should i get a preamp for recording mic'd guitar to 1680

[daltyboy]

hi, any and all advice is welcome,I just want sum good feedback,

I got a 1680 and im gonna be recording through a SM57 to a mesa rectoverb, Im sumwhat new to this so i wanna take advantage of all I can to overall improve the sound,

so you think I should get a preamp or use the 1680s preamps?

also what are some great (budget) preamps I could get that'll
do more than the trick.

[Blackburn]

If you are just looking to spend some money then go ahead and buy a preamp.

If not, the pres on the 1680 will do the job.

[daltyboy]

i heard mixed reviews on the 1680s preamps,
do you think these are good preamps?

[TexRoadkill]

If you get enough gain without noticeable hiss then the preamps are doing the job.

You could get an outboard preamp like one of the Meeks for more color but the real test of a preamp is how well it performs on softer sound sources. Usually for electric guitar that isn't much of an issue.

[jo blo]

Hi, roadkill is right, the pres on the 1680 will do the job...but if you want more punch and a hotter sound, get an ART tube MP Studio mic preamp, which you can use for all your different mics, and for bass too. They ain't but a hundred bucks, so you can't go wrong there. I use them because I think the punch of the stock roland pres is a bit wimpy. Try one, it'll make yer hair stan' up.

[volltreffer]

High!

I think the pres on the 1680 are the same as on the 880... There I had quite nice results with closemiking the amp. If you do this, you get a REAL loud tone at the place where the mic is, and you won't have to crank the VS pres. I wouldn't recommend to go too far away with the sm anyway... They tend to get thin then...

Pay LOADS of attention to your mic placement: approx at the place where the cone goes into the flatter part of the speaker and with an angle (thus NOT orthogonal to the box front). HAve your guitarist play while you place the mic, then record and listen through phones to the result: you may be blown away by the sound mix through phones and from the room, while in reality your recorded sound is thin or somehow else wrong...

Ciao

Axel

[MartyMcFly]

I used to own a VS-1680. I didnt like the pres. They were not a good sounding pre. Either get a decent pre or get a different system.

[wolfdogg]

If you think the Roland pres are good, I don't even want to listen to your recordings. They are awful! I don't think you even realize just how bad they are until you get a good preamp. I own a 1680 and I realized in the first week that I would need to get something else so I grabbed a Joe Meek VC1...compressor, enhancer and mic pre. Nothing sounds even remotely close to the crappy pre sound that Roland boxes for you. Do yourself a favor, if there's one accessorry to buy for a Roland recorder, make sure it's a Mic Pre.
Good Luck.

[volltreffer]

High!

I do NOT deny that a decent mic pre would be nicer, but for some signals, you CAN get around with the internals... It always depends on what your trying to achieve. I'm doing demos of our band, and some songwriting and for these purposes I don't claim to have the PERFECT sound (good will do )

Ciao,

Axel

[MrZekeMan]

I would tend to agree with wolfdogg.

The original poster didn't say if he was micing a cab or micing an acoustic. A GOOD external pre would really make a difference if he's recording an acoustic.

Taylor

[volltreffer]

(omitting the 'high' trying to concentrate)

Does mesa boogie now produce acoustic amps? I was definitely thinking it was an electric guitar... If I was wrong forget ALL my postings

I had the impression that the pres are not that bad when cranked (and even if they were you'd simply not be able to record more than two tracks at a time without using them ). When recording a rather loud guitar amp, I sometimes even had to turn the pre almost all way down...

Axel

[MrZekeMan]

Originally posted by volltreffer
(omitting the 'high' trying to concentrate)

Does mesa boogie now produce acoustic amps? I was definitely thinking it was an electric guitar... If I was wrong forget ALL my postings

I had the impression that the pres are not that bad when cranked (and even if they were you'd simply not be able to record more than two tracks at a time without using them ). When recording a rather loud guitar amp, I sometimes even had to turn the pre almost all way down...

Axel

That was my mistake treffer. I somehow missed it when reading the original post.

As far as the pres go, I've never listened to the ones on the 1680. But I have heard from a lot of folks who upgraded from the 1680 to the 2480 and they say the pres on the 2480 are substantially better. My impression of the 2480 pres is that they get a little noisey after about 3/4 of the way up.


Taylor

[volltreffer]

High MrZekeMan!

I surely would have missed it too, if I wouldn't have started to right a response in style of 'please explain whether you mean acoustic or electric guitar'. But as I posten so often with meaningless content, I re-read the original post... and found the mesa. But somehow my post seemed to be a little aggressive when I read it today - sorry for that. I just was a little tired and then sometimes it is hard for me to write in english

So do you use external pres a lot with the 2480 or do you think you can get an acceptable sound? The noise problem is something I did not have too many problems - it was rather the problem that the hard disk went sick from our noise... So I did not crank the pres too often, as I record singing through my ART...

Ciao

Axel

[MrZekeMan]

Originally posted by volltreffer
I just was a little tired and then sometimes it is hard for me to write in english

You're doing a fine Job!!

So do you use external pres a lot with the 2480 or do you think you can get an acceptable sound? The noise problem is something I did not have too many problems - it was rather the problem that the hard disk went sick from our noise... So I did not crank the pres too often, as I record singing through my ART...

I don't have any external pres right now treff. I'm getting ready to load up though. Here is the gear I am buying in the next month.

1) Sytek MPX-4Aii, four channels of class-A discreet preamps with +75db of gain whippppppeeeeeee!!!! Channels 3 & 4 have Burr Brown circuits for a different flavor.

2) Peavey VMP-2. Nice colored pre that is also great as a DI for bass.

3) Beyer M-360DX, A Stephen Sank modified ribbon mic that I'm buying from the the man himself, Stephen Sank.

And finally, if I have enough money left over after repairing the transmission in my truck...

4) Great River mp-2, Two channels of quiet transformer preamp. +65db gain.

I think that will be enough pre to hold me for some time. That will be 7 channels any of which should have enough gain for the ribbon mic, plus the pres on the 2480.

Taylor

P.S. I think the pres on the 2480 are good enough that you don't really gain a lot unless you go to the golden channels

[Telefunken]

Joemeek VC1Q Baby!

www.richbischoff.com

[lyonhard]

I just added a BlueTube (around $150) to my VS0-890 and it makes the mic HOT, It's only been in the chain for a coupla daze but I like it. If you're serious about your stuff, you can't go wrong with some kind of Pre to kick it up a notch...

Lyon

[intune]

I don't know if the pre amps on an 1880 are the same, but I think they are decent on anything, as long as you are close miking. I do find that they don't do good at all on vocal's when backing the vocalist away from the mic to try and get a little room sound.