High end preamps, are they worth it?
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miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Just because you've been asking everyone so nicely....why should we?
You make it fun for us to just let you dangle in complete confusion.
Figure it out for yourself....since no one here has the right answer for you.
Coming from somebody who knows it all, yet has no music to prove it, That smarts ouch.
So much is wrong with this philosophy aint funny. Did anybody ask anywhere "how can I make a record on my pc"
No I dont think they did, the answers that come back are answering THAT question. Well no shit it wont sound like a record, Just asked how to get better recordings than Im currently getting.
always turns into a "well, in order for somebody to get MY QUALITY recordings it will take alot more than a good preamp. Ironically, the people who say this aint doing much better than I am. Only difference is i KNOW my recordings are not good
If you refer to post 1, there was nothing nasty or mean spirited about the question. it turns into that.
Right, they probably aren't, and you don't know what you're doing, hence your barrage of trollish vague questions. That's not a knock on you. It's just fact. You don't understand the most basic concepts of recording, but in your defense no one is just born knowing this stuff. A little common sense goes a long way though. So you ask a question that you may or may not actually know the answer to just so you can engage in arguments. That's cool. It's funny. But the answers aren't strictly just for you. Someone else that might actually want to learn something and actually make good recordings could get something from the answers.
jimmys69
MOODerator
Are you seriously going to come in here and ruin this thread as well?
You are really just becoming a bad tool on this site. Maybe you need to just realize that there are no right and wrong answers, and a whole bunch of other things that come into play when making a judgment on what is right or wrong for any particular situation. The right answer is never an absolute in recording. NEVER!
Either learn to listen or just go away dood. Seriously, this is getting out of hand and not benefiting anyone.
fat_fleet
Swollen Member
Um, it's not meant to hurt your feelings and I'm sorry if it did, but you asked for a simple answer.
And the truth is- if you're just starting out, like you are:
- There are a million places you could put your money and hear more of a difference. Quality instruments for example (if you play one)
- Also the weak link in your recordings is not lack of a fancy standalone pre.
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Why is asking how my recordings can get a boast in volume trollish?
I dont like being talked down to, which happens alot here. I spent the last two decades becoming a songwriter, and a singer, so when people tell me stupid shit like if your mic isnt good, or if your performance isnt good. People should understand that just because somebody asks a question about recording, that are not talented people who have paid dues. A little respect would help. I can give it back too
jimmys69
MOODerator
Um, you are in the wrong thread man.
Nobody is talking down to you. If you take recommendations and insight from those you ask questions of as 'talked down to' then why are you even asking? People are only giving there experience. If that also involves suggestions as to a better thing to try, then don't get all butthurt because nobody gave you a direct answer. In most cases, there is no direct answer.
There is no best mic. You cant get things loud by pushing a button. There is no perfect preamp for everything. There are no yes or no answers to anything regarding recording.
That is the point man. It takes so many variables to create something from nothing, that is impossible to give direct answers. If you word something like 'will the converters in a $1000 interface be better than a $50 one', then you will probably get an answer of likely yes. But that isn't the point. If you invest in a $1000 interface and your mic is not suited to the source, and/or the room you are recording it in is ruining the sound, then there is no point of spending the money for benefit of your sound unless you also deal with the other issues. It is not a run around of answers, it is just people helping by giving the experiences they have found that leads one to find the answer themselves.
Listen to what people are saying. It all makes a difference.
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Ah, the victim card again.
volltreffer
Imply depressed
...back to the original question: IMHO, it can make quite a difference, but it may be not as obvious as you think, as you will probably hear more of the room/mic/someothershit Problems that are in the recording. I am in the lucky Situation of having had the possibility of buying a mid-expensive pre
4-710d Four-Channel Tone-Blending Mic Preamplifier & A/D Converter w/ Dynamics | Universal Audio
it has a very nice silky touch to it (even when used with a cheap chinese mic), but it made some voice recordings VERY different, as you would hear Police cars that were about 1000 meters away (is this half a mile?) through the closed Windows. The room is treated quite nice, so I didn't have probs with it. But if you have strange reflections, they might even be pronounced. That's the reason why it is so hard to tell... There were song that I recorded with my 40$ ART pre, that I like so much, I would not Change the pre there. On others, the Audio Buddies with Hand Held AKG C1000 Sound very nice. I assume you should not try to find THE right pre first. Perhaps it wasn't even the Sound of the amp I preferred, but the VERY smooth (though incredibily simplified) compressor? If I were you, I'd definitely prefer to share the Money on different things: in the beginning nice, simple pre and mic, followed by decent ones and maybe lateron really good ones. That make it more likely to find the gear that fits you... (Well unless you're in the lucky Situation to be able to buy a pre without having to pay for it yourself
)
4-710d Four-Channel Tone-Blending Mic Preamplifier & A/D Converter w/ Dynamics | Universal Audio
it has a very nice silky touch to it (even when used with a cheap chinese mic), but it made some voice recordings VERY different, as you would hear Police cars that were about 1000 meters away (is this half a mile?) through the closed Windows. The room is treated quite nice, so I didn't have probs with it. But if you have strange reflections, they might even be pronounced. That's the reason why it is so hard to tell... There were song that I recorded with my 40$ ART pre, that I like so much, I would not Change the pre there. On others, the Audio Buddies with Hand Held AKG C1000 Sound very nice. I assume you should not try to find THE right pre first. Perhaps it wasn't even the Sound of the amp I preferred, but the VERY smooth (though incredibily simplified) compressor? If I were you, I'd definitely prefer to share the Money on different things: in the beginning nice, simple pre and mic, followed by decent ones and maybe lateron really good ones. That make it more likely to find the gear that fits you... (Well unless you're in the lucky Situation to be able to buy a pre without having to pay for it yourself
)
grimtraveller
If only for a moment.....
barry c.
While it is true that sometimes some folk on here can come across in ways that can rise the heckles, especially if you don't know them, I think you need to balance that with an appreciation of the different strands of humour here.
The consensus of this thread is that no one piece of equipment does it alone, because every one item is part of a greater whole. And has to be weighed up in that context. So it would actually make a great deal of sense to say something like "a $2500 high end pre~amp will be better than a $45 Behringer but will make scant noticeable difference if you're not firing in other departments."
Peoples' experience give them insight and different takes on the variables, of which there are many.
jimmys69
MOODerator
Well of course everything matters, but the question wasnt about everything. Why was the question asked then?
It's like asking is exercise good for you, and somebody saying well, if you eat junk food then it doesnt matter. first of all, that wouldnt be true, exercise alone is better than not, but most people are knowledgeable enough to know that if they smoke and eat junk, that exercise wont help that much, but that doesnt mean that exercise is not good.
I dont think when somebody asks about a preamp that they are asking if it will make them a great recording engineer, they are asking if the piece is good or not.
There ARE cut and dry answers, sometimes a simple yes works just fine, or a simple no, becomes a broken record reading the same responses, preamps have been mention often, always the same song and dance. ANSWER THE QUESTION ASKED
It's like asking is exercise good for you, and somebody saying well, if you eat junk food then it doesnt matter. first of all, that wouldnt be true, exercise alone is better than not, but most people are knowledgeable enough to know that if they smoke and eat junk, that exercise wont help that much, but that doesnt mean that exercise is not good.
I dont think when somebody asks about a preamp that they are asking if it will make them a great recording engineer, they are asking if the piece is good or not.
There ARE cut and dry answers, sometimes a simple yes works just fine, or a simple no, becomes a broken record reading the same responses, preamps have been mention often, always the same song and dance. ANSWER THE QUESTION ASKED
Steenamaroo
...
The question is "High end preamps, are they worth it?"
So I'd have to say are they worth what?
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