Here are a some comments from our satisfied customers:
“The Gear Box sold me a pair of Neumann V476B's racked to my specifications. They were very accommodating and offered suggestions to best suit my needs. The wiring inside this "gear box" is very neat and clean and the overall appearance of the unit is top notch! The unit as a whole is wonderful!!! They sound incredible and the amount of gain is astounding. Naturally, these pre's sound great with all my microphones from an SM58 to an M149. For an A/B or X/Y mic set-up, I love running a pair of vintage AKG C451E's with them. The tone of my Neumann CMV-563 with the M7 Kapsule is dark, rich and creamy (how I enjoy my coffee). The Gear Box offers a great selection, professional and personal service with quality workmanship!”
Derrick Acker
Quetzal Recording, Durham, NC
www.quetzalrecording.com
“The ANT W695B units are working well. They are flawless throughout – no clicks, pops, or crackles anywhere. The racking is sturdy, tidy, and looks at home right in the mastering console. Thank you for your excellent service and suggestions!
Also writing to let you know that since I've had those EQ's modded with smaller gain steps, I've used them on at least half of the projects that I've worked on. They rock! I've been mastering with them in combination with my Manley and Prism EQ's. They have this aggressive presence that works really well now that I've got 1/2dB steps. The bottom end is also really great for cleaning things up with a tight bandwidth value.
Anyway, just thought I'd share,”
Jamie Sitar
Suite Sound Labs Mastering
www.suitesoundlabs.com
“I just mixed my first song with the 10 piece ANT W695B rack and a Dangerous 2-bus on an HD system this weekend - I'm never going to work in an SSL room again!
Take care,”
Jamie Sitar
Suite Sound Labs Mastering
www.suitesoundlabs.com
“The Neumann PMV 70’s are beautiful and I have been tracking overheads with KMS 84’s through them...very clean and warm. Thanks Aaron!”
Timothy Meaney
Seattle, WA
www.wisemanmusic.com
www.wisemanstudios.com
“I find the Neumann PMV 70’s nice in tight in the bottom, with a little subharmonics, between 100 and 800 and they are not as silky as a Neve in the highs, but for the money, they are very nice. Awesome build too. The mids are very good too, for guitars, acoustics are better then electric, but again for the money, they are sleepers.”
Lyle Eccleston
Formerly- Whisky Cove Recording Studio
Winfield, British Columbia
“The Neumann V476B’s are working perfectly...very well received by my clients...in fact, they're being used right now. What more can I say?
All the best,
Christopher Donnelly
Sundisc Recording Studio
Flagstaff, AZ
“The gang at The Gear Box really came through for us. The Neumann W491 EQs we bought sound fantastic. We have had particular success on vocals, acoustic guitar, and on our final mixes. The Gear Box did a great job matching and racking the units.”
Lew Kellogg
The Kellogg Music Company
Raleigh, NC
"These Neotek Series One mic pre's/eq's sound great. Full sound, very nice response, very workable eq, not harsh at all. We used them on kick drums and toms mostly. It only took a few minutes to get a really killer sound. Nice full low-end, but not overblown or muddy. Clear top end. Lots of flexibility across the spectrum with the eq. Nice racking job. Solid steel rack chassis, clean wiring job inside. Quick and easy auction transaction. Good communication on shipping status, receipt of payment, etc. Good follow up. Good resource if you're looking for nicely racked vintage outboard gear."
Tom Evans
Binery Studios
Andover, MA
“I have 3 words for the Studer 169’s..."Oh my God"...they are great. I threw on a reel and patched all of them in as an effect. I tried a snare track first. No gating, no compression, and we were getting great sounds with every tweak. Next was the kick track. Once again, no gating or compression, and it ruled the NS10's world. I had an acoustic track from my J100. I got a great sound mixing one channel with a JMeek VC1, and direct on another originally. But dialing up with a Studer strip was deadly. Then there was bass. Thunder, clarity, headroom for days, I made my P bass sound like a Rick with Roto-Sound strings. I can go on, but I think you get the picture.”
Adam Jackson
Norman, OK
"My ANT 695B EQ's are quite elegantly rack-mounted and well built. It is a rarity to such find good vintage units with amazing original sound. Thus far, I’ve been able to use them for every instrument and they have a rich and warm sound, yet silky and clean. It is also great for mastering to add some punch or clean out some mud, and their adjustable Q switches provide more flexibility in the mix. These great units and their great craftsmanship will always be a help to me."
Masanori Yura
New Orleans, LA
"Had some Pro Tools fun this week with the Studers--they give lots of gain and the coloration for electric bass which is pretty cool: fat like 'phat' and bright as a Rick when required. I can just imagine what the Neumanns will do!!! I also had a quick session with some friends locally last Saturday and Sunday (most likely my last one in Japan) and I used a Countryman Associates DI on my friend Mario's Lakland bass and mic'd his Fender 4 X10 cab with an EV RE-20; both sent through the Studer 169 channel strips--I've never heard a bass amp sound so good-- and the DI signal through them--just georgous!"
V/r,
Jonathan Eisenberg
Yokosuka (yo-KO-ska), Japan
"As a studio owner it is nice to see work done fast and well. These ANT 696B EQ's were shipped from one side of the country to the other in record time and worked beautiful, plus the workmanship is second to none. Thank-you guys so much!!!!!!!!!!"
Lyle Eccleston
Formerly- Whisky Cove Recording Studio
Winfield, BC
"The Neotek Series 1 rack sounds great. It delivers that full, open sound you can't get through stock preamps on a mixer. The rack is well-built and the electronics inside look cleanly assembled. I really can't wait to use it on some of my recordings. The EQ is a big plus. As far as the service...you told me when to expect it and I was happily suprised to see it arrive on time."
Eric Amdur
Geneseo, IL
"The Neumann W491A filters have arrived and they look and sound as your description and pictures promised… really great and very smooth and flexible! The workmanship is solid and the wiring and components are top-notch. Thank you for the helpful suggestions and quick and friendly service!"
Luis Lahav, Tel Aviv, Israel
SDL Mastering, The Mix Room, Hammon Studios
www.eit.co.il
"The one thing missing in my studio was a pair of API 550a's. I saw a Gearbox auction on Ebay advertising that very thing. I couldn't be happier... beautifully rackmounted with the best wiring. They're in excellent condition, not to mention the fact that they sound completely incredible."
Greg Wells, Los Angeles, CA
www.emimusicpub.com/worldwide/artist_profile/greg-wells_profile.html
"Wow, this Neotek unit sounds amazing. The Series 1 is more detailed than my Grace 101 while conveying a more velvety high end. I liken it to the ISA series but sweeter. The EQ seems to operate a little more drastically than my Focusrite ISA 220 but you can still be very surgical, and for the money, two channels of Neotek w/EQ is an increase in value. I'm very happy and excellent feedback has been left."
Thanks a million,
Dave Fellows, Grand Haven, MI
www.marshallplanmusic.com
"Hab den Neumann V476B Preamp heute abgeholt und gleich ausprobiert. Bin sehr sehr zufrieden mit dem Sound. Hat meiner Erwertungen noch übertroffen. Wie gesagt, der Klang ist genau nach meinem Geschmack. Hab in den letzten Jahren öfter mit Neve V-Racks gearbeitet und die gefallen mir persönlich nicht so gut. Vielen Dank!
(I picked up the Neumann V476B preamps today and just tried them out. I'm very, very satisfied with the sound. They actually exceded my expectations. Like I said, the sound is exactly my taste. In the last few years I've worked more often with Neve V-Racks and I personally do not care for them too much. Many Thanks!)"
Marco Cigolla, Waldshut-Tiengen, Germany
"Your work on the Neumann PV76 rack is very nice! I had some concern that you would not use a mating connector on the back of the modules, soldering directly to the pins or something. But you did use a connector. I am most impressed at the little bracket between the modules at the front. It is a weak place mechanically and needs support. I am amazed that you found what looks to be a pre-made piece that works so perfectly. You have done a very neat job electrically and physically. The shrink tubing over the soldering is very professional. I will put you on my list of Favorite Sellers to keep track of what else you have."
Rusty Wright, Kailua, HI
"My Telefunken V676a's arrived from The Gear Box in pristine condition, looked like the day they came out of the factory. The rack enclosure is very sturdy and the electronics are well done. Their service was excellent, always helpful and friendly with any questions. Most importantly the units sound amazing, no fancy bells and whistles just a great sounding mic pre. Also a great pair of line amps to beefing up an "in the box" mix."
Jason Carson - Los Angeles, CA
"The Telefunken W695 & Siemens W295B EQ units work and sound great. The Telefunkens have a warm and punchy sound, just like API, but with a more musical tone than API EQ. I often boost 700Hz frequency, and I can get “closer” sounds. The Siemens EQ has an incredible high-end that covers over 20kHz and sounds rich with incredible sub-harmonics, just like most Neve modules. I think the Telefunkens fit all kinds of “black” music and the Siemens sounds rather “whiter”.
Toshiki Shimizu, Tokyo, Japan
"I bought a pair of racked up Studer 169 preamp strips from The Gear Box several months ago and have been very pleased with them since. The workmanship was very professional as was the service and their look. They have an especially smooth high end and my favorite use for them is Hi-Hats and Cymbals. They're great performers and given the amount of money I've spent on some of my high end preamps, have turned out to be one of the best bargains. Thanks Gear Box."
Marc Greene, The Greene Room, Los Angeles, CA
www.greeneroom.com
"We have had the chance to test the Neumann PEV EQ's and must confess they are great. Nice open in use and neutral sounding when set flat. No background noise audible. Boosting or cutting frequencies definitely results in a nicer, more defined sound. With a beautiful black rack built like a tank...this equalizer is ready for serious studio work. When using the PEV in a actual mastering situation I feel that one must be sparse on the boosting but that counts for almost every EQ. Anyway they are a great addition to the studio.
Thanks and best regards."
Nicolas Rosquin, Eccentric Audio Refinement Studio (a division of E.R.S. bvba), King Kung Foo Records, Kontich, Belgium
www.earstudio.be
www.kingkungfoorecords.be
"The Neotek Series 1E strips arrived today. I was very impressed about the packaging, so was the postman! The inner cardboard box was intact. Bullet-proof stuff!
I did a few tests with the Neotek units with a pair of sm58 on vocals. I have been listening to the units in A/B comparison with an Amek DMCL preamp (pure path series, compressor section out). The Neotek sure runs in the same league, at least [ed. note- the Amek-DMCL MSRP without the digital option is $2,995]. The Amek unit really improved my recordings. Neotek series 1E are the next step forward. Definitely good quality. The preamp sound has a strong body that I wasn't expecting that much, though it's really welcome. The definition is here too but never gets harsh nor soft. It sure will be a good alternative to the Amek unit and to the other preamps I will purchase later. I have been working with plug-ins for too many years now and time has come to go back to the real thing: this means external units for me.
The EQ section is a dream. No need to worry about the settings, I trust my ears. Each mid section provides 2 Q-shapings just by pulling out the gain pot, so I don't need to search for the button since everything is in the same spot: sweep, gain & Q shaping. This is no full parametric EQ - I don't mind because I don't like tweaking pots for hours looking for the precise Q and getting nothing good (aka non-musical) - but the EQ on the Neotek can kill any resonant frequency with the sharp Q or add/remove some bottom or presence with the broadband Q. The high section is brilliant too: it provides a beautiful air sensation when set high (over 10k) and can add a really nice presence to a voice when set to 4~6k. "Nice" means the sound in itself: these highs are amazing. The low section is nice too and can be used (as the high section) either as a shelf or cut-off filter. Low presence or cut-off, sounds really good too. So, the EQ can be quite surgical but the most important is that it is really musical and very easy to set up. It would have been perfect with a "0db position lock" (don't know how to say it in english) on the EQ gains, but it'll do. Some folks around mentioned the overall quality of Neotek and this is definitely not a one trick pony; it lives in these units too, that's Neotek sound signature. So: good preamp & magic eq.... jack pot! Something that sounds like modern and vintage at the same time... Neotek! … So, I'm very glad about this purchase. I like the black metal faceplate of the rack too. Nice look. Now I'm looking forward to the next recording session, which will happen soon.
Thanks again for this transaction.
Kindest regards."
Jean-Yves Douet, Saint-Julien-De-Vouvantes, France
"I've been able to play with the Telefunken V672D/Neumann W491A rack and got to track some drums with it a couple weeks back. Put the kick through one channel and snare in the other. Very retro Beatles vibe going on. Sound very well rounded, not harsh, actually kind of mellow with a mid bump that is smoother than a 312, but with the same amount of grit, just in a different way.”
Matt Allison, Cape Town, South Africa
www.matt-allison.com
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