The $10,000 Preamp

[The Korff]

From Behringer, no less! (Well, Midas... and perhaps it's unfair to lump the two together, but they are owned by the same parent company.)

Anyway, here it is:

http://www.musictribe.com/p/P0BRW

$10k in the States, only £9k in the UK:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... e_500.html

https://www.gear4music.com/PA-DJ-and-Li ... ifier/2FZJ

You could pick up a Heritage — with 48 Midas preamps — for half that nowadays!

[The Korff]

Sorry, did I say half? I meant a quarter:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MIDAS-Herita ... :rk:1:pf:0

[Wonks]

I'll just have to wait then until Neve bring out a cheap copy.

[Watchmaker]

Finally! a piece of gear that inspires no interest in me whatsoever!

[The Korff]

I'll just have to wait then until Neve bring out a cheap copy.

[Luke W]

I've looked at this a few times now, and I'm not getting any less confused.

[Sam Spoons]

I love this pic of a singer singing into the end of a side address mic (and a Berry B1 at that )

[MarkOne]

What's in it for heaven's sake?

You could half-fill the volume of a double width 500 series module with solid gold and probably still break even.

Surely that is a mistake?

All the other planned Midas 500 series modules are on pre-sale for less that 150 quid.

[Folderol]

What's in it for heaven's sake?

Probably rocking horse poo and unicorn farts.

[Luke W]

Surely that is a mistake?

I'd imagine so. Considering it's near three times the cost of an M32, which contains 32 of (what I assume to be) those very same pres.

[Wonks]

It's unlikely to be a mistake when listed on two different store websites in two different countries (a search shows other sellers as well at similar prices). If the price was still to be decided then the usual 'TBA' would be used. And it is a special order, no return item (though in the UK, it would still be returnable during the normal period of bought from a web site).

The one Amazon review of it can't speak too highly:

"I recorded a fart with my Road NT1 and it sounded like a dragon sneezing unicorn dust onto a mountain of gold bullion. Don't for a minute regret selling my 16 channel API console for this unit. I only wish my convertor could handle 784 khz so I could truly capture all of the subtle nuance."

[molecular]

I’ve looked at this in bewilderment a few times too. Does SOS high command not have access to some kind of press release or something to explain it?

[The Korff]

Curiously, we received no press release about this one at all! I only found it because I saw it on a Reverb ad for the bargain price of £8999 inc VAT... I assumed it was a typo too, but it seems loads of retailers have it listed for the same sort of price.

I'm still baffled.

[Drew Stephenson]

It's unlikely to be a mistake when listed on two different store websites in two different countries (a search shows other sellers as well at similar prices). If the price was still to be decided then the usual 'TBA' would be used. And it is a special order, no return item (though in the UK, it would still be returnable during the normal period of bought from a web site).

The one Amazon review of it can't speak too highly:

"I recorded a fart with my Road NT1 and it sounded like a dragon sneezing unicorn dust onto a mountain of gold bullion. Don't for a minute regret selling my 16 channel API console for this unit. I only wish my convertor could handle 784 khz so I could truly capture all of the subtle nuance."

Did you write that review Wonks?

[Folderol]

So, originally it was supposed to have been advertised as $100.00, but the printers missed out the dot. However, they got a number of serious enquiries for the $10000 so thought they might as well go with it, and have by now already covered all manufacturing and advertising costs

[Wonks]

Did you write that review Wonks?

Alas, I did not.

[Wonks]

It could always be a cunning marketing ploy - well it's certainly got us talking about it.

Then in a couple of weeks they announce a big price reduction to $300, but then market it as a $10k preamp for $300 etc.

[stemwinder]

"Note: 500-Series modules require a power supply and enclosure (sold separately)."

you thought they'd have thrown that in for 10K!?

[ConcertinaChap]

I'm sure Russ Andrews could oblige with something appropriate.

CC

[Wonks]

He wouldn't stoop to sell something so cheap.

[CS70]

My wild guess it's that it's a mistake in the same data file that is sent to all these web shops. More and more these things are automated..

"Midas" finally seems like an appropriate name...

[The Korff]

On both US and UK retailer websites, with different different shops showing slightly different discounts? No, I think they've just lost the plot!

[CS70]

On both US and UK retailer websites, with different different shops showing slightly different discounts? No, I think they've just lost the plot!

Well it could well be that all the prices are calculated from the same base currency, using a currency conversion table which is updated every week or so. That's how many company work out for example, investment budgets requiring foreign assets or labour.

Automation is progressing enormously and especially B2B - it is conceivable that the big shops may have automated price updates by the manufacturers, especially because it saves money reducing the need of manual operations and hence staff. On average that would be a good thing but there would be far less people (if any) in the chain to check out if things make sense.

But of course there's as much as chance to be as you say!

[Wonks]

It's been too long. And the shops certainly would get back to Music Group very quickly when they saw the price. I can't believe it does cost that much, but it's gone on too long for it to be a simple error. I suspect a marketing ploy.

[CS70]

Good point - as you said, we’re certainly talking about it!!