preamp comparison

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Tubes and Teles I checked out your recordings and they sound great. I definetly hear the J.E.W. in there especially in "Time to Time" (my favorite of the mp3's)

What kind of system do you use to record as of current? Still the PC based program?
 
Currently..

Stuck on the
Motu 896HD
Cubase SX 2
Reason 3.0 (alot...love it!)
Track most stuff through Vintech

You know of those three tracks, what is different about Time to Time, is that I went out of the Motu through some Joemeek british channel compressors to master it. Sounds pretty big, but it is actually my least favorite song of all that I have written. I just like the guitar. There are alot of flaws in the drums that I hope to re-do before the album is replicated. Lots of work before then anyway.
 
Peetr3 said:
Ok so from what I have been told the mic preamp is possibly the most important piece of rack equiptment to be on my way to getting a good professional sound -- so I'm planning on buying a really good tube preamp.

Looking to spend up to 2000 what is the best preamp for the money?

Are there any vintage ones I should be on the look out for on ebay?

How do I know if its a good preamp (like what if I find a really good one for cheap how will i know its good?)

is a preamp worth 2000 dollars or am I being ripped off here? Can I get a professional sounding one for much cheaper?

Am I starting in the wrong place? I'm using protools with a laptop and Mbox and eventually upgrading to an 002 and a G5. Is a preamp is worth using with the mbox?
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Here is what I have read:
The mic is the most important
The mic pre-amp is most important
The mixer is most important
The talant is most important
Pro equipment is a ripoff
This mic, that pre-amp combo is the best
It is all in the mix
The cables and cable direction is crucial
It is all in the ears, the gear does not matter.



Take your pick. I think that a great pre-amp connected to a pile of cheap shit makes not one bit of difference.

You will hear the benefit when all of your signal chain has good equipment.

And, let's put to bed that old saying. You CAN have great sound and absolutely no talent for music or recording. Your recordings will just suck, but with good equipment, the sound will be great.
 
MCI2424 said:
The cables and cable direction is crucial
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Whoever told you that cable direction is important is either selling you a bill of goods or has been sold a bill of goods themselves.
 
I actually paid off Tubes and Teles to say those nice things about me. Your check is in the mail, Tubes. Oh I forgot, you're a paypal guy, right? :D

Anyway, I'm kind of an analogy freak, and I think a good one to use would be brushing your teeth. Yes, oral hygene has a lot of paralels to the whole mic pre versus mic versus converter question.

If someone who doesn't brush their teeth very often were to ask a dentist: Would buying expensive, fancy dental floss help me get healthier teeth and a whiter smile? Well, the answer is definitely yes, because, well, flossing is always a good thing. But frankly, at this point, the fancy dental floss probably isn't what you should be focusing on. First off, you need to worry about brushing your teeth twice a day with a quality toothbrush, using solid brushing technique (getting behind the teeth, using circular motion, etc.)

Then we can talk about things like what kind of floss to use. We can even start discussing rinses like Plax or Listerine ... whitening strips, the whole nine yards. But there's always going to be a heirarchy of priorities, and on a lot of the internet boards like this one ... there's a lot of people who need to pull their toothbrush out more often.
.
 
MCI2424 said:
Here is what I have read:
The mic is the most important
The mic pre-amp is most important
The mixer is most important
The talant is most important
Pro equipment is a ripoff
This mic, that pre-amp combo is the best
It is all in the mix
The cables and cable direction is crucial
It is all in the ears, the gear does not matter.



Take your pick. I think that a great pre-amp connected to a pile of cheap shit makes not one bit of difference.

You will hear the benefit when all of your signal chain has good equipment.

And, let's put to bed that old saying. You CAN have great sound and absolutely no talent for music or recording. Your recordings will just suck, but with good equipment, the sound will be great.
Click to expand...

Actually the room is the most important. :p

And you are absolutely correct about having no talent and great gear but sonically acceptable results. I give you today's music industry.... :eek:

And Chessrock, I brushed, flossed and rinsed today.
 
cominginsecond said:
Whoever told you that cable direction is important is either selling you a bill of goods or has been sold a bill of goods themselves.
Click to expand...

Tha Astoria in England. Pink Floyd's floating studio has the best equipment on planet earth. They re-cabled the whole studio and have empirical proof that cables are indeed directional AND need break-in to sound best.
 
Ok so from what I have been told the mic preamp is possibly the most important piece of rack equiptment to be on my way to getting a good professional sound -- so I'm planning on buying a really good tube preamp.
Click to expand...
You must have been talking to someone who sells preamps ! :)

Go ahead and buy an expensive one if you wish, but it won't significantly help the sound of your music beyond a $300 one.
 
Rodger Hartlett said:
what is empircal truth?
a big graph? or a subjective ' yeah that sounds better ' ?
cables break in as much as resistors
Click to expand...

Empirical truth is the ultimate opinion of engineers who ARE engineers and not just some wamker with a home studio...................like you.

They, unlike you, have opinions worth listening to as I don't see any of your shining work in the music stores.
 
MCI2424 said:
They, unlike you, have opinions worth listening to as I don't see any of your shining work in the music stores.
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This is an idiotic standard of truth. It's quite possible the Pink Floyd people have deluded themselves. What other engineers think cable direction is important?
 
The Axis said:
Go ahead and buy an expensive one if you wish, but it won't significantly help the sound of your music beyond a $300 one.
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This is crazy. You may not notice the significant difference between a $300 preamp and a $1000 preamp, but almost everyone else with any experience does.
 
OK, now I'm upset. Cominginsecond has a rack of Seventh Circle preamps in his studio (checked your site) and you have never given us a review of those puppies. I want a few sentences on each one of these as my Christmas list has the N72 on it. Did you build them yourself or get them assembled?

Outboard Gear
Seventh Circle Audio A12 API-Style Mic Preamp
(2) Seventh Circle Audio N72 Neve-Style Mic Preamp
(2) Seventh Circle Audio C84 Millenia-Style Mic Preamp

Take it to another thread if so inclined.
 
Middleman said:
OK, now I'm upset. Cominginsecond has a rack of Seventh Circle preamps in his studio (checked your site) and you have never given us a review of those puppies. I want a few sentences on each one of these as my Christmas list has the N72 on it. Did you build them yourself or get them assembled?

Outboard Gear
Seventh Circle Audio A12 API-Style Mic Preamp
(2) Seventh Circle Audio N72 Neve-Style Mic Preamp
(2) Seventh Circle Audio C84 Millenia-Style Mic Preamp

Take it to another thread if so inclined.
Click to expand...
I'm probably going to be writing a review in Mojopie one of these days.

I assembled them, but not without a fair amount of hand-wringing. :)
 
That's great. Let me know when that happens. I just finished a review over there on the Portico 5012. Looking forward to reading your experience.
 
add some gear and Just keep recording...........

Hi,

As you see there are lots of opinions......... and i'll add mine too! Best to add a few mikes of better quality. Mics and pre are kind of like paint brushes to a painter so you can't do a Rembrant with a broom :p , but I would add a few mikes first, then go for the pre's. There is no mystical pre (or mic) that will make everything always great....like the paint brushes, you need a variety. For us home guys it is hard to put together. Consider renting a couple of higher end pre's (and borrowing a selection of mics from friends) when you are ready to record. That can get you a better end result with less cash for a start. Important to just keep recording and learning! :D
 
God I hate elitist assholes.There is no call for how you are attacking people... Learn how to spell, BTW. If you dont like/value opinions of people here, then why come here???shouldnt you be on the mastering webboard with massenburg or on prosoundweb with steve albini?? ALl your posts are sarcasm ridden diatribes without any helpful information whatsoever. People like myself come to these places(and others) to learn about audio, not to see arrogant pricks have pissing contests and wave their internet dicks. You sound like a complete reactionary miserable prick. What are your credentials??Im curious.
You definitely arent professional. Professional is a word that encompasses not only how the person handles themself at a console, but how they communicate with others and how they handle themselves outside of the studio. You arent professional at all. ANyone that resorts to attacks to prove a point has serious problems.


MCI2424 said:
Empirical truth is the ultimate opinion of engineers who ARE engineers and not just some wamker with a home studio...................like you.

They, unlike you, have opinions worth listening to as I don't see any of your shining work in the music stores.
Click to expand...
 
http://www.studioreviews.com/miccab03.htm (good mic guide)



flashbazbo said:
Hi,

As you see there are lots of opinions......... and i'll add mine too! Best to add a few mikes of better quality. Mics and pre are kind of like paint brushes to a painter so you can't do a Rembrant with a broom :p , but I would add a few mikes first, then go for the pre's. There is no mystical pre (or mic) that will make everything always great....like the paint brushes, you need a variety. For us home guys it is hard to put together. Consider renting a couple of higher end pre's (and borrowing a selection of mics from friends) when you are ready to record. That can get you a better end result with less cash for a start. Important to just keep recording and learning! :D
Click to expand...
 
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