a question about my signal chain

[ekwon]

I have two recording areas setup in my apartment. One in the attic for drums, amps, multiple microphone stuff etc.; one by my mixing area for vocals and single mic needs. When I'm recording in the latter area, I use a cruddy little behringer UB1002 and a sonus Tubepre. My signal goes from my mic (today an at4033) to the tubepre and then to the UB1002 via XLR, into channel one. My question is whether the preamp in the little board is actually off when it is turned down all the way, or is it adding to noise in my signal chain significantly? I guess I could either use a trs line out of the tubepre into a trs line in on the board, or try and avoid the board altogther, so as to reduce whatever noise these contribute. Does anyone think I would really benefit from rewiring? Sure I could experiment and will, but I still wonder if using a preamp before another preamp which is turned down has any negative side effects.

ekwon

 

[sdelsolray]

Why not just go from the tube pre to the soundcard, computer interface, stand alone recorder (dunno what's next in your signal chain), bypassing the Berry mixer altogether?

 

[cpl_crud]

If you've already got a preamp, but you still need to go through the mixer, then go through the line inputs of the mixer. That way you bypass the mixer's pres, hence you have a little bit less noise.

Turning the gain knob down will not bypass the preamp, in fact, that's probably worse for the signal chain as you're dropping the voltage over teh mixer pre's op amp, and hence you're going to have a lower signal going through the mixer (lower signals=higher SNR)

So, yes, rewiring will mean a slightly cleaner signal chain. However, as mentioned above, if you can bypass the mixer totally, then that would be even better.

 

[ekwon]

thanks, I figured bypassing the board would be a good idea, although it's not like I really need a lower SNR.