Wondering if a colored pre will make my vocals sound better?

[momagoose]

Im using a presonus eureka right now, witha ditsressor after it, i am wondering if i get a vintech or a neve or maybe a different pre there will be a big difference. if anyone could help me i have money to buy one im just wondering how big the difference will be. thanks so much

[Kevin Deschwazi]

You have to try different things. A great mic through a great pre might not necessarily suit your voice. That's why commercial studios need a decent sized collection of mics. Try some different ones and see which one you like.

[Rev E]

It depends on the color. In general though, "yes" vocals tend to sound good with colored pres (IMO), from transformer-based pres like Neves to tube pres. So what 'color' are you considering?

[momagoose]

www.invainmusic.com recording of our bands first demo, was cheap mic pre back then and cheap equip but im gettin some ugprades already got a distressor and am using a sm-7 which sounds great on my vocals but im also wondering if you listen to the recording maybe a neve type sound will fit me? tell me what you think

[Teacher]

from a presonus eureka it will make a WORLD of a difference check out the Chandler LTD-1 thats a neve a like has eq and everything ~$2k

[Fletcher]

There is no magic box that will suddenly make your vocals sound better... not a Neve, not a Vintech, not a Great River nor D.W. Fearn. What will make your vocals sound better is learning better breathing technique and becoming a better singer.

When you're a better singer, then you might want to think about surrounding yourself with tools that will better allow you to capture a compelling, emotional vocal performance. At that point, take a listen to your music and try to determine [which occurs mostly through trial and error] which tools will best compliment your music.

It's that easy.

Well... the becoming a better singer part is the really hard thing... so if you're not afraid of really working for it then it'll be that easy... if you think that "good sound" is going to come out of a box, you're kidding yourself and wasting your money.

Peace.

[momagoose]

Ya you're completely right fletcher, that demo was year and a half ago and i've been taking singing lessons ever since then. my control is over notes range is so much stronger now and im actually cutting an album and my vocals sound good on the m audio 50 buck unit. Its called m audio buddy it. but i wanna upgrade my vocal chain a little. right now im going sm-7 dynamic into m audio buddy -> distressor. i love the sm-7 its an awsome mic. but maybe my mic pre could be better. Are vintech 1073 pretty colored fletcher? im not sure what wil suit me best as i can't try everything and i have rented a neve 1073 and it sounded great but im still not sure. maybe you could give me some advice fletcher

[mastahnke]

SM-7 should be a great start to a vocal chain. I love that mic. I find it works VERY well for male singers, and raspy females. I think you might want something that either
1) is a little harsher than the presonus (some people would call it warmth)
2) Something that provides a less-airy and more in-your-face sound.

That is commonly what male vocalists are going for. The presonus is a very clean preamp that tends to be unforgiving on your singing. Adding some harshness, (or warmth, depending on the unit) can really bring it to life. You can try heavy compression, but often times driving a tube (if it's a decent preamp) will give desireable results.

Before spending a TON of money on a Neve, Avalon or whatever, you might try a couple different mixing board preamps, an RNP or Studio Projects VTB1. I commonly find the VTB-1 to be a GREAT choice, even with an Avalon 737 at my disposal. It depends on the singer mostly, but the song somewhat also .

Hope some of that made sense.

[Fletcher]

Colors depend on how you view your painting... put a bowl of fruit on a table and have a dozen different people paint the same bowl of fruit and you'll end up with a dozen different paintings... same with recording.

Personally, I wouldn't piss on a Vintech unit if it were on fire... but it may work for you as it has worked for others over the years... I'd look at a Daking unit, I'd look at a Great River unit, I'd look at a Tab/Telefunkenwerks "V-78"... I'd look at a whole lot of stuff that didn't clain to be a "Neve-a-like" just because I'm kinda bored with the whole "Neve is the pinnacle of grace" bullshit [and don't get me wrong, Rupert is an old friend... no disrespect intended toward Neve stuff... but in many (many!!) ways it's time to move on].

If I could recommend something to you it would be to try a bunch of different units, with different tones and textures, in your studio, on your music and make an educated decision... as a sales weasel, I could tell you what will make our company the best margin, but I would never presume to tell you what will be best for your music.

Peace.

[Bobalou]

look at the Vintech X73, it rocks!.. all the huge upfront vibe you'll need for vocals.

[Beck]

Originally Posted by momagoose

Im using a presonus eureka right now, witha ditsressor after it, i am wondering if i get a vintech or a neve or maybe a different pre there will be a big difference. if anyone could help me i have money to buy one im just wondering how big the difference will be. thanks so much

A well-made tube pre that can be tweaked for different tones and shades is indispensable in my world. I'm very fond of the PAIA duel tube mic pre, as it has a dial to blend between solid-state crispness to warm tube effects.

By the way we don't refer to them as colored any more because we don't want to offend anyone. So from henceforth they shall be know as pres of color.

[robin watson]

Well, I'm as black as the ace of spades, but the term 'coloured pre' doesn't offend me, and neither should it offend anyone else without some kind of chip on their shoulder.

[Teacher]

Originally Posted by robin watson

Well, I'm as black as the ace of spades, but the term 'coloured pre' doesn't offend me, and neither should it offend anyone else without some kind of chip on their shoulder.

where did that come from?

[regebro]

Originally Posted by momagoose

Im using a presonus eureka right now, witha ditsressor after it, i am wondering if i get a vintech or a neve or maybe a different pre there will be a big difference. if anyone could help me i have money to buy one im just wondering how big the difference will be. thanks so much

Quite often, having a slight high rolloff on the vocals does make things sound better. This is why so many like dynamic microphone like the SM57 for vocals. A colored pre and a condenser can give similar results.

And as noted above, the exact combination that sounds best depends on the voice, the rest of the equipment and your budget.

I think my combination of the highly colored Art Tube MP and an Oktava MK-319 condenser works well, and didn't cost too much (the equivalent of $250 at the exchange rate at that time).

[Beck]

Originally Posted by robin watson

Well, I'm as black as the ace of spades, but the term 'coloured pre' doesn't offend me, and neither should it offend anyone else without some kind of chip on their shoulder.

Sorry, my dry sense of humor doesn't translate well to print. It doesn't help that I forgot to use the sarcastic icon.

[Big Kenny]

Sure it will! If it sounds good now, it will sound better. If it doesn't sound good now, then ........nah