Preamp Decision

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Buttcheex8

New member
Hey I'm new here. I've been playing guitar for several years, and now I'm looking to get some recording of decent quality at home on my computer. After doing some research I think i'm set on th M-audio Audiophile 2496 with Shure sm57 as the mic in front of my tube amp (for hard rock, blues, jazz, clean, whatever)

I realize I need a preamp and I'm wondering what the differences are between the DMP3 and the audio buddy are. Also, this may be a dumb question, but would I need a mixer to get good tone around this? Recommendations in any area would be greatly appreciated and help me make a decision please..and all in all i'd like to keep this in a fairly small budget. Thanks!
 
I actually prefer the preamps on my Behringer UB802 mixer (price $79) to the audio buddy ($80). The Behringer sounds warmer to my ears. I don't know anyting about the DMP3, but from what I read on these forums it's a good preamp for the money.
 
I have the Audio Buddy, and (despite the name, which I dislike :) )it's a great little product. It has tons of gain, and it's very clean to my ears. Certainly will do the job well in front of an amp, like you plan...

You don't need a mixer--I think, actually, it would just confuse the issue, and might introduce more noise and confusing to the signal chain. The SM57 (a great, solid choice, by the way) and the 24/96 will give you a nearly perfect image of your sound--and a small, clean powerful preamp like the "Buddy" will fit in there nicely.

The "good tone" should come from your guitar, and the amp, and how you play. Aim for getting a good sound before it goes into the computer, and getting that sound as cleanly and clearly as possible. Simple is the way to go--you can't go wrong...

Chris
 
i just picked up a presonus blue tube.have not had a chance to try it yet.gonna try today.i will let ya know what it sounds like.
 
Hey Buttcheese, I'm in the same situation as you. I want to get a preamp/ soundcard combo for recording my tube amp, acoustics, and vocals but don't want to spend big dollars. I talked to the M-audio tech as well as a person at one of the audio supply places today. Another option that seems more versatile and adaptable in the future is the M-audio Omni with 66 soundcard. It has more in/out channels,built in DMP2 preamps, and headphone jacks. I also have an SM57 but want to get a condenser mic such as the MXL603 or Studio Projects B1. This is all new to me so I'm not sure if I need the added features of the Omni/66 setup vs. the Audiphile 2496/DMP or A.Buddy. Do I need the headphone feature or the greater number of I&O's,etc.?

What do some of you more experienced recorders suggest?
 
I own the dmp2 - (earlier version of dmp3) - and i love it.
i think the main difference that you should decide is how much do you want to spend. the dmp3 i'd say IS better than the audio buddy, and the price shows it. it give a pretty transparent and clean sound i think. just make sure you find the sweet spot for the mic on your amp.
 
get the dmp3 you won't be disapointed you spent the extra. Especially with the low cut, phase inversion, and phantom power switches on each channel. Plus the vancy VU meters :)
 
wanna play, the headphone is REALLY useful, how else will you listen with headphones? Unless you have a mixer, that's going to be a problem with me when i get a Delta 66... And if i'm not mistaken it has monitor outputs (the omni studio that is) with volume knobs, that's huge if you have monitoring speakers.

Super handy, just looked at the features and see if you'd use them.
 
you can ALWAYS get a headphone's output if you really need one. For example, juist run your outputs through a reciever, and there you have it. a headphone output. haha. i mean, i woud be more interested in getting a nice preamp - then buying a mixer for the headphones output!
 
I am in a similar situation to others here. I am recording mostly vocals and guitar. The question is whether to go with the audiophile 2496 plus a DMP3 or whether just to get the Omni studio.

The Omni studio has 4 inputs instead of two on the audiophile, and seems to have to capability to plug in outboard effects. However, I think the way things are going I will probably be using software effects and mixing.

My questions are: 1) which card has better audio quality - the audiophile 2496 or the delta 66 that comes with the Omni?
2) How much better is the DMP3 than the DMP2 that comes built into the Omni?
 
How much better is the DMP3 than the DMP2 that comes built into the Omni?

Jamie D, this seems to be the million dollar question. Does anyone out there know? Thanks.
 
Bump. I just got a DMP3. Now for the card---Is the Delta 66 better than the Audiophile 2496 soundwise? Better A/D converters? Thanks.
 
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The sound quality is virtually identical. The audiophile uses a similar, updated, theoretically better performing ADC/DAC but doesnt make use of the extra performance resulting in near identical measured sound quality. The Delta 66 has balanced inputs which may be a slight advantage.

Consider the echo mia or miamidi. It has the same ADC/DAC as the audiophile but implements it better resulting in better measured sound quality. Like the delta 66 it has balanced inputs. I read somewhere it is on sale for $99 at guitar center.

Do a search on www.sospubs.co.uk for reviews and measurements. www.digit-life.com also has done comparitive measurements.
 
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