A conversation with Aaron Strumpel about the 992EG Tube Mic Preamp

Originally released in 1992, the LaChapell Audio 992EG has become a go-to tube mic preamp for professional and project studios worldwide. We connected with Aaron Strumpel and asked him a few questions about how he uses the 992EG tube preamp in his studio. Aaron is a prolific songwriter, producer and collaborator and has recently been a part of the CommonHymnal project.

How did you first hear about LaChapell Audio?
My friend David Wilton of Coalesce Audio has one and I was able to hear it.

We know you have the 992EG, are you using it with the stock tubes?
I have the 992EG with custom NOS Phillips tubes.

What do you use the 992EG on mostly?
I love it on vocals, acoustic guitar, overheads and I’ll go direct with electric guitar and bass every time with it.

And mics? What do you pair with it?
I haven’t had a bad experience with a mic and the 992 but I particularly love my ’40’s RCA 77dx and my Flea Superfet 48 with it. Everything sounds great though!

We love Flea mics with the 992. They have a 992 in their shop!

The 992EG was designed to be a tube mic preamp with loads of versatility. How do YOU like to use it?
I usually just set it to saturate a bit, but I love the big clean sound on vocals. Just beautiful.

What would you say to someone who is interested in getting a 992EG tube preamp for their project studio?
LaChapell is top of the line! The 992EG would be worth the price of admission without the DI, but the DI can do anything with those tubes running the show.

We’d love to hear some of the records you used the 992EG on.
I tracked all my vocals for my album Bright Star through two microphones and then mixed them down to taste. I had a Flea 47 and an AEA R44 going into the two channels on the 992EG tube preamp and it was an unreal combination.

Thanks to Aaron for taking the time to chat a bit!

For those who want to hear more about Aaron and his music and projects, please check out his website at https://www.aaronstrumpel.com.