Pre-amp options (I'm baffled)

tourbloke

New member
Hello, clever people - I'm hoping someone can help me make a sensible choice of pre-amp for my new mics... I have a pair of Oktavamod 012s (for stereo recording of acoustic 12-string guitar) and an Oktavamod 319 (for my rather gruesome voice), and need to get the wonderful outputs thereof into Pro Tools on my MacBook Pro without messing them up too much. Guitar and voice will be recorded separately so I only need a stereo unit (or two mono units.) My interface is an M-Box 2 (which has to be connected so I can run Pro Tools), but obviously I don't want to use its rudimentary pre-amps. I've come up with five options:

1. Use my TL Audio C1 compressor as a stereo mic pre-map: but I have no idea whether the pre-amps therein are good enough to do justice to my new mics.

2. Buy a FMR Really Nice Pre-amp at £325.

3. Buy two VTB1s at £130.

4. Buy a Focusrite Twintrak Pro at £280.

5. Buy a Focusrite Twintrak Pro with A/D board at £340.

The first four options would presumably involve taking a line level output from the pre-amps into the M-Box line inputs for A/D conversion; option 5 would enable me to take an S/PDIF output into the M-Box, giving better A/D conversion.

My experience of Focusrite kit in my past life as a live sound engineer leads me to crave the Twintrak Pro; the intrinsic skinflint in me says "use the C1 and spend the cash on beer"; but the small yet insistent voice of reason requires me to seek your wise counsel. Whatever I settle on need to be available in Europe, and I need to make a decision by Thursday. Any ideas, please?...
 
I thought the TLA blue face stuff was supposed to be pretty good? Never used it though so you'd be a better judge if you own it.

You are correct (in para. 3) but I wouldn't be so confident that the A-D on the focusrite would be head and shoulders above the M Box A-D. I had a focusrite platinum unit for a while (penta) and wasn't that impressed. It was OK but nothing special. Still, if you've used it before and you liked it then it could be the way to go.

Or:

Option 6: Buy an M Audio DMP-3 from Thommann for just over £100.

http://www.thomann.de/index.html?partner_id=97926&page=gb/m-audio_dmp_3.htm
 
My 2 cents....

First, the Focusrite does not offer any noticable improvement in conversion over the Maudio stuff. Different is more like how I would describe it. The good news is that you can save some money on that part now:)

Second, The Focusrite Platinum series does not have all that good a nmae in the pro end of the industry. I do not know what your past Focusrite experience is, but the platinum, at least as far as I an many others have found, sounds nowhere near as nice as the ISA (blue) and Red series. Even the newer ISA series stuff seems to not hold the same high regards as the older.

Third, I personally would not want to have to use the input level of a compressor to do microphone gain. It is not intended to be used that way. If the C1 you are referring to is actually a preamp/compressor though then it would be OK. I also would definately not want to use the line input of a cheaper tube compressor as you would just be pushing the cheap little tube circuit very hard to get any result.

The FMR RNP that you mentioned is a pretty solid little unit. It should not cause you problems and should sound pretty good. I personally in your budget range would have a look at the D&R preamps. D&R is made in Europe and is pretty common over there in high end studios.
 
+1 on DMP3

I have also used the Goldmike 9844 and it is definately a good preamp but on certain sources with my mics I got better results with the DMP3.
I would be more inclined to look at the ART MPA Gold instead of the Goldmike because the Goldmike is based on a starved plate circuit whereas from what I've been told the ART is more of a true Tube circuit :confused: Worth looking at.

I've also got a VTB1. I prefer the DMP3 to this for the applications I've used it on.
 
Thanks for advice

Thanks for the advice, folks. I've switched the focus of my dithering to a choice between ART MPA Gold (£280), RNP (£280) or DMP3 (£85) - is the DMP3 really that good? Would either of the others be worth the extra £200-ish? Would it be brilliant or stupid to patch the C1 compressor (which is a very nice valve unit) between the outputs of a DNP3 and the inputs of the M-Box 2?... Decision time looms...
 
I've not personally used the ART MPA Gold or RNP but there was a shootout on here between the DMP3 and RNP. Have a look at that and make your own conclusions. I've heard a lot of people say good things about the MPA Gold with upgraded tubes.
I've had excellent results with the DMP3 in the short time I've had it and do not see myself upgrading this for a long time regarding an uncoloured pre.
I've just bought a Tampa which came today because I wanted a different sounding pre. The Tampa offers me more coloured options and a compressor which I'll be trying this friday.
You'll be able to make decent recordings with all of these pres so just choose what features you want.
 
I personally would not/will not spend the extra money on the RNP. If I had to buy one of the preamps you mentioned it would be the DMP3. I have compared the DMP3 to a $600 Meek VC1qcs and a $1,400 Sebatron and for solo acou guit it beats both of them. I have only heard clips of the RNP on acou guit--none of them made me want to sell my DMP3 and go out and buy the RNP.

OTOH it wouldn't surprise me if the MB2 preamps were on par with the Focusrite Platinum stuff--or the other inexpensive preamps you mentioned. Maybe you should give the MB2 pres a chance for a while and, as suggested above, save some more money for a D&R or DAV--something that would be a bigger step up.
 
I personally would not/will not spend the extra money on the RNP. If I had to buy one of the preamps you mentioned it would be the DMP3.

+1 If I were to upgrade my DMP3 for another clean transparent type pre I'd be looking at DAV, Avalon territory
 
If the C1 is a "very nice valve unit" I'm unsure why you're not just using the mic pres in that? :confused:

If it's becuase it's very coloured and you're looking for 'clean' then I'd recommnd the DMP-3, unless, as others have said you want to chuck quite a bit more money at it and look at DAV, Millennia etc.
 
Back
Top