Mic, preamp, or interface

davecg321

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Mic, preamp, monitors or interface

I currently use a presonus firestudio project and a Rode nt1a as my main means of recording.

What would make more of a difference, mic, microphone preamp or a new interface altogether?

I have a budget of around £700. I was initially leaning towards buying an akg 414 xls but would like some further opinions.

Tah
 
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You haven't given enough info. What are you recording? Vocals? Guitars? Are you happy with the recordings you are getting? Have you considered other ways to spend money that might make a bigger improvement in your final product, for example studio monitors? That said, I would not be without an external preamp.
 
I mainly record acoustic music. I did have an art pro mpa preamp which I kind of regret getting rid of. Yes! I was meant to put new monitors in that list too. Currently I have m audio av 30s.
 
I mainly record acoustic music. I did have an art pro mpa preamp which I kind of regret getting rid of. Yes! I was meant to put new monitors in that list too. Currently I have m audio av 30s.

I think your monitors are in need of an upgrade more than your signal chain. I started on the exact same speakers (AV30), mixed an entire album on them! But even a modest step up would be a big improvement. The AV30s are now my kids' computer speakers :D
 
What monitors would you suggest for my price range?

Haha yeah I was impressed when I first got them. They are ok for general desktop listening but not well defined enough for mixing.
 
Depends on how demanding your recordings are. Output op-amps and Monitors are your final link - what you base "reality" on.

Nothing I do requires KH120 monitors, and one can try to find a shoe that fits
 
As you have an NT1-a I would suggest that all another pre amp would add would be extra noise!

A REALLY quiet pre such as a Grace would probably be ok but then very quiet pres tend to be very clean and not add anything to the signal.

In any event, transformerless capacitor mics are not really affected by such booteekeries as variable loading.

Monitors? Yes, the advances in the high end stuff has filtered down to affordable units in recent years.

Dave.
 
When I sold my 414, I always regretted it, but I won't be replacing it until I can afford two! I think it's the only 'sound' I'm missing for what I do.

I'm never quite so sure about monitors, and once you can balance in your head what they actually do to the sound, you can adjust quickly. I suspect that each time you upgrade your studio monitors you need to double your spend, £250 needs to be replaced with £500, then you go up to a grand for the next appreciable difference, but somehow, the benefit of the change satisfies you less and less as you go up.
 
Was using AV-30's for monitors. Upgraded to JBL LSR-305's which are a decent size for my roomand sound great. AV-30's now are used for general music listening on a computer.
Pretty happy with my GAP Pre73 mkII, ISA One, or ART PRO MPA II depending on the mic. (all purchased used to save a few $$$)
Favorite mic is a Miktek C1 (cardioid). Studio Projects CS5 and a Shure KSM44 have done well for me for multi-pattern mics (also all bought used).
 
As you have an NT1-a I would suggest that all another pre amp would add would be extra noise!

A REALLY quiet pre such as a Grace would probably be ok but then very quiet pres tend to be very clean and not add anything to the signal.

In any event, transformerless capacitor mics are not really affected by such booteekeries as variable loading.

Monitors? Yes, the advances in the high end stuff has filtered down to affordable units in recent years.

Dave.

This is exactly why I am thinking of a external pre... the interface is too clean. I want some character. Surely most studios would opt for an external pre over any interface pre...?
 
This is exactly why I am thinking of a external pre... the interface is too clean. I want some character. Surely most studios would opt for an external pre over any interface pre...?

Well, much of boutique pre-amp "lore" has been blown away a lot by the 2012 Sound on Sound pre amp shootout! Then, not every studio mic amp has a hundredweight of "attitude" you know? I have mentioned the Grace. The Focusrite Red is a very well regarded pre amp (and VERY simple. Nice traff and an NE5534) very low noise and I understand virtually no character at all and driving it hard just makes it sound bad!

But then I am of the Old School. Get the best, most faithful sound you can in the can and THEN eff about with it IF you like!

Dave.
 
Rode NT1A into a fire studio is a practical, dependable and extremely good quality combination. If you want character, add it afterwards. If you have money to burn, consider your whole system and work out where the best value for money gain is.
 
But then I am of the Old School. Get the best, most faithful sound you can in the can and THEN eff about with it IF you like!

Yep. I suggested that without realising you had already done so. Maybe hearing the same advice twice might have an effect.
 
IF you are indeed using AV30s, then that's the first place to put some money. With a low end of 90Hz, you can't mix anything with reliability on them. Like Mark, I had a pair and then upped to the JBL LSR305s, because that's what my budget allowed.
Do you have acoustic treatment in your mixing room? Without treatment and better monitors, you can't even judge the mic and preamp you have.
 
There's nothing wrong with character up front, but versatile amps can be used on both ends - however you please. I just looked up the Jr. thing, as I didn't know it existed. If you want to understand that game, you pretty much have to buy one, and this one won't bust the bank.
 
Buy a really good mic. I did and made more improvement than all the preamps (ISA2, ART MPA Gold, LA610, Focusrite 478) and plugins (too many to mention) I threw at it.
No amount of harmonic distortion and reverb will ever make a cheap mic sound like you want it to.
It's like buying a new <insert favorite automobile> vs using your grandpa's Ford Pinto. Not a chick magnet.
 
Buy a really good mic. I did and made more improvement than all the preamps (ISA2, ART MPA Gold, LA610, Focusrite 478) and plugins (too many to mention) I threw at it.
No amount of harmonic distortion and reverb will ever make a cheap mic sound like you want it to.
It's like buying a new <insert favorite automobile> vs using your grandpa's Ford Pinto. Not a chick magnet.

Long, long ago...That was the mantra in the tape recorder magazines "get a better microphone". Tape recorders were not bad, 40Hz to 12kHz at 3.75ips for a domestic and way better if you could aspire to the dizzy heights of a Revox or Ferrograph. The latter had a low Z transformer input. Mics of the day for the tyro were AKG D 202, Grampian, Audix and the ubiquitous Reslo ribbons (of Cavern fame) . Pros were using STC dynamics and the 4038 ribbon, the latter of course has well stood the test of time. Shure and capacitor mics were rarely seen.

Dave.
 
My magnetophon 76 from '59-62? does 30-16k at 3 3/4ips, and some of those period Senny MICs do very good.

Of course, it might be the telefunken tubes and electronics that make it sound so good. But the little shaver sounds better than my DIN Tandberg Mic
 

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