James Norbert Ivanyi’s Studio
We recently had the pleasure of meeting James Norbert Ivanyi at NAMM 2025 and chatted about tube gear and the M808A Single Channel preamp. James described his vision on the record that he is working on in his home studio, and was intrigued to utilize the M808A to achieve the sonics that he was after.
He recently picked up a unit and sent us this dreamy teaser to showcase his work through the single-channel M808A.
“I took a quick break from writing to have some fun and demo the amazing @mysterymagicianscompany M808A preamp that I’m using hard all over the new record. I’m running all of my instruments into it, and it really is a thing of beauty. Ultra-defined clarity meets saturated all-tube warmth and big vibes. Guitar, Bass, and keys are all going in hot and getting coloured with some pentode saturation. The Mystery Magicians lads have absolutely knocked it out of the park!”
In the clip below, he is using the AEA N13 Active Ribbon Microphone.
Vintage King’s Hear the Gear SERIES: Mystery Magicians M808A Preamp
The Mystery Magicians M808A is a two-channel, Class-A tube preamp that offers tons of vintage vibe and a surprising amount of flexibility. Providing ample gain for microphone and DI sources, two saturation modes for different harmonic flavors, versatile high- and low-pass filters, and a built-in effects loop, the M808A can bring out the best in any track—from clean and bold DI guitars to slightly saturated vocals or crunchy, distorted drums.