Halion
New member
I have a question about preamps. First, let me explain two ways I use to connect my mics to my computer.
Way 1: cable with XLR at one side going into an SM57 and a cinch plug at the other side going into my Terratec EWX2496 card. This works.
Way 2: cable with XLR plugs on both sides, SM57 at one side, preamp at the other. Cinch plugs at both sides going from the preamp to the pc.
Now lets say I have a kick-ass preamp, and I'm recording in a completely noiseless chamber. I'm recording a low volume source. With way 1, the signal would come in really softly. I normalize digitally, which brings the volume but also the noise floor up. However, because the room is completely noiseless, and I'm not using a preamp, there should be no noise at all, aside from the noise created by the A/D proccess.
If I did the same with way 2, using a preamp to boost the volume, and no digital normalizing, in my way of looking at it, this would actually create more noise, because there's more in the signal chain, even if the preamp is a very good one. There's still the problem of no phantom power when using condensor mics without a preamp but otherwise the same should apply.
I feel I'm missing the entire point of having a preamp, after all, if my room is noisy (read=computerfan noise), boosting the signal with a preamp would create more noise, just as digital normalizing would. I really don't see the purpose of a preamp :s
Way 1: cable with XLR at one side going into an SM57 and a cinch plug at the other side going into my Terratec EWX2496 card. This works.
Way 2: cable with XLR plugs on both sides, SM57 at one side, preamp at the other. Cinch plugs at both sides going from the preamp to the pc.
Now lets say I have a kick-ass preamp, and I'm recording in a completely noiseless chamber. I'm recording a low volume source. With way 1, the signal would come in really softly. I normalize digitally, which brings the volume but also the noise floor up. However, because the room is completely noiseless, and I'm not using a preamp, there should be no noise at all, aside from the noise created by the A/D proccess.
If I did the same with way 2, using a preamp to boost the volume, and no digital normalizing, in my way of looking at it, this would actually create more noise, because there's more in the signal chain, even if the preamp is a very good one. There's still the problem of no phantom power when using condensor mics without a preamp but otherwise the same should apply.
I feel I'm missing the entire point of having a preamp, after all, if my room is noisy (read=computerfan noise), boosting the signal with a preamp would create more noise, just as digital normalizing would. I really don't see the purpose of a preamp :s