Great River ME-1NV Preamp

Name: Great River ME-1NV Preamp
Brand: Great River
SKU: 9999-01606
Price: 1150 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5 (9 reviews)

Great River

(9 reviews) Write a Review

Product Code: 9999-01606

$1,150.00

In Stock, only available!

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Description
Reviews

The Great River ME-1NV Preamp is that 'if you can only have one' microphone preamplifier. It does so much... and so much GOOD to your sound. Looking to make a vocal powerful? Make a kick drum really move some air? Make a snare drum jump out of the monitors? Impart some rich life onto an acoustic guitar? More? Then the ME-1NV is your weapon of choice.

The Great River ME-1NV Preamp, offers the same definitive sonic fidelity and expert craftsmanship as all Great River products, with the ability to fine-tune gain effects like 1970's-era 1073's.

The Great River ME-1NV (single channel mic preamp) greatly modernizes and improves classic British design. This desktop (and rackable) preamp offers the same definitive sonic fidelity and expert craftsmanship as all Great River products, with the ability to fine-tune gain effects like 1970's-era 1073's. Transparency and vintage harmonic structure are both achieved with NV-Series preamps.

The ME-1NV achieves new classic performance status with two discrete Class-A gain stages (the dual gain-stage meters are a Great River exclusive), a front-panel DI input jack which is routed via FET through the input transformer (also unique to Great River preamps) for must-hear-to-believe sound from all Hi-Z instruments, and a discrete high-current Class-A "big iron" transformer-coupled output amplifier. The ME-1NV is a fundamentally important audio tool that brings out the best in every microphone and instrument.

Great River ME-1NV Preamp Features

'Big Iron Vintage Sound' from custom-wound transformers
'No-latency' output monitoring for DAW users
High-Z input is ideal for bass, guitar, and sound modules (FET-buffered and routed into the input transformer, a Great River exclusive)
Gain stage monitoring via dual meters (also a Great River exclusive)
Ultra quiet noise floor for outstanding performance at any gain setting

Great River ME-1NV Preamp Specifications

Multiple In/Out connections:
- XLR balanced
- ¼" -10dbV output for 'no-latency' DAW monitoring
- high-Z input on front panel (disconnects mic input)
- TRS ¼" insert patch point for compressor or equalizer ahead of the output amplifier
Adjustable gain stages:
- input in 5db steps to 60db
- output from -25 to +10db; maximum overall gain 70db
- 2 to 3 stages of single ended solid state amplifier gain blocks, depending on gain structure
- high-current 70ma Class A bias on output stage
Metering: Input and output meters on each channel (dual-stage metering is a Great River exclusive)
Front panel switches:
- polarity
- phantom power
- input impedance (1200 / 300 ohm)
- output loading (600 ohm resistor across output transformer)
Other Significant Design Elements:
- High quality, custom wound Sowter transformers (input and output)
- Gold plated switching contacts
Internal power supply: 110 or 220 volt operation with external selection, either 50 or 60 Hz
Warranty: 3 year warranty with registration
Physical: Half-rack-space with internal power supply
Dimensions & Weight:
- Dimensions: 1.75" high x 8.6" wide x 10" depth
- Weight: 6.5 lbs

Great River ME-1NV Preamp Includes

ME-1NV Preamp
IEC Power Cable
Manufacturer Warranty

9 Reviews Hide Reviews Show Reviews

5
A great Neve alternative

Bruno C

Feb 12th 2025

This preamp is a great alternative if you like the classic Neve sound but prefer something a bit cleaner. It’s “portable,” reasonably priced, and sounds excellent. It can sound cleaner or with more character, depending on the settings. In my experience, it works best at moderate gain levels. If you crank the input gain too much, it can start to sound a bit thin. That said, I definitely recommend it!
5
bang for the buck

SALVADOR velarde

May 15th 2024

This little preamp makes me smile everytime I turn it on. It excells on drums and acoustic guitar. Highly recommended.
4
Not my cup of tea

Jason Loeffler

Nov 30th 2020

Certainly a classic but not my cup of tea. Very rich sound but was looking for something particularly modern and clean. Plenty of gain, works well for DI with a little care, and obviously a thoughtful and compelling design. Still, going back to my LA610 which I know inside and out and adding dirt with my bus compressor.
5
GREAT RIVER ME-1NV MIC PRE

Rick Mousley

Jun 2nd 2020

I'm speechless! Except to repeat one comment from another satisfied customer: "My SM-57 and the ME-1NV, PURE CREAM!"
4
Love it

Max B

Sep 25th 2018

Probably my go-to pre. Warm and detailed. I'd prefer the gain to be variable rather than stepped but the output level is smooth and great if you want to drive the input.
5
Sooo good

Anonymous

May 17th 2012

It doesn't have a lot of knobs or fancy tricks. It does one thing, but it does it extremely well. I love the sound of this thing. Everything sounds better through it. I actually prefer it to the sound of my 6176 for most things, even though the 6176 has a few more tricks up its sleeve.
5
Wonderful Preamp

leecvo

May 14th 2012

I was sent the ME-1NV along with a high-end microphone for a "try-out". I wanted to demo the mic, not the preamp, but I'd read about it and was curious about the hype. I was disappointed in the mic. However, the G.R. pretty much blew me away. It makes ALL of my mics sound better and has become my everyday preamp. It's not "clean" a la Millennia or Grace. It has a character that my sales rep attributes to the "iron" in the transformer, a solidity to the sound, almost a "thickness", but NOT a hyped bottom end. There are 2 switches that offer tonal options. The 1st is an impedance switch which changes the high-end and gain due to the impedance change. The second switch is "Loading". The sales rep told me it changes something in the transformer. I think of it as the "thickener" or "balls" switch. It's a subtle effect, but I leave it in most of the time. If you want "accurate", keep looking. If you want "musicality", this preamp may be what you're looking for. Highly recommended!
4
GR ME1

Jim Martignetti

Dec 21st 2011

Great Preamp, good for rock and metal on vox and prob anything. The guys at Front End Audio do a great job finding the right gear for me!
5
Awesome Preamp

Cameron Dye

Mar 3rd 2009

I own a Pacifica a Brick and a Presonus and the Great River is the one I would choose if I only had one to go to. Use the loading to add a little heft to the track. Crank the gain and lower the output for thicker and do the opposite for cleaner. This isnt going to give you the Millenia sort of clean its going to be a nice clean with a bit of character. You can run literally anything through the GR and it will be at least good but probably be as awesome as a preamp can deliver. The Great River never lets you down it always sounds nice tight and full. Ive heard its based on a Neve 1073 preamp but with improvements. All I know is it sounds great and Ive never had any issues with it breaking down. Ive owned it for about 2 years and its still my favorite. I also like using it with a compressor using just 1 cable with the patch insert which is very nice. The only improvement would be a HP filter which to me is minimal. A great piece of equipment.

What We Think

The Great River ME-1NV and MP-2NV (both the same preamp - just different model numbers for the single and dual channel designs) are quite easily the preamplifiers most referred to as a 'desert island' choice for many a professional engineer. Based upon classic Neve designs, the ME-1NV and MP-2NV offer a 'tweaked transformer' that adds a clarity in the mid-range not found in the original Neve designs. So, you can rest assured that you are capturing audio with all the benefits of the 1073 design without the need for you to spend a lot of your time during tracking and/or mixing cutting out the mud in the lower mids of all your audio signals. The high frequency response is smooth and natural while you'll notice an extended low frequency reach without any sign of a level boost. Another interesting sonic feature is that the custom-wound Sowter transformer breaks up in a much more smooth fashion where it basically can do anything from clean-and-gutsy to driving-down-a-gravel-road and every point in between. Adjustments of the Input and Output knobs allow you to dial in a wide tonal variety of sounds with a nice and flexible shift between clean and dirty response. The Great River design offer some of the most features I've come across - separate Input AND Output metering (surprising that you don't see this more), selectable input impedance between 300 ohms and 1200 ohms (for use with ribbon microphones), and an output loading switch that places a 600 ohm resistor across output transformer. Considering all of the various sonic-sculpting features that Dan Kennedy has built into these world-class preamps, it's no wonder that they are consistently among our best sellers and are one consistently some of our top recommended preamps.

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