Mic Pre

[caleb2438]

Hello! I have an omni studio and i am looking for a preamp to go into it. I use an akg c2000b which I would like to replace in the future but is fine for now. I am aware that the omni's preamps are decent but I need a little reverb and whatnot on the vocals. What would be a great preamp for under 300? I was thinking about the dbx provocal or the Presonus
DDG 24/96. Anybody use these? Other suggestions? Thanks!

[littledog]

I don't know of any mic preamps that have reverb included, unless you are using mic preamps from certain live mixers or the mic preamps in a standalone workstation.

[caleb2438]

I see. I just need something that isn't so dry. Something with a little warmth.

[Rochey]

In most cases, the whole point of recording is that you can add the reverb later.

Obviously, in some cases, this isn't the case because you want the sound of the room. (e.g recording classical instruments in a performance hall)

Adding digital reverb whilst tracking (whilst recording to the PC) is crazy, because it locks you into using that. If you record dry, then you can add as much, or as little reverb as you like whilst mixing down.

To add warmth, you should look into getting something like a Joe Meek mic-pre. You could then add a touch of compression and maybe some delicate EQ (don't mess too much)

Remember, whatever you do, you can add extra reverb, compression and EQ during mixdown. Don't limit yourself by adding too much during tracking.

Good luck,

R

[Blue Bear Sound]

Originally posted by caleb2438
I see. I just need something that isn't so dry. Something with a little warmth.

To add "warmth" - make sure your source sounds warm to begin with....! It's not the gear that gives you the sound, it's the source and recording technique you use to capture that source.

[scottboyher]

Rochey

That is a great avatar.. It looks like it is from the Tenacious D flash video...

[Rochey]

you have no idea how long it took me to hack it out of the video!



R

[caleb2438]

Okay sounds good. But I like to hear the effect in real time while I'm recording. There are some expensive mic pres that let you monitor the effect but record the dry signal, if i had the money it'd be the way I'd go, but I was just seeing if there is anything for the po' man. Thanks again

[jslator]

Originally posted by caleb2438
There are some expensive mic pres that let you monitor the effect but record the dry signal...

There are? Like what?

There are a number of ways to accomplish what you want. You could split the signal out of a mic pre, record one out and send the other to some kind of reverb unit. Or, if you were recording through a mixer, you could take a direct out to the recorder (which would be pre-aux) and then monitor through the board using an aux effects loop. Do you have a cheap reverb unit available to you?

[gordone]

That's exactly what I do.
-Pre out to Delta 44 input
-re-route that exact input to a Delta output
-That output goes into a line-input on my Mackie 1202 VLZ Pro
-Send that channel via an aux send to my trusty nanoverb

Viola! Monitor signal has reverb, but recording is dry!

Originally posted by jslator
There are? Like what?

There are a number of ways to accomplish what you want. You could split the signal out of a mic pre, record one out and send the other to some kind of reverb unit. Or, if you were recording through a mixer, you could take a direct out to the recorder (which would be pre-aux) and then monitor through the board using an aux effects loop. Do you have a cheap reverb unit available to you?

[Speeddemon]

Originally posted by jslator
There are? Like what?

Focusrite Voicemaster Pro, not exactly expensive (as in Great River-expensive ), but ut does have a fx-loop and a headphone output on front, where you can mix the dry and fx levels, without recording with the effect.

[Middleman]

Originally posted by Speeddemon
Focusrite Voicemaster Pro, not exactly expensive (as in Great River-expensive ), but ut does have a fx-loop and a headphone output on front, where you can mix the dry and fx levels, without recording with the effect.

Yeah buddy!

I use this all the time. The VM Pro has 2 effects loops, one is a straight loop (put your RNC here) the other is a loop which can be mixed with the dry signal (put my MXL One here). You get rich reverb and effects but only the dry signal with a little compression goes to tracks. Very cool features.

[littledog]

Originally posted by gordone

Viola! Monitor signal has reverb, but recording is dry!

Does it work on violin as well?

[Middleman]

Hmmm.....

[John Fitzgerald]

Originally posted by Blue Bear Sound
To add "warmth" - make sure your source sounds warm to begin with....! It's not the gear that gives you the sound, it's the source and recording technique you use to capture that source.

T/F....What you call "warmth" is actually distortion?

[regebro]

No. Or at least not what is typically ment with distortion.