I want the DMP3!

[tone_aot]

I almost have everything i need to really kick into gear with my home studio addiction, lol. I ordered my first pair of monitors and i'm waiting for them to arrive. The last thing that i'm going to buy for right now(i've said that alot of times) is the m-audio dmp3. I know it's not the best preamp but i want an upgrade from my behringer mixer. I'm not bashing behringer because the mixer has held up, but i just want a better quality pre. I could get a decent pre from american musical on a payment plan but i'm already doing that with the monitors and i don't really have the money. Looks like i'm gettin the dmp3 whenever i have the money for that. I need opinions on the dmp3/links to audio examples of the pre in use. If you have another pre suggestion, i'm very open to suggestions. Heck, if i had the bucks, i'd get an avalon and a u87.

[tone_aot]

Forgot to mention, i'm using a studio projects c1 and nady scm 950. I do hip hop/rnb vocals. Thanks!

[studiomaster]

From what i know, the DMP3 is a fantastic preamp..atleast for home recording. Try getting it or the Studio projects preamp for $99. they're both good.

[MadAudio]

My DMP3 is one of those pieces of gear I know I'll never sell. Great bang for buck.

[tone_aot]

Yall got clips of the dmp3 in action? I'd like to hear a reference. I know it should be better than my behringer mixer preamp.

[travelin travis]

I wonder if someone thru up a A/B blind test between the behringer pre and dmp3 if we would know which is which?

[chessrock]

Not to rain on your parade or anything. But, while I think it's a good thing to have on a budget, I wouldn't go so far as to get excited over one.

Unless it gives you some sort of psychological piece of mind. I might get excited over something that makes a big difference, though ... like a new guitar or a new amp. Or new drums; that kinda' thing. But I suppose you might as well enjoy the 2 days or so that the excitement lasts.
.

[tone_aot]

So, it really wouldn't be that much of an upgrade from the mixer preamp? If it isn't i won't bother buying it but i've heard alot of positive reviews.

[travelin travis]

Go to www.thelisteningsessions.com and listen to the differences in some of the high end and bottom range pre's. Can you tell a great difference? It's all up to you wether the upgrade is worth it or not.

..........save you a little time: http://www.thelisteningsessions.com/sessions.htm

[tone_aot]

I would love to but i have dial-up. Mp3 samples take too long to play. I'll try to though. I've been there before but it's been a while.

[chessrock]

Originally Posted by tone_aot

So, it really wouldn't be that much of an upgrade from the mixer preamp? If it isn't i won't bother buying it but i've heard alot of positive reviews.

At the level that most of the guys on this board are at, any differences there might be will be largely lost and unable to be taken fully advantage of. And a good deal of it is psychological. Watch for words like "night and day" ... or "like taking a blanket off my brain" or stuff to that effect. That's a tell-tale sign that it's mostly psychological.

At best, it might be just one small step in the right direction. It's always a good idea to use the best stuff you can get a hold of, obviously ... and any little steps you can take towards that can never be a totally bad thing, theoretically speaking.

It's kind of like cutting fat out of your diet and instantly expecting to lose a ton of weight and be world's healthier. It's always a good idea to do it if/when/where you can. But in the grand scheme of things, it's just one step in the right direction (along with a world of other things like getting more exercise and sleep, etc. ) towards being more healthy.

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[travelin travis]

If it were me, I'd spend the bread on a decent internet connection.

[famous beagle]

I can tell you from my personal experience, because I did exactly what you're wanting to do. I have a behri mixer, and I just got a DMP3.

The first thing I'll say is that there definitely was not an eye-opening experience. When I compared the two on a miked acoustic, I wouldn't say either was "better." They were only slightly different.

However, I haven't yet been able to test it beyond that.

The thing that everyone around here says is that you have to wait until you record a bunch of tracks and then see how everything sits in the mix. I haven't been able to do that yet, because I've been busy trying to make a deadline on a book I'm writing.

But then again, people are saying that you shouldn't use too much of any one pre or mic in one big mix, so ... I don't know what to tell ya.

[tone_aot]

I appreciate everyones comments. Travis, you are tryin to be real funny but i'm serious about this. Music has been my life since age three so i take it serious.

[punkin]

What are you recording to (PC or other), is the room up to it? What's wrong with the recordings you're making now? The DMP3 is a great bang for the buck and cleaner than the Behr unit but it's not the silver bullet. what I'm trying to say is, it's a package deal.

Like some of the others here, the DMP3 wasn't earth shattering but rather clean and predictable. The "awakening" if you can call it that was while tracking acoustic guitars. Thats where the crispy clean became obvious.

[tone_aot]

I'm recording to pc and i have decent results now but i just wanted a step up in the "clean" department. My vocals sound good but it's like i need that extra cleanness to the highs that i hear in vocals today. I use a studio projects c1 and i've heard a demo on some site(not listening sessions) and it sounded fuller and cleaner in the highs than mine but they didn't list the preamp.

[punkin]

It should be a good move at a good price.

[travelin travis]

what i really want is a piece of winona rider. don't know where that came from.

[tone_aot]

Thanks for the help man. I knew it had to be the preamp because i hooked my spc1 into my friends yamaha aw16/44 and it sounded a little bit better. Not "wow" quality, but rather "that's pretty darn good" quality.

[tone_aot]

That's true Travis. Some of my best instrumentals were recorded on an old beatup tape recorder. I learned how to rig up cables from years of fiddling around with "studio" equipment. I really thought i had a studio. That was funny. I had a two tape recorders, yamaha keyboard, and crappy radio shack mic. I recorded the music then recorded the music and vocals together on the other tape recorder. I think that i'll probably still get the dmp3 just out of pure curiosity, but i'll wait until i'll mastered what i have. I got my first pair of studio monitors on the way so i'll have plenty to play with for a while.

[smtcharlie]

tone_alot, as you can see, there is much debate on this topic. There is at least one thread going at all times around here where someone asks, "should I get a better mic, or a better pre-amp, or a better, etc, etc, etc..."

And then there are a thousand opinions. Different gear works for different people - that's the beauty of all of this.

I think better pre-amps make tracks sound more "alive" in the details - a berry to a DMP3 (I have owned both) difference isn't going to blow your mind immediately when you plug it in.

When I first bought a Tampa, I recorded a few test tracks with it, a DMP3, and a Blue Tube. And with just one track, the difference was fairly slight. I was pretty upset, really.

But, I just did a re-mix of an old song today which I recorded on all Blue Tube pre's...and it sounded like a muddy mess. Things I'm doing with more Tampa end up much better.

So....for whatever that's worth...

[jonnyc]

Originally Posted by TravisinFlorida

I wonder if someone thru up a A/B blind test between the behringer pre and dmp3 if we would know which is which?

I did an A/B of my dmp3 and my ada8000. It took about 2 seconds to tell that the dmp3 is much much better sounding than the berhi. I even had some musicians that don't know anything about preamps take their pick and they all picked the dmp3.

[rayc]

Don't forget at that level of specs & quality control there's A LOT of scope for good unit/bad unit. Not to mention good set up/bad set up and good take/bad take.
Cheers
rayC

[travelin travis]

Originally Posted by jonnyc

I did an A/B of my dmp3 and my ada8000. It took about 2 seconds to tell that the dmp3 is much much better sounding than the berhi. I even had some musicians that don't know anything about preamps take their pick and they all picked the dmp3.

perfect! can you post an A/B? i have no doubt the dmp3 is a cleaner pre than the berry but how much better? you are in the perfect position to exhibit the difference. how about it?

here's a free and quick mp3 host: www.lightningmp3.com

[jonnyc]

Originally Posted by TravisinFlorida

perfect! can you post an A/B? i have no doubt the dmp3 is a cleaner pre than the berry but how much better? you are in the perfect position to exhibit the difference. how about it?

here's a free and quick mp3 host: www.lightningmp3.com

I guess, that means I either gotta find that old comparison or do another. I'll see if I can't get something up in a day.