A Decent Tube Mic Pre

[powderfinger]

How much will a decent mic pre help sound? I'm speaking mainly in reference to vocals and acoustic guitars. Right now I've got a Marshall MXL 93v and a Behringer Mixer as the pre.

I've got about $200 to spend. Will a mic-pre in this range be 'significantly' better? Is it worth investing at this price range? Any other recording gear in this range that you'd recommend (i don't need more mics, and all my compressors, eq and stuff like that are software based)?

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

Here are examples of decent mic pres........

I think you're gonna need to save more....!

 

[Wide Awake]

I think it makes sense to invest in good preamps at almost any price point. $200 will make a difference, it won't turn your mic into something it's not be it should give you a hotter signal with a more than subtle difference in sound quality. Don't expect miracles but the difference in sound will make you happier with the sound of your 93v.

Look at- M-Audio DMP3, Studio Projects VTB-1, ART TPS or Tube PAC if you also want compression for vocals, PreSonus Bluetube.

If it was me I would go for the M-Audio DMP3 because it has two channels.

 

[Gidge]

Blue Bear gave you the pro answer....Wide Awake gave you the proper home recording answer......

$200 will give you SIGNIFICANTLY better sound than Behringer mixer pres........

If it were my money Id go for the Studio Projects VTB-1 as it will give you a wider range of tonal options from clean to tubey.........

 

[powderfinger]

Does anyone know much about the PreSonus BlueTube?

 

[participant]

I've heard your stuff, powder. DMP3 (M-Audio) is a good choice (2 channels for $190); DMP3 might be too "clean" for vocals for your taste, though.

Instead of the BlueTube, go about $275 for the Presonus DigiTube... just one channel, but sounds pretty good on vocals. I've used an AT4047 thru a DigiTube and (unless I'm using the S/PDIF output, which IMO sounds like crap) it's pretty nice.

Neither of these are the high-end stuff Bruce suggests, but they could help your stuff sound cleaner. Then again, maybe your band could kick in some money and you could go for a VTB-1.

I'll get reamed for saying that about the DigiTube (which IMO doesn't have a good A/D converter) but it's just another suggestion for ya here.


Chad

 

[chessrock]

I've got about $200 to spend. Will a mic-pre in this range be 'significantly' better? Is it worth investing at this price range?

I don't know if anything in that price range would be a significant step up. The dmp3 or vtb-1 might be a noticeable step up. If you want a significant step up, wait until you can afford a Grace Design 101, RNP . . . maybe wait and see how people like the new Summit Audio 2ba-221.

 

[regebro]

Firstly, forget any thoughts of "tube = good". It doesn't work like that. Yes a $200 preamp could help your sound. But don't limit yourself to tube preamps. There is only one way to see if it helps your sound. Try it. And since you obviously can't buy ten different preamps to check them out, you'll have to find a store that are willing to lend you a demo ex to test.

Or, you can forget about the whole thing and save the money for something you *know* will help.

 

[powderfinger]

chessrock,
i think you're probably right about it probably not being a significant step up. Going from a dynamic to a condensor was a huge step up in quality for me.....i don't think this will be though, maybe i'll just save the $

thanks for the replies everyone....this helped

 

[Gidge]

have you heard that Marshall mic thru a REAL preamp yet?.....

you may wanna ask Harvey Gerst if the VTB-1 would be a SIGNIFICANT step up from the Behringer pres....he has about the most trusted and knowlegable ears here, and wont base his opinions of gear on whether or not Mercenary sells it.......

 

[darrin_h2000]

harvy has allready endorsed the VTB-1, Theres nothing wrong with the blue tube but from reading some posts here I might of gotten a good one. I have modified it by replacing the tube with a Mullard 12ax7a which cleaned it up alot.

 

[markcoburn]

I've been very happy with my BlueTube and it was a big step up from the pres on my roland digital mixer. (3100) It seems to even make my dynamics more useful for vocal recording.

 

[powderfinger]

well, it sounds like the Blue Tube might be worth it afterall.......it seems like most people think that it would be a substantial step up from behringer........all i need is a substantial step up, not pro.........

 

[Meshuggah]

What about the Behringer T1953.. RE liked his unit...

 

[StevenLindsey]

Blue Tube is a decent amp. Not sure the tube does that much though. It made a great difference in my keyboard and guitar sounds as opposed to plugging directly into my mixer. However, the mic pres in my mixer sound better. ( small powered Soundcraft mixer ) If you want something for mics - vocals, I would suggest looking up a bit from the Blue Tube. Maybe the RNP or the VTB-1 (?). If you just need something for guitar, keyboard ( stereo ), or bass, the Blue Tube will do you quite nicely as a DI box.

 

[heylow]

I'm sorry, Bear but that was a bullshit answer and you should know that.

I'm curious though.....what all do you own off that page? I mean being a pro with pro answers and all, I am assuming you own at least a few thing off of that page, no?



heylow

 

[rambo]

Whatever you buy, there will always someone with a better suggestion.....
Check out Jensen Transformers homepage, there are some interesting papers there about preamps and other things....

 

[Speeddemon]

I recently bought a DMP-3 and more recently recorded a jazzcombo, where I send the piano and female vocalist through the DMP-3. VERY CLEAR and NATURAL sound. I also had a Stagg phantompower box in conjunction with my Korg D16's pre's standing by, but they gave me too much hiss in the quieter parts.

However, If you turn the gain of the DMP-3 fullt clockwise, it will make some unwanted noise too.

 

[pratt]

harvy has allready endorsed the VTB-1, Theres nothing wrong with the blue tube but from reading some posts here I might of gotten a good one. I have modified it by replacing the tube with a Mullard 12ax7a which cleaned it up alot.

if you don't mind me asking...where did you pick up that Mullard?? how much did you pay for it?

it sounds good? I've been looking to modify my blue tube and it sounds like this may do the trick...

thx

 

[darrin_h2000]

I got mine at a swap meet, It was in an old all tube head i bought off of a mexican for $10 that I fixed It was a sunn 200b head made in the late 60s. It now has a gt 12ax7 and the mullard went into my blue tube.

They are on ebay usually going for arround 35 bucks on the avarage.

I have noticed that now when the tube drive goes nearly to the 5 o clock position before I hear more than a second harmonic, but the blue tube does utilze the tube for the top 20db of gain. when the sovtek was in it the distortion was noticeable at 12 o'clock