antichef
pornk rock
I don't have any high end pres, but here are my thoughts on the low/mid end (is there such thing as a mid-end?) ones that I have:
Presonus Tube Pre -- as these things go, pretty good sounding, as long as you don't crank the "toob" part. *Not* something that you can take a soldering iron to, because it uses surface mount ICs. You can change the tube, but that's sort of a waste of time, since it's a starved plate design. I think I was able to reduce hiss some by changing the tube, which allowed for more clean gain. After getting the other pres, I started using it for bass guitar DI, but stopped that recently, too.
Presonus Inspire 1394 -- this in an interface, of course, but it contains two pres that are very different from the Tube Pre. Much lower gain. Actually not bad if you have a high output condenser microphone, but not too useful for dynamics, because they get noisy when you turn them up.
ART Tube MP (project or something - an older one - got it for $20 used) -- mine sounded like complete ass and changing the tube made no improvement. Unlike the Tube Pre, this one *is* capable of being worked on, although not easily because of the way the components are mounted on the board -- hopefully this got better with later units. Recently, I managed to install sockets for the opamps, replacing them with Burr Browns, and replaced a lot of capacitors. It actually sounds OK now (better than the Tube Pre, I think), and if I had done this mod earlier, I might have used this for something.
MOTU Traveler (out of price range, I think) -- this interface has 4 pres in it. Lots of gain and not too much noise, but sound was a little edgy/phasey or something and not something I wanted to use much (but I did, because they were the best I had). Also, the first pre flaked out and got *really* noisy and completely unusable. I got a replacement unit, and the first pre in that one flaked out too -- I wondered if it was a bad mic on my part, dunno. Anyway, I sent the traveler to Black Lion Audio, and it came back with all 4 pres working beautifully and sounding very clean and quiet, with all the gain, if not more. I happily use it all the time now, mostly for instruments.
M-Audio DMP3 - I got this after the MOTU, but before the BLA mod. If I had got it earlier, I probably would have used it more. Nice clean sound - not as much gain as the MOTU (before or after the mod), but better sound than the MOTU prior to the mod. But now, I think the modded MOTU pres are much better than the DMP3 so I don't use it too much.
ART Digital MPA (out of price range, I think) -- Very different animal from the Toob MP -- uses a combination of opamps (Burr Brown stock) and actual (300 volt) tube gain. Also has a variable input impedance control. I use this a lot for vocals and things I want to be smooth sounding. Great for bass DI for mellow tracks. I got it before the BLA mod, but I continue to use it along with the modded MOTU, because it's different and good. I think the ART MPA Gold is essentially the same unit, but doesn't have A/D conversion.
Ashly SC-40 instrument preamp -- not a mic preamp, but I'm including it for completeness here, since it's my go-to unit for energetic bass D.I. (I swapped the opamps for Burr Browns)
Digi 001 -- just got this and my son and I installed it on his computer -- no comments yet. This is another interface with two built in pres.
I'm *not* going to say something like: don't bother buying a cheap one, but instead save up and get a nice one, even though that's a great plan. I don't regret buying the cheap ones I don't use any more, and I still enjoy listening to the recordings I made with them (although I occasionally do "remakes" with the nicer equipment). If I had spend a bunch of $ on a unit I didn't like, I think I *would* regret that, though
Presonus Tube Pre -- as these things go, pretty good sounding, as long as you don't crank the "toob" part. *Not* something that you can take a soldering iron to, because it uses surface mount ICs. You can change the tube, but that's sort of a waste of time, since it's a starved plate design. I think I was able to reduce hiss some by changing the tube, which allowed for more clean gain. After getting the other pres, I started using it for bass guitar DI, but stopped that recently, too.
Presonus Inspire 1394 -- this in an interface, of course, but it contains two pres that are very different from the Tube Pre. Much lower gain. Actually not bad if you have a high output condenser microphone, but not too useful for dynamics, because they get noisy when you turn them up.
ART Tube MP (project or something - an older one - got it for $20 used) -- mine sounded like complete ass and changing the tube made no improvement. Unlike the Tube Pre, this one *is* capable of being worked on, although not easily because of the way the components are mounted on the board -- hopefully this got better with later units. Recently, I managed to install sockets for the opamps, replacing them with Burr Browns, and replaced a lot of capacitors. It actually sounds OK now (better than the Tube Pre, I think), and if I had done this mod earlier, I might have used this for something.
MOTU Traveler (out of price range, I think) -- this interface has 4 pres in it. Lots of gain and not too much noise, but sound was a little edgy/phasey or something and not something I wanted to use much (but I did, because they were the best I had). Also, the first pre flaked out and got *really* noisy and completely unusable. I got a replacement unit, and the first pre in that one flaked out too -- I wondered if it was a bad mic on my part, dunno. Anyway, I sent the traveler to Black Lion Audio, and it came back with all 4 pres working beautifully and sounding very clean and quiet, with all the gain, if not more. I happily use it all the time now, mostly for instruments.
M-Audio DMP3 - I got this after the MOTU, but before the BLA mod. If I had got it earlier, I probably would have used it more. Nice clean sound - not as much gain as the MOTU (before or after the mod), but better sound than the MOTU prior to the mod. But now, I think the modded MOTU pres are much better than the DMP3 so I don't use it too much.
ART Digital MPA (out of price range, I think) -- Very different animal from the Toob MP -- uses a combination of opamps (Burr Brown stock) and actual (300 volt) tube gain. Also has a variable input impedance control. I use this a lot for vocals and things I want to be smooth sounding. Great for bass DI for mellow tracks. I got it before the BLA mod, but I continue to use it along with the modded MOTU, because it's different and good. I think the ART MPA Gold is essentially the same unit, but doesn't have A/D conversion.
Ashly SC-40 instrument preamp -- not a mic preamp, but I'm including it for completeness here, since it's my go-to unit for energetic bass D.I. (I swapped the opamps for Burr Browns)
Digi 001 -- just got this and my son and I installed it on his computer -- no comments yet. This is another interface with two built in pres.
I'm *not* going to say something like: don't bother buying a cheap one, but instead save up and get a nice one, even though that's a great plan. I don't regret buying the cheap ones I don't use any more, and I still enjoy listening to the recordings I made with them (although I occasionally do "remakes" with the nicer equipment). If I had spend a bunch of $ on a unit I didn't like, I think I *would* regret that, though
