If I send vocals mic through a pre...

[getuhgrip]

What happens (if anything) if I send it through the pre on my break-out box?

I'm looking at a Helicon Quintet vox processor with a mic preamp. If I record a signal through it, should I send that into the 1/4" unbalanced input of my DAWs box, or should I shoot it through the boxes balanced, powered pre? What's the difference?

How 'bout this: I've got a TubeMP. Should I send the warm tube signal through it first or the Quintets? Why?

[jake-owa]

Your post is very confusing. If you send a mic through a pre....you have to send it through a pre, no buts about it.
If you are asking whether or not to use two pres, don't. That will only add distortion and noise. Using the tube mp is hardly a way to warm up any signal, it is far from warm sounding.

If you have a preamped mic signal and you want top know if it's better to send it through the unbalanced non amped input or the balanced preamped input, I would send it into the preamp input with the gain turned all the way down and depend on the outboard pre for gain.

I'm really unclear if you are talking about processing a recorded track additionally or befor recording.

"If I record a signal through it, should I send that into the 1/4" unbalanced input of my DAWs box"
Can you see where it might be confusing?

[getuhgrip]

Yeah, I gotacha. I'm using a C-Port outboard box that has its own powered pre. I wondered what the effect of running the mic thru a TubeMP or the Quintet's pre and then into the C-Ports XLR pre would be.

So two pre's on the way into the DAW aint a good thing. The reason I wondered is because I've only got balanced XLR/XLR cables to run from the Quintet into the C-Port. Guess I'll grab an XLR to 1/4" cable to make the connection, bypassing the powered pre.

Thanx Jake.

[jake-owa]

The two pres are fine, you just have to make sure one is turned to inf., which is to say all the way down, if it goes that far down. Some preamps don't go to inf. but at the lowest setting will still be amplifying a bit.