Donn live in the room next door.
We are very excited with the Busby BE-22 Pre and hope to feature the product soon in our store!
Cheers,
Matt and Mike @ L&M Victoria
Long & McQuade Victoria, BC
"The BE-22 2Rack - a wonderfully clean and warm stereo preamp! With its high-fidelity build and genuine all-tube sound, it's clear that the BE-22 was designed to rival the classics. Personally, this preamp would be a go-to for overheads, rooms, and any ribbon microphone."
Conrad Hillis, Pro Audio & Recording
Demoed the 2 channel mic pre yesterday with another engineer as well as a project studio owner with picky ears. We ran the beast thru its paces for about 4 hours with an r84, soundelux e49 and e47 a 414eb with brass capsule ,a gefell um70s and a pair of schoeps sdc's. Female vox male vox a couple different acoustic guitarists and 4 different styles of playing .we also did di bass and telecaster.
There are a number of interesting features that impressed me - one in particular is the impedance switching. another there is the ability to drive the pre with input and output gain stages (like a daking / great river). On my dakings finding the sweet spot where the pre is adding the attitude to a snare but not becoming trashy can be touchy. On the busby there was a much wider "sweetspot", and the nature of the transient smashing is very pleasing indeed.
To me the way it handles transients is its strong point. It will do the clean clear tube gain gain thing quite nicely thanks very much. But if you want to warm something up get an easing of the transients (as in a heavily strummed guitar) and yet not lose the articulation of the pick or the strings or add a bit of growl to a di bass - it is great.
Ok who here like playing telecaster straight in? I like it, but its not for everyone. The busby shined on this application, the tele was meaty, clear but not pingy.
I don't think I have ever liked a pair of schoeps on acoustic guitar as much as I did thru the busby.
The female vocals were warm but not fuzzy in the least.
It loved the ribbon mic with male vocals.
So now the question is -what can I sell to have this in my rack!
thanks again to zakko for hosting and Donn for Demoing...
Paul Keim, Dove Creek Studios
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