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Description
The Telefunken V72 is a legendary studio preamp known for its warm, vintage sound that has shaped countless iconic recordings. Originally developed in the 1950s, the V72 is the epitome of timeless analog excellence, revered by audio engineers for its ability to deliver rich, detailed audio with a smooth, musical quality. This unit is famed for its tube-driven circuitry, which provides a distinctive character that can elevate any recording.
With its simple, robust design, the Telefunken V72 remains a favorite in both professional and home studios. It pairs seamlessly with a variety of microphones, bringing out the best in vocal and instrumental performances alike. The V72's resilience and reliability make it a perfect choice for those seeking to capture the warmth and depth of analog sound. Whether you're recording a delicate acoustic piece or a powerful rock anthem, this preamp ensures your tracks are imbued with a classic, high-fidelity charm.
Key Features:
- Authentic tube-driven circuitry for a warm, vintage sound
- Tried-and-true design from the 1950s
- Compatible with a wide range of microphones
- Ideal for both professional and home studio environments
- Renowned for its smooth, musical quality in recordings
Videos
Vintage King
Telefunken V72 Tube Mic Preamp | VintageKing.com
Reviews
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Telefunken V72.
Comparisons
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Telefunken V676 preamps compare well with vintage Neves, with notable engineer Russell Elevado swearing by them for a high-quality sound.
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The Telefunken V76 is praised for its potential in specific applications, with some users comparing its capabilities favorably to other vintage tube gear like the RCA units.
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The V76 and V72 are sought after for their unique sound, with some considering alternatives like the Locomotive Audio WT-72 for a similar tonal flavor.
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Use cases and applications
Value and pricing
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Despite being less known, the Telefunken V676 offers a comparable experience to vintage Neves without the high price tag, making it a cost-effective choice.
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Features and functionality
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Telefunken V676s are solid-state, contrasting with the tube-based V72/V76 models, and are noted for slightly colored preamp tones.
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Tube preamps like the V76 offer a distinct sound suitable for specific musical elements, often described as thick and full with plenty of air, without noticeable saturation unless pushed hard.
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5.0 out of 5
Based on 1 Review and 2 Ratings
200
Very cool and smooth
Very nice sounding pre. Ive got mine recently, and worked with one a couple of times before. It has a fixed gain of -34db, signal is quiet, but enough for most mics. It needs an extra circuit for phantom and all the regular switches and xlr IO. I understand that it could be modified to be a v77, with -56db, but im not sure if it changes the way it sounds. Mines stock. Up to now ive use it with a tlm102, and it sounds very silky with flutes. It has some really cool vintage classical music vibes. Di bass with this is very impressive, the best ive ever heard. Very punchy, nice round attack. Mpc drum machines sound very smooth through this!
Artist usage
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Used for Gilmour's vocals on On An Island, as mentioned by sound engineer Andy Jackson in this July 2006 Sound on Sound article.
"Actually, it's very straightforward — voice — nice microphone, nice mic amp, nice compressor. There you go. For reverbs I tend to be old-school and use an EMT plate. I had a couple of plates and a Lexicon Hall — that was our palette. The vocal chain starts with that Sony tube mic with the heatsink on the side, the C800G, and it is the most fantastic microphone. We have a couple of those, one in the studio and one for David to use at home, which is another reason his demos sounded so good. That feeds an old Neumann V72 mic preamp and then EAR EQs and compressors like the ones I use here in my mastering system. I would compress his voice but only fairly gently with a tickle of 2:1, then maybe do that again on the mix. That's with the exception of the rock songs of course, which were completely mashed in a Fairchild! The thing is, David makes my life easy — stick him on the phone and he sounds great! He is not a difficult person to record — great technique and a great voice."
Used on Engines of Creation, as mentioned in this December 11, 2007 Premier Guitar interview.
I would plug my Ibanez JS1000 guitar into various pedals and into a variety of amp heads, then into a Palmer speaker simulator. Then I used a few different mic pres – Neves, V72s, etc. Sometimes we would aim for traditional sounds, other times not. Sometimes a plug-in would do the trick and other times it’s just all the pedals we found on the floor plugged in and turned up!
In this video, at 2:20, Richie Kotzen shows and mentions the Telefunken V72 mic preamps
Well, sort of. I got a PC laptop. A Quantex, 10 gig, black monster that had a PCMCIA slot and Samplitude 3. I found a Korean company called Ego-Sys, that at the time was creating this thing called a WaMi Box — this breakout box that had S/PDIF in on it, which enabled me to hook it into my HHB Portadat, which had really good preamps. The chain was crazy: [AKG] C 414s into my Telefunken V72s, into the HHB DAT, engage the record head and then run the S/PDIF into the WaMi Box and into the laptop. And this was a portable setup. I took it with me on tour with Mr. Bungle and recorded a lot.
Per Sound On Sound, May 2005:
I also have various Pultecs, a couple of LA2A compressors, a couple of 1176s, LA4A, RCA BA6A, Neve 1073, 1076, Neve stereo compressor, Neve mastering EQ, Manley massive/passive, Manley DI, Manley mic pres, Telefunken V72, V76, Mastering Labs mic pres, Distressor, the SSL compressor and all the great microphones.
Album Usage
The Telefunken V72 has been featured on the following albums:
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Telefunken V72, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
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