FMR RNP Review

[bilco]

Quality: 9
The RNP offers a lot of features in a small package, plenty of clean, quiet gain, 2 channels of XLR mic or instrument DI, phantom power, phase reversal on each channel and inserts on each channel. Some people have complained about the gain pots being stepped in increments of 6db, but I actually like that feature. It makes it easier to remember what my specific settings were when using a specific mic on a particular source. I will not use the dreaded "wxxx" word, but I am kind of at a loss to come up with words to describe what the RNP does to the source....... maybe rich, thick, 3-dimensional..... but in a VERY subtle way. I have to REALLY listen hard to hear the difference between what the RNP with a given mic sounds like vs. my Mbox or Digi 002 Rack preamps with the same mic. Then again, I have the ears of a 53 year old amateur, not a pro. The main thing that I see that this preamp offers is a lot of gain without danger of the preamp breaking up.

Bass - I can get a really nice healthy signal from my Pbass through the RNP to feed into the line inputs of my Digi 002 Rack without hearing the pesky low level distortion I was hearing when I ran the Pbass directly into the instrument inputs on my old Digi 001. I have to be really careful with the Pbass going into the instrument input on the Mbox as well, but the RNP into the line in of the Digi 002 rack works great. It imparts a very unique tonal quality to the Pbass with flatwound strings which is absolutely perfect for recording a swing bass sound that comes pretty close to upright for western swing. I wasn't wild about that tone for folky, singer songwriter or pop/rock songs, but I found that with some mininal EQ adjustments with the Digirack plugins, I can do pretty much whatever I want to with the tone.

Vocal -The most amazing metamorphis, clearly discernable to even my ears is what the RNP does for my vocal singing into a............ SM57. I usually end up using an SM7b instead to tame the problem with Ps popping, but really, I think my voice through an SM57 into the RNP is one of the best combinations I have ever recorded my voice through.

Acoustic Guitar - The very mid range character that the RNP brings to my voice and an SM57 was not at all flattering on my acoustic guitar through a single or X/Y pair of SM81s initially. I try to use only mic placement and no EQ at all if I can, but I had to struggle with getting rid of the boxy sound the RNP was bringing to my Martin Shenandoah, admittedly boxy by nature due to the laminate back and sides. The solution to this dilemma ended up being changing from medium to light gauge strings and using a thinner pick. Sounds fine now.

Reliability: 10
It has worked every time I turn it on with no problem. It is a desktop unit and pretty light, so it can be pulled off the workstation if you are not careful. I don't get the comments about it being ugly or a toy; it is neither one to me, just basic and functional and no frills dual preamp, packed into a solid, but small frame. I might eventually rack mount it, but really there's no problem with it just sitting on the work surface of my workstation. It does get significantly hot to the touch, but it has not presented any problems. I have had no issues with it at all, but if I did, I am sure that Mark and Beth McQuilken would make it right.

Overall Rating: 10
I am rating the RNP from the perspective of a hobbyist home recordist/semi-pro songwriter, not a pro engineer. For home recording, I can't see why anyone would need a more expensive 2 channel preamp than this. If I were trying to earn money from recording as a Project Studio, I might go for an API or Daking or Great River, but for recording song demos and maybe a homegrown singer/songwriter CD, this is more than enough preamp for me. Whatever limitations the RNP might have sonically are nowhere as significant as my limitations as an audio engineer. A more expensive preamp is not going to write better songs or make me sing any better than I already do (or don't.....) I have recorded through a Lawson LDC into a Great River and that combo was the best I have ever heard, but am I going to sink that kind of money into a home studio setup???? Nahhhh.....

One last selling point: Mark and Beth McQuilken live in Austin where I live. I think they are probably about 3 miles away from my house although I am not going to go bug them in person. When I was debating whether or not to sink $500 into a mic or into the RNP, Harvey Gerst recommended I call Mark and get his opinion. Although I am sure they are very busy, Mark took the time to answer my questions on the phone and he even recommended that I upgrade the mic I had at the time before the preamp - how is that for truth in advertising and honest customer service? From time to time I have called them to ask a question and they ALWAYS answer the phone within a couple of rings. Great customer service. Finally, though I am no pro engineer, this preamp comes recommended highly by folks who are actually working audio engineers, like Fletcher, Harvey Gerst and Larry Seyer.

bilco