Well, I am glad congalocke has received his unit, and he is correct, the manual is filled with good information about getting started.

Here is my official explanation on the new Joemeek threeQ:

The new threeQ is a much improved product over the older Joemeek products. Most improved is the microphone preamp. It has a good deal of gain, and is dead quiet. It really is amazing how quiet the unit is. The mic amp is much less colored than the old unit, so it is more open and transparent. It’s like you just found out you had been recording with a cover over the microphones diaphragm.

Ever sing into the palm of you’re hand, and then take you’re palm away and you notice how the sound opens up. Well, that is what it is like on this new mic amp. The mic just sounds so much better and more natural. Now don’t worry, because if you want color….no problem! That is what the compressor is there for. Heat, aggression, warmth, color!!!! Believe me, it has that…

The other improvements are the EQ. The old Joemeek MQ3 has a three band fixed EQ. This worked more like a guitar EQ than a real working EQ. Now that we added in the mid band sweep control, the EQ is much more usable for many more applications. Nothing like a good usable British EQ.

You will note that the outputs are now switchable between +4 and -10, so it is comfortable in any professional or Prosumer application. There is an extra gain reduction meter, and a more accurate output meter, as well as a peak LED on the input. So, you can properly gain stage this unit with no trouble at all.

So, what is different about this compressor than the older unit? Well, this one is many times as fast. As a result of this, the new threeQ has a lot of compression available. Most optical compressors are very slow. This one is not. Here is where I suggest you start.

Set your attack time to the slowest point at 100 msec and set the release to its mid point or at 0.3sec. Set the compression control to 1. This is a good starting point. From there, simply start turning the attack time counter clockwise the more you turn it, the more percussive it will be. You can hear snare drums become tighter and more aggressive. So a fast time for drums is good. A slower time for vocals is better, say about 75msec. From there make your adjustments as you need them.

All right SFers...the Joe Meek 3Q Test/Shootout CD is done and out the door to some "objective" Golden Ears. I had the 3Q flex, under Myth Buster conditions, against 3 other pre's so the line up is:

Focusrite Octopre
Joe Meek 3Q
Roland 2480
True Systems Precision 8

I will post results after everybody chimes in or on the day of the next drawing whichever comes first!

I've got a 3Q that is sitting in my room and I think that it's really keen.
The layout is great and the face that's lookin' @ me is a sparklin an emerald green.
There is an optical compressor that makes the track that's lesser, obscene, punchy and lean.
Go purchase two and stereo your groove to find out what I mean

Lyrics from
Stacked Tracks

Regards
conga

conga

O.K.

At least nobody was...uh...wrong about the mic pre orders in their guessing post.

The order of the pre's for the Joe Meek 3Q Shootout/Test CD was...


1. Focusrite Octopre
2. Roland VS2480
3. Joe Meek 3Q
4. True Systems Precision 8

Thanks Studio Forums and Alan Hyatt!
conga

Heya Conga, sorry i didn't get back to you sooner! I took a listen to the CD right when I got it, and then got busy and didn't get to take a good listen to it again. Also, since I wasnt' too familiar with the pres, I had a hard time guessing which was which. One thing I did notice right away, since the pres stayed the same order for each set of clips, was that each pre clearly had its strengths and weaknesses. What I really liked for vocal, didn't necessarily sound right on snare or "hydro", hee hee So it was hard to place each pre itself. If anything, it's a good example of the importance of choosing a pre by sound, and not by brand, according to application!

I'm going to take a good listen to it now that I know the order...and thanks for sending the disc!

I'll be sure to post more feedback once I get to really take another good listen through



EDIT: forgot to note that I did consistently like the sound of preamp 2 less than the others--so I was pretty sure that it was the Roland...but the others, once again, worked better on some things than others. I've generally associated Meek with colored preamps int he past, and I'd say this one is no exception. It sounded nice--i enjoyed it as a bass DI especially, and the kick drum sounded punchy. Once again, I'll give a more critical listen later.

MP3's are up for this shootout....

I finally got them ripped into MP3's and up on my site....while you can hear all the samples not all the links here are up and working so.....keep that in mind.

http://www.machinesound.com/mic_preamp_shootout.htm


conga

Hey, conga, that's cool! Maybe you also want to post all the info and links in The Music Station.

congalocke...thank you for taking the time with this!!! I'll get a chance to listen when I get home tonight.