Recording - March 2012 - 45

subtle warming and/or grit of tubes or a change in sonic weight gained by choosing among output transformers, but in most cases the preamp in question still retains a signature sound that is slightly finessed. Even at the end of my Harrison review I commented that, although it was indeed four different channels, they still retained the Harrison sound—which is not a bad thing, but it was not like having a Neve, Millennia and Chandler all in one box. What makes the Fox so interesting is that it kind of is like having all these types in one box, and there is no internal jumpering, component swapping and or wrenching involved... just a pair of simple switches.

imposing solid-state console pre like a Daking or Focusrite ISA series. Most surprising to me was how close the Vintage mode came to the sound of the Great River, although the Great River was a tad tighter and a hair less thick. The only sound I could not compare to anything in particular was Modern Combo mode, which had a top end similar to the

this new preamp has a bunch of them
The Fox in use I put the Fox to work over a few months on such typical fare as vocals, guitars (acoustic and electric), drums and percussion, and also as a front end for my synths, Korg Wavedrums, Fender Jazz bass and a vintage Rhodes 73. It sounded great on all of it, mainly because if the Modern sound is too fast and clean on a source, you have three other choices. Rather than instrument-specific, it was much easier to become style-specific with the Fox. The Modern setting was perfect for ultra-realistic acoustic-based styles like classical, jazz, folk and world music, while the Vintage setting’s much sought-after British vibe was there for all things rock, funk, and everything in between. You can set up a mic on a source and quickly flip through the combinations to find which tone succeeds on a given instrument, and then you can do final fine-tuning by altering the input-to-output saturation. The only thing to be aware of when doing this is that there can be a few dB difference when changing modes, especially the combo modes, and often it’s tempting to choose the loudest one. Does it really? I detect a hint of skepticism as you silently ask, “Does it really ape the sound of all these classic preamps in one box?” Well, I was just as skeptical, so I put it up side-byside with a Chandler TG-2, a Millennia HV-3, and a Great River (known for its take on the classic Neve 1073), and I was truly surprised by the sonic territory the Fox covered. On the Modern setting the Fox sat comfortably in the same camp as the Millennia, with a similar open honesty, minus a bit of the Millennia’s well known hi-end sheen. In Vintage-Combo mode (transformer in/op-amp out) it had forward and slightly aggressive characteristics like the TG-2, while also reminding me of a good nonModern Normal mode, but with a tighter, more constrained low end. To give it a name I would call it very 1980s punk-rock sounding. Now I am not saying the Fox set out to be a direct copy of these above-mentioned preamps, there are nuanced differences in each case, but the Fox achieves the rare feat of delivering on its intentions of offering at least some version of all of these flavors in one box. Wrap-up What I like most about Steven Slate’s products is their focus on bang-for-thebuck and versatility, not novelty and gimmicks. He now has two solidly-built, boutique-level products that give you a lot of sonic choices without compromise. As with the Dragon, if you want versatility and quality rolled into one it’s hard to go wrong with the FOX. This makes for a perfect first higher-end preamp, whether you are just starting out or are a seasoned pro. I have heard no other preamp that covers this much diversity in one box, and does it without filters or digital trickery.

Price: $1799.99 • More from: Slate Pro Audio, www.slateproaudio.com
RECORDING MARCH 2012

45


http://www.slateproaudio.com

Recording - March 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - March 2012

Recording - March 2012
Fade In
Contents
Talkback
Fast Forward
Emmylou Harris: The Songwriter And The Studio
BOSS MICRO BR BR-80 Digital Recorder
Songwriters—Turn Your Songs Into Money!
Reviewed & Revisited: Apple MacBook Air and GarageBand ’11
Ronan Chris Murphy: Sage Advice For The Recording Singer/Songwriter
Cakewalk Music Creator 6
Recording Fundamentals. Chapter 3: Introduction To Audio—Part Two (Where Do The Mics Go?)
Slate Pro Audio Fox Mic Preamp
From Songwriting To Final Master: A Recording Project
Reviewed & Revisited: Steinberg Cubase 6
A Demo In A Day
Once Over—Reviews In Brief
Readers' Tapes
Advertiser Index
Fade Out
Recording - March 2012 - Intro
Recording - March 2012 - Recording - March 2012
Recording - March 2012 - Cover2
Recording - March 2012 - 1
Recording - March 2012 - 2
Recording - March 2012 - 3
Recording - March 2012 - Fade In
Recording - March 2012 - 5
Recording - March 2012 - Contents
Recording - March 2012 - 7
Recording - March 2012 - Talkback
Recording - March 2012 - 9
Recording - March 2012 - Fast Forward
Recording - March 2012 - 11
Recording - March 2012 - Emmylou Harris: The Songwriter And The Studio
Recording - March 2012 - 13
Recording - March 2012 - 14
Recording - March 2012 - 15
Recording - March 2012 - 16
Recording - March 2012 - 17
Recording - March 2012 - 18
Recording - March 2012 - 19
Recording - March 2012 - BOSS MICRO BR BR-80 Digital Recorder
Recording - March 2012 - 21
Recording - March 2012 - Songwriters—Turn Your Songs Into Money!
Recording - March 2012 - 23
Recording - March 2012 - 24
Recording - March 2012 - 25
Recording - March 2012 - 26
Recording - March 2012 - 27
Recording - March 2012 - Reviewed & Revisited: Apple MacBook Air and GarageBand ’11
Recording - March 2012 - 29
Recording - March 2012 - 30
Recording - March 2012 - 31
Recording - March 2012 - 32
Recording - March 2012 - 33
Recording - March 2012 - Ronan Chris Murphy: Sage Advice For The Recording Singer/Songwriter
Recording - March 2012 - 35
Recording - March 2012 - 36
Recording - March 2012 - 37
Recording - March 2012 - Cakewalk Music Creator 6
Recording - March 2012 - 39
Recording - March 2012 - Recording Fundamentals. Chapter 3: Introduction To Audio—Part Two (Where Do The Mics Go?)
Recording - March 2012 - 41
Recording - March 2012 - 42
Recording - March 2012 - 43
Recording - March 2012 - Slate Pro Audio Fox Mic Preamp
Recording - March 2012 - 45
Recording - March 2012 - From Songwriting To Final Master: A Recording Project
Recording - March 2012 - 47
Recording - March 2012 - 48
Recording - March 2012 - 49
Recording - March 2012 - 50
Recording - March 2012 - 51
Recording - March 2012 - 52
Recording - March 2012 - 53
Recording - March 2012 - 54
Recording - March 2012 - 55
Recording - March 2012 - Reviewed & Revisited: Steinberg Cubase 6
Recording - March 2012 - 57
Recording - March 2012 - A Demo In A Day
Recording - March 2012 - 59
Recording - March 2012 - Once Over—Reviews In Brief
Recording - March 2012 - 61
Recording - March 2012 - 62
Recording - March 2012 - 63
Recording - March 2012 - Readers' Tapes
Recording - March 2012 - Advertiser Index
Recording - March 2012 - 66
Recording - March 2012 - 67
Recording - March 2012 - 68
Recording - March 2012 - 69
Recording - March 2012 - 70
Recording - March 2012 - 71
Recording - March 2012 - Fade Out
Recording - March 2012 - Cover3
Recording - March 2012 - Cover4
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