I recently upgraded my portable rig that I use for voice overs and audio books. We're at the point now with gear that sound quality isn't so much an issue but I'm always looking for opportunities to lower my noise floor. To that end I had a UAD Twin mk2 that I ended up pairing with a Great River ME-1NV because it was a quieter setup.
Fast forward to now and I recently upgraded to a UAD Twin X gen 2 (the stupidest name in equipment history) and I wanted to see if the Great River preamp was still necessary. If I can make the setup quicker and easier all the better. Anyway I recorded some room tone all matched between the different preamps and then had ChatGPT analyze them and this is what it came up with:
Great River: –53.9 dBFS
Apollo Twin X Gen 2: –55.1 dBFS (quietest)
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Noise Spectrum Insights
Twin MkII: Higher broadband hiss across the spectrum, especially in the mids and highs → this matches why I heard it as noisier.
Great River: Slightly lower noise floor than MkII, with a smoother distribution; subjectively quieter.
Twin X Gen 2: Cleanest, lowest hiss, the quietest of the three in both numbers and spectral shape.
So it looks like I can safely keep my Great River preamp at my studio from now on!
