A little confused about pre amps

[gtzpower]

Hey everyone. I am looking to get a mic setup thats decent for low tone and mid tone vocals, and I have a budget of no more than $250 (preferably $200). A lot of the mics i am looking at require a pre amp, but most of the pre amps have no way to connect to my laptop that I can see (I can find a few USB ones, but none that are highly regarded as clear like the M-Audio DMP3). So, What do I need to do here? I have no idea how something like that hooks up.

I should note that in my particular situation, the mic jack does not work on the laptop (not sure if that even matters).

 

[PhilGood]

Not to rain on your thread, but I have seen people asking this question quite a lot lately. While I feel you should buy a decent preamp I also feel that folks need to know how important it is to have a decent A/D converter. The ones built in to most sound cards are sub-par. Go ahead and get the pre, but at some point in the future consider a decent capture system.

To answer your question you can use something like a DMP3, use the 1/4" output and get a 1/4" to mini 1/8" adapter and plug into the audio input of the sound card. I've done that with decent results a long time ago. You might also consider a small mixer where you can plug the computer's output into 2 channels. It makes things easier to monitor while you play. Since the laptop's input seems to be bad, you could also by a USB sound unit.

 

[Booda]

I have a feeling you probably don't know what Converters are since your trying to hook Pres straight to your Laptop...

You, for the most part, need to get a interface. Such as this... http://www.musiciansfriend.com/prod...ro-Mobile-USB-Audio-MIDI-Interface?sku=241710 AND it has 2 preamps built into it by the same company that makes the DMP3. There's many different types of interfaces out there by many Companys... so this is just an example ( I don't own it ). The DMP3 is probably not going to help you out as much as you think right now... but that's just My speculation based on your 1st post above. I think a All in One unit (Pres, Converters In/Out, and Monitor (headphone) out) would be a good start... w/ a decent Mic. Get it all working w/ your Laptop... good solid recordings w/ no glitches and Take it from there.

Have fun and Read as much as possible on these forums. That includes using the Search function for anything and everything you might have a question for... All the Info is here you just need to find it... Gear, techniques, Mixing, room acoustics ect...

Good luck,
B.

 

[gtzpower]

Thanks for the replies, and also thank you for considering the fact that I am a total noob here Since my audio inputs are not working, the M-Audio Fast Track Pro Mobile USB seems like the way to go. I do plan on trying to acquire a Rode NT1-A microphone to pair with it. Also, I noticed the MIDI inputs (I have an M-Audio Axiom 61 connected on USB now). Will I see any benefit to hooking the Axiom up via MIDI? Is it a power source also like the USB?

I guess what I am getting at is.. Will the $170 fast track be a significantly better choice than the $70 M-Audio Mobile Pre? (eBay prices used)

 

[guitar zero]

No, midi is not a power supply, nor does it carry audio signals, it carries data only. Lots of ones and zeroes. Go to tweakheadz dot com and read some tutorials on all this. You'll be glad you did.

 

[gtzpower]

Ok, thanks for the input everyone. I will do some more reading and see what I can figure out. I am just kind of worried because that Fast Track is going to cost me more than the Rode mic itself, and I don't really know what all it will give me that the Mobile Pre won't. But I will try to figure that out through researching a bit more as I am sure there is a good reason for the recommendation (now I just gotta find it).

Thanks Again

 

[gtzpower]

No, midi is not a power supply, nor does it carry audio signals, it carries data only. Lots of ones and zeroes. Go to tweakheadz dot com and read some tutorials on all this. You'll be glad you did.

I am familiar that midi represents notes, not audio. The software puts that all together to make audio out of the notes and selected sounds. Anyway, I decided to read through the site. I didn't really seem to take away a whole lot from the first sections, but what I did gather is that with the majority of rigs, there is a bit more equipment than what I have, and I think it made me realize that maybe I will need those ports sooner than I think.

I really did like the part about making music (inspiration section). It was basically a story of my life, so I was happy to hear that I am not the only one who turns out something I love, and days later I think I have no talent at all cause I can't come up with anything... haha.

SOOOO, I got a Rode NT1-a, boom Stand, Shock mount and the M-Audio Fast Track for a grand total of $284... Over budget? yes But at least I have some equipment to hold me over for a while. I am not against investing $1000 into a pre amp and/or an A/D converter. I just need to get to a point where I am SURE i will make use of it. If I really get into making music, I will get some really nice equipment. Right now though, I tried recording vocals using my laptops built in mic to see how it sounded. Ummmm... Don't try that at home... hehe. This should be a bit of a step up.

Anyway, Thank you for the advice.