Avalon 737 Alternatives: Recording Ultra Clean
Recording solutions for a Hi-Fi vocal sound.
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Before we get into some of the best Avalon 737 Alternatives, we’ll look at why the 737 remains such a popular preamp choice in professional studios worldwide.
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The combination of the Sony C-800G tube condenser microphone and the Avalon VT-737SP tube channel strip has been a mainstay for over 20 years when tracking the biggest artists in Pop, Hip-Hop, and R&B.
The main reason for its longevity in the industry is that we have moved into the post-production era of music where vocals are often the only element that isn’t generated by software plug-ins.
Regardless of the vocalist’s ability, many engineers and producers make use of Auto-Tune, Melodyne, and pitch-shifting effects such as Little Alterboy to create the aesthetics we hear in many current pop songs.
Avalon 737 Alternatives
With this in mind, it makes absolute sense that the top artists would use the most transparent recording stages to provide a clean and colourless signal for processing, without any vintage vibe.
The 737 gives you stacks of clean tube gain, with an extensive and precise EQ section for targeting problem areas and enhancing the source. However, the 737 compressor section is often bypassed, as many prefer the Tube-Tech CL 1B for tracking vocals and bass guitar.
Now that we know how and why the 737 is used in the recording process, let’s look at some ways to get an ultra-clean sound in your home studio without spending upwards of $3500.
When it comes to tube preamps and channel strips, the tubes can be swapped out for others that can give you different sonic characteristics. So always remember this when choosing tube gear.
Avalon 737 Alternatives: Kazrog Avalon VT-747SP
If you’re looking for the Avalon sound in your DAW, then perhaps the best application is not as a single mono channel strip, but a plugin recreation of the VT-747SP. Kazrog has done exactly that, with this legendary Class-A stereo tube-based compressor/limiter and EQ. Like the hardware version, the plugin gives you the option to engage the tube circuit or bypass it depending on your application.
What’s particularly interesting about the design of the 747 is the flexible sidechain detection circuit with a 2-band EQ for shaping the behaviour of the opto compressor. Meanwhile, the 6-band program EQ includes three bell filters and two high shelves, and you have the ability to place the EQ before the compressor in the signal path.
Overall, the 747 plugin is a neat addition to your DAW because to gives you access to the musical Avalon EQ curves, a versatile compressor, and the tube makeup gain for adding that signature warmth to your sound. The 747 can be used on vocal and instrument groups, guitars, and your main mix bus. Get it here.
Avalon 737 Alternatives: ART Pro Channel II
If you’re working with a tight budget, the ART Pro Channel II is a great choice, delivering a considerable amount of value for its meager price tag.
It combines a class A tube preamp stage with an optical compressor and an EQ section with sweepable midrange bands. Moreover, both the EQ and compressor can be bypassed, and there are two insert loops for adding other processors into the chain.
In the metering section, there’s a character meter which is useful for beginners. What’s more, the preamp has multiple impedance modes and a switch to change the tube voltage, so you can optimize for a wide range of mics.
- More from ART Pro Audio
Avalon 737 Alternatives: Crane Song Syren
When you need a high-end tube preamp in a compact format, the Crane Song Syren 500-series module is about as good as it gets. What’s more, it’s not just a one-trick pony.
On the bottom right of the front panel, there’s a switch to change between Open and Color character modes. When you combine this with the ability to overload your input gain and trim back your output level, you have a range of ways to capture mic and DI sources.
Although it may amount to less of an initial outlay than a VT-737SP, the entire Crane Song channel strip will actually cost more when you take into account the EQ and compressor modules.
- More about Crane Song
Avalon 737 Alternatives: Tegeler Vari Tube Recording Channel
The Tegelear VTRC is a versatile channel strip that combines a range of features inspired by classic recording gear. For starters, you get a choice of vari-tube and optical compression, or both.
In addition, there’s a Pultec-style passive EQ section for shaping your input signal and sweetening the mids and highs. Moreover, the VTRC is flexible, so you can flip the signal path and place the EQ before the compressor and vice versa.
To make things more interesting, the link feature allows a pair of VTRC units to be used in stereo configurations. This is perfect when recording with stereo overheads or doing bus processing while mixing.
- More from Tegeler Audio
Avalon 737 Alternatives: SPL Channel One Mk3
A more recent development, the SPL Channel One Mk3, provides an extensive range of features for tone shaping and dynamics control with flexible signal flow options.
For starters, you can set the amount of tube saturation you want, and the de-esser and transient designer sections allow you to shape the peaks of your signal precisely going in.
What’s more, the EQ section has an air band to breathe some glistening high-frequency energy into the signal. Meanwhile, there are two channels, so you can quickly compare microphones to find the best one for your singer.
- More from SPL
Avalon 737 Alternatives: Manley CORE
The Manley CORE is a versatile recording channel strip with a tube input stage offering stacks of clean discrete gain, an ELOP compressor, an EQ section, and an FET limiter with variable release time.
After the tube stage, there’s a direct out and an insert point for incorporating other gear into your recording chain. Also, the preamp has high and low gain modes for different mics and sound sources.
Remember that the more you work the gain reduction within the compressor and limiter sections, the more character you will imbue onto the signal. So, keep this in mind if you’re looking to capture a clean sound.
- More about Manley
Avalon 737 Alternatives: Universal Audio Preamps and Channel Strips
If you’re looking for a warm, high-fidelity tube sound, Universal Audio has a range of preamps, including the classic Solo 610 console-style preamp, the Twin-Finity toneblending preamp, and the 6176 channel strip that combines the 610 preamp and the 1176 compressor into one unit.
With these different options, you have some great tools for vocals and bass guitar recording that suit the budget of your project. As these designs have been around for two decades, you can trust that if there was a way to improve them, Universal Audio would have certainly explored this by now.
Whichever option suits your application, it’s easy to familiarize yourself with the controls and start dialing in your sounds. Also, you will certainly get the best from a wide range of microphones, from vintage dynamics and ribbon mics to modern condensers. Get it at Thomann.*
Avalon 737 Alternatives: Tube-Tech MEC 1A
When there are no budget constraints, and you’re looking for something a little less transparent than the 737, the MEC 1A is about as high-end as channel strips get. Its design combines a tube preamp stage, a Pultec-style EQ, and the famous Tube-Tech opto compressor in one easy-to-use channel strip for recording and mixing.
The MEC 1A uses a total of seven tubes, as well as transformers on the input and output stages. With the preamp, you have coarse and fine gain controls, so you can dial in the perfect amount of gain to suit the type of microphone you’re using and the style of the vocalist. Besides the 40 Hz low-cut filter, there is a 3-band EQ section that lets you contour and enhance the sound on the way in.
Here, there is a low shelf that goes up to 160 Hz, a midrange bell filter with variable Q-factor, and a high-shelf with a 26 kHz air band to add that glistening sheen. Both the EQ and compressor can be bypassed individually, and you can shift the order of the signal path as well as pair two MEC 1A units for stereo recording or processing applications. Get it at Thomann.*
More about Avalon 737 Alternatives:
- The Best Vocal Plug-ins
- SONY C-800G Alternatives
- Avalon Preamps
- All about Studio Gear
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3 responses to “Avalon 737 Alternatives: Recording Ultra Clean”
I bought my Avalon VT-737SP brand new in 1999 for $1750 USD shipped, kinda shocked how much they sell for these days.
To their credit, Avalon has honestly kept the price pretty steady over the past 25+ years.
The 2024 retail price for the VT-737SP in the US is $3,866 which tracks almost exactly to $1,750 in 1999, adjusted for US inflation rates.
https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/
Hazelrigg VNE > anything else