One of the few negatives to writing a music gear column: separation anxiety. Getting to know some of the products, I inevitably bond, then grow quite fond of certain very useful devices – and then, when I'm unable to buy all of them, they must return to their rightful owners.

So here I am, tearfully bidding farewell to a wonderful microphone preamp, the Langevin Dual Vocal Combo ($2000): Two pristine, Class A channels of mic pre, with eq and limiting included.

Like much of the retro gear recently in vogue, the LDVC is sleekly designed, simplistic inside and out, and can perform a variety of tasks efficiently – all with the highest regard for sonic fidelity. Attractive “vintage” knobs, switches and VU meters are tastefully offset by the stunning metallic maroon on the front panel. The controls are for each channel’s Input, Low Frequency EQ (40 or 80 Hz), High Frequency EQ (8 or 12 KHz) and Phantom Power, and Reduction/(post reduction output) Gain. Additional switches allow EQ or limiting section bypasses, VU meter monitoring of Output or Reduction levels, and a choice between the limiter’s Separate (independent limiting) or Linked (stereo) modes.

In a more annoying throwback, controls are symmetrically laid out so that the Dual Vocal Combo’s face is a transposed representation of left/right orderings, which led to bouts of engineering dyslexia for me. Wisely, the Power knob is on the top middle of the front panel, along with two 1/4” instrument jacks. The rear provides XLR Mic Ins, Balanced line outs, 1/4” jacks for Unbalanced output, Preamp Outs (for using the mic pre separate from the limiter) and Limiter Input (to use an insert effect). The detachable power cord also connects back here, including a grounding section and replaceable fuse.

I first used it on a session with two vocalists singing simultaneously, but upon placing two identical condenser mics back to back (so the vocalists faced each other) and switching the phantom power on, I realized there's no “phase reverse” switch. Moving the mics apart until the flange-like phase cancellations were minimized, or using an easily found “phase reversing” mic connector, easily solved the problem.

The most obvious and impressive quality is the sound transparency of this unit. Many other mic PREs, EQs and limiters have a very distinct effect upon what goes through them, whereas the Dual Vocal Combo left little or no audible “fingerprints” – which is a good thing. I switched the low eq frequency to 80 Hz and rolled off the lows to reduce plosives and rumble, then switched the high eq to 12 KHz and added a little “air” to the sound.

Neither of these EQ adjustments stand out without comparing the levels: turning the bypass switch on and off showed a distinct, noticeable improvement in sound quality. The limiter showed similar “non” characteristics, although it took a while. This was because in order to even get it to “kick in,” I had to crank the input level knobs to the 4:00 position! While I’m no stranger to throwing things “hard to starboard,” I didn’t feel entirely comfortable having to use that kind of gain.

Once I regained my composure however, I found the limiter to be very flattering when used very discretely. In other words, this ain’t no compressor, so don’t think it’s going to “fatten up” the sound of what goes through it. It’s just going to help you to maintain a consistent tracking level.

Speaking of level, be prepared to throw that post reduction gain knob pretty hard as well. I contacted the folks at Manley Labs, Inc. (the product’s manufacturers -- www.manleylabs.com) and the lovely and considerate EveAnna Manley herself informed me that there was an internally located trim pot that could be adjusted to provide more gain if necessary. Good to know.

While the LDVC fittingly showed best results on vocals, it also did quite well with direct bass guitar, mic’d guitar amps, overhead drum mics and stereo mixes. Again, a little goes a long way with its limiter, but the cleanliness of its signal path and transparency of its eq are unsurpassed. All in all, a very solid (if a tad finicky) piece of equipment. It will be missed… greatly. (Sniff)