Is a Good Preamp Important?

[The Colonel]

This is my first post, and I hope not to rehash an already covered topic:

I use a Tascam US-800 audio interface, which provides phantom power to two mics I use to record acoustic guitar. The mics are not expensive, AKG170 and MXL990.

How much does it matter to sound quality to use a separate mic preamp?

I note that most of the guitarists I follow seem to use pretty expensive stand-alone preamps, so there must be good reason for it.

 

[The Colonel]

Is this a dumb question or did I post it in the wrong section?

 

[c7sus]

How much does it matter to sound quality to use a separate mic preamp?

Depends on the quality of the preamp.

If it's one of the "toob" ones it's doubtful you will hear much improvement.

And honestly, it also depends on the quality of the rest of your signal chain and monitoring setup.

Which guitarists and preamps are you interested in?

 

[The Colonel]

Right now I have an Ovation longscale guitar. I use an MXL990 and ADM170 in stereo configuration, into Tascam US-800 audio interface, into a dell desktop with Cakewalk's Home Studio Seven software. I'm not getting that bright, natural acoustic sound, but it may be the room more than anything. I will post shortly a link to an instrumental I recorded last night.

 

[The Colonel]

Because I have to have 5 posts here before I can embed links . . .

 

[The Colonel]

The instrumental is a cover of David Wilcox's Bach instrumental, which he tacked onto the back of one of his tunes on a 1992 album. It's in a weird tuning, AEC#AEC# low to high, capo'd 4th fret, which is actually F# on my longscale.

 

[The Colonel]

So here it is: Bach Instrumental by Da Colonel on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

 

[The Colonel]

And for comparison's sake, here's some noodling I recorded direct to the videocamera from the Tascam, i.e., without going though the computer. I think it sounds better. YouTube - Open G (BGDGBD, low to high)

 

[kidkage]

Have you tried eq'ing off a little bass?

 

[c7sus]

It sounds like you are getting some fret buzz due to the lowered tuning and the capo.

The first clip also sounds just slightly phasey. Could be flutter echo from the room.

Try pointing the small condensor directly at the 12th fret. It looks in the video clip like it's pointed above the fingerboard.

 

[The Colonel]

Sorry to be late in replying -- I redid the Bach piece in my living room, and also recorded a JT cover. Both are available at the links below; I welcome your constrructive criticism:

Bach Instrumnental (David Wilcox Cover) by Da Colonel on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

Something In The Way She Moves (Cover) by Da Colonel on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

 

[The Colonel]

Artists I'm interested in

David Wilcox (from North Carolina)

Tony McManus (from Ireland)