API Audio 3124+

The API 3124+ is a single din 4 channel preamp. I am a student, musician, writer, and pretty good line dancer residing in beautiful Nashville, TN. I've been a drummer and guitar player for the past 10 years of my life and have began engineering and producing in the past 4. I currently play drums for the band Brookline and you can see me rockin' an Orange County Drum and Percussion or Mapex kit decked out with Zildjian K Hybrids.

WE brought this pre at Guitar Center in Nashville for right around $2,200 with a GC pro discount. The studio was looking to expand its preamp collection and wanted a very good 'exact replication' pre with a clean gain.

<a href="https://www.guitarcenter.com/">https://www.guitarcenter.com/</a>

This preamp has unbelievable clarity and is incredibly simple to use. It features four channels, each equipped with a VU meter, gain knob, polarity, phantom, pad, and mic buttons. It is extremely basic but offers world class clarity that only an API can give.

No complaints!

Relatively light but sturdy. Rack mountable (preferred) and very user friendly interface.

Bottom Line? If you've got the budget to invest in some really good mix pre's the 4 channel API is a great way to start! You'll never be unhappy with an over-colored sound and in most cases, what you hear in front of the instrument is what you'll hear through this pre - great quality product.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

These are some of my favorite mic pres that I have used at the new studio that I work at. I really like the fact that they are such a useful mic pre and don't color the sound. These are analog mic pre's. They are incredibly easy to use and have a handful of useful features. The unit has four XLR inputs in the rear, as well as unbalanced 1/4" inputs in front. This makes it easy to patch into a patch bay, but also easy to just plug directly into using a DI or other options.

UTILIZATION

This pre-amp is very easy to use, it's pretty basic overall. There is simply a knob for input gain, as well as four buttons; one pad which is 20 db reduction, one for phantom power, one for a polarity switch (phasing), and one to switch in order to optimize between a mic input and a line input.

SOUND QUALITY

API is known for making great sounding gear, and their pre-amps are especially highly regarded as some of the industry leaders. This pre-amp has a crystal clear sound, one that is remarkably transparent. This has pro's and cons, but more often than not it gives you the same sound that you put into it, which is a solid quality to find in a pre-amp. They certainly won't always be ideal for what you are trying to do, and sometimes you may want to color the signal a little bit more than what these amps will do. But overall they are very useful and reliable.

OVERALL OPINION

I like the clarity and transparency of this mic pre the best. For the price of this pre-amp, which has four pre's included in it, it's pretty remarkable that it's so cheap. This probably explains why many, many studios that I have been to in the recent years have these pre's. I've used many mic pre's, and I'd certainly have to say that these are far from the best I've heard. However, they are certainly reliable, and capable of giving good recordings.

The API Audio 3124+ is a set of four analog microphone preamplifiers in a single casing. Since the 3124+ that I've used was already rack mounted in the studio where I used it, I don't know what types of connections it has in the back, but since it has 1/4" inputs in the front, it is safe to assume that it most likely has at least XLR connections in the back, although it could have more types as well. The 3124+ will only take up a single space in a traditional rack mount, which is really awesome considering there are four pres here.

UTILIZATION

The configuration of the API Audio 3124+ is incredibly easy to follow, as these preamps are about as simple to use as they come. Each of the four also has the same exact make up, so once you've learned how to use one of them, you can use them all. Each channel has a knob for setting your gain level, and then a series of buttons that engage phantom power, a -20db pad, polarity, and mic/line selection. I wouldn't think that you would really even need to know anything about mic pres going into using this, but of course it would be very helpful. If in fact you are new to using preamps, I'd recommend doing some research on what each of these parameters will do in any setting, as well as having the manual on hand.

SOUND QUALITY

The tone of the preamps on the API Audio 3124+ is pristine. API is known for making top tier mic preamps and other outboard gear, and the reason they are so renown is because of products like the 3124+. They are suitable for use with just about any application that I can think of, as I've always been pleased with the sound that I got no matter what I was recording with them. This isn't to say that some won't find these more useful in some situations over others, it just means that they are versatile. They are overall incredibly clean sounding mic preamps and don't color your sound - they simply spit back to you what you send to them.

OVERALL OPINION

The fact that you can get four top quality microphone preamps in a single casing at this price with the API Audio 3124+ is outstanding. While this is definitely designed for professionals, I'd also encourage the home studio owner looking for a set of top end mic preamps to check it out as well, as it will bring your studio to a whole new level. The API Audio 3124+ is seriously one of the best deals out there in terms of a set of four mic preamps at this quality, so do not overlook it if you're in the market for something like this...

Uses API 2520 Op-Amp
Classic Console Circuit
Four XLR Mic Inputs
Four 1 / 4 "Balanced Inputs-A
Front Panel Polarity Switch
Front Panel 20 dB PadSwitch
Front Panel Mic / Line Switch
Front Panel 48V Power Switch
Output clips at +30 dBm

UTILIZATION

Here, no gimmick, we're going to the essential: the right sound. Use "right-to-goal".

SOUND QUALITY

This preamp gives a slight coloration in the lower midrange and treble gives fine and soft. It is very ployvalent. I do not find him a source with which it does not stick. (Piano, scratch acoustic guitar amp, drums, vocals, percussion, rhodes, hammond ...)

OVERALL OPINION

I like the light color, its punch.
I tried many other models. Level quality / price for CHF 4000 .- 4 ultimate preamp is sold.
I love this beast: it sounds, it's warm and musical. I also did my best with these preamps made battery. Content.
I put 10/10, because it is not "better", just "different."
The only tiny less (but it's really to nitpick): Blue LED power: it shines so much that I have to hide it with a paper if I have the preamp in front of me.