Need advice of a Pre-amp for Acoustic & Vocals

T

TrainUnderWater

New member
Hey all. Having some trouble sifting through the hundreds of different pre amps to find the right one for what I'm doing. I bought a Rode NT-1 condenser to get some proper recordings done and realised my mixer didn't have phantom power.

So I need an audio interface/Pre-amp.

I was recommended an alesis for about £110, but it scored very badly in some reviews (http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/productreview--ALEIO2) My budget is really about £150, it shouldn't have been so high (the Rode + stand was £145) but I'm hoping these purchases are long-term investments.

So could anyone recommend something to partner my Rode NT-1a within this price range of £110-150?

I know there will be a variety of options. I'm just starting out and don't have the strongest of voices - I could show a recording to anyone really keen to help me.

The quality I want really is mp3s or recordings gut enough to put on a myspace page/youtube whatever I desire. Basically needs to be good enough to get away with to eventually make a CD. Any ideas?

Gak.co.uk is the retailer I usually use.
 
In that price bracket, I'd just get a DMP-3 and call it a day. The extra channel will let you separately mic your guitar and voice (or stereo track your guitar) once you get another mic (and you will want to get another mic, it's a disease):D
 
thanks. It's a little high for my budget (bout 20 pounds over) but it seems great. will be over £170 to get it delivered to me.

If anyone else can reassure me, no doubt I'll fork out if it means I'm going to notice the difference between 140-150 and 170. :eek:

I wonder also, if I string my guitar with the fabled elixir nanowebs will I suffer any recording quality or tuning difficulty, I heard someone here saying the strings sound out of tune when recorded? Or am I completely mistaken, it sounds silly to me :O
 
That's what I want really. Realised after spending 140 on a mic I didn't want a shitty partner preamp and not get a good sound out of it. Worth my 170 pounds you think then?
 
pohaku said:
In that price bracket, I'd just get a DMP-3 and call it a day. The extra channel will let you separately mic your guitar and voice (or stereo track your guitar) once you get another mic (and you will want to get another mic, it's a disease):D
Click to expand...

Yep...it's a good preamp. Clean and focused...kinda hard to beat at that price. I think the MPA Gold is a bit more, isn't it?

Frank
 
It is, and the DMP-3 is still better imo.. I haven't heard anything that can come close to a DMP-3 without spending double or triple as much.
 
i've never used the DMP -3, but i do have a NT1a and i just recently recorded some vocals and acoustic guitar through a nt1a and EH tube mic pre and it sounds pretty damn good. i really like the combo. but it is only one channel.
 
thanks a lot guys. Will place the order. It's only £20 over budget so I'm happy if it's going to last... Now I need to improve the acoustics in my bedroom. Eek. I have carpet. Will a big ol' slab'a'wood help? I mean if I put one underneath me.
 
It's worth the money. IMHO, you would have to spend significantly more to get anything that would provide more than a small incremental improvement. The previously mentioned Rane MS1-b is a bit cheaper (at least in the States) , but it is only a single channel. For the $20 USD difference in price, you may as well get the DMP-3 with two channels. You could look at the used market and see what pricing is like. Used Symetrix SX-202s and SX-302s can also be a great deal and are very decent preamps that are comparable to the DMP-3 IMHO. Make sure you get the right power supply if you buy used. I have sometimes received the wrong wall wart when buying used gear and Symetrix, in particular, uses an atypical power supply that is a bit of a pain to track down should you need another.
 
Do you already have an audio interface?

If yes then the DMP3 would be an excellent choice!

The DMP3 costs £113 in the UK + £6 p&p

If you need an interface with built in pres then the TC Konnekt and EMU 0404 USB are hard to beat at this price!

TC Konnekt £151.99

EMU 0404 USB £156.45
 
Ooof... I was led to believe a pre-amp was an audio interface, just another name for it. I'm recording using my PC if that's relevant.

Could someone explain to me the difference between audio interface and pre-amp?
 
TrainUnderWater said:
Ooof... I was led to believe a pre-amp was an audio interface, just another name for it. I'm recording using my PC if that's relevant.

Could someone explain to me the difference between audio interface and pre-amp?
Click to expand...

An audio interface converts your audio into digital to your computer. You also have monitoring facilities built into it for studio monitors and headphones.
Most audio interfaces come with built in preamp and a DI for guitar/bass etc.

You need an audio interface to plug the DMP3 into.

If you don't have an audio interface then either of the two I mentioned would offer the best quality/performance within your budget!

It's worth noting if you need to buy an audio interface you should ideally have a Texas Instruments firewire card either on your mother board or separately else you can get issues.

Hope this helps?
 
dickiefunk said:
Do you already have an audio interface?

If yes then the DMP3 would be an excellent choice!

The DMP3 costs £113 in the UK + £6 p&p

If you need an interface with built in pres then the TC Konnekt and EMU 0404 USB are hard to beat at this price!

TC Konnekt £151.99

EMU 0404 USB £156.45
Click to expand...

From what I'm reading the TC Konnekt got reviewed pretty badly. The EMU seems very popular. Shame, the DMP-3 got 9 and 10/10 most places I looked, the EMU seemed to be getting 7/8s. I'm sure it's good though.
 
The TC Konnekt used to have issues with the drivers but the audio quality is excellent!

Read this review :-

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/oct08/articles/desktopkonnekt6.htm

The emu is also an excellent choice and is capable of good recordings. I used to have one and had no problems with it at all!

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan07/articles/emu0404.htm

At the end of the day, either of these interfaces are capable of excellent recordings so it's a case of which one suits your needs the best.
 
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