Best Mic Pre under $300 Poll..

[5150 Musician]

I chose the ART TPS. I've had one for quite a while and for now I've just been using it for the snare and kick drum mic's and I really like the way it warms up the input. I compared it to just a direct digital recording and there is alot more of a solid quality to the sound of it. However, this isn't going to be my main input source; I have been just testing out how it sounded. I use this mic pre hooking up audio sources such as CD's into a power amp that goes into my large PA in the basement. It adds life to the CD's that are played through it.
I have been thinking about getting some really nice tube mic preamps......BUT then again.. the Mackie 1604vlz I am getting has very nice and quiet mic pre's. No need for tubes before the recording, because then you run into having an unnessesary amount of equipment. The law of diminishing returns begins to play a huge role now, almost to the point where I believe I can do exactly just as good without that extra equipment. For example, if I recorded 8 drum tracks using the Mackie's pre's, I could add the tube warmth later on in the left and right after I mix the drum track because if I was using 16 of the same exact tube-based circuits for each track, theres virtually no difference in just waiting until you have the left and right track and just using 2 of those tube-based circuits to add into the mix. Anyways, that's just my opinion and I'm sure people who have endless amounts of money to throw around are going to completely disagree with me but that's alright; if you're going to spend thousands on mic pre's, of course you're going to defend its quality.

 

[jeff0633]

Left out Symetrix 202

 

[ellery]

Try the Presonus BlueTube Stereo Pre-Amp. I have used them many a time and love them. Get the BlueTube Over the BlueTubeDP

 

[XLR]

I like the Presonus Bluetube. I've had a lot of varied uses for it. It can sound very much like my Mackie pre's for clean use w/mic's, and it can sound a little fatter (but, yeah, dirtier) if I dial in a little of the tube circuit, for use with a piezo transducer on my nylon string guitar - and it's really good for that. It's got unbalanced and balanced outs, which is handy. Haven't used the other pre's in the survey though, so this isn't a comparative assesment, just my 2c.

Tim

 

[borntoplease]

i believe the SP VTB1 would be a good addition to the poll. most people seem to like it in the 100$ range.

 

[Benreturns]

My two cents...

I vouch for the Studio Electronics SE2200A, got mine delivered yesterday and had a good play today. Damn good mic for the price (£135). Solidly built and classy sound (compared to all its nearest competitors in that range).

 

[Benreturns]

Bollocks...

Thats best mic PRE poll... damn my enthusiasm for my new toy and not paying attention!

 

[Scoob]

just an update dmp3sare about 149.99
http://store.buyprogear.com/product_info.php/products_id/423

 

[rsolinski]

No ready made mic pre under 300 bucks is worth didily squat..It's kinda like asking "which one of these lovely Yugo's would you like to drive off the lot today?". HOWEVER, with a little research and a soldering iron you can do quite well..racking up some old modules or even assembling a kit or 2...The only rack gear I have ever heard under 300$ (stock and unmodified) that didn't sound awful and lifeless is an RNC.. I own a Mackie 1402, a Rane MS1 and a heavily modified Rolls 220 and they will all get the sound from point a to point b with different color but they pale when compared to my old modules I have racked up
or the Seventh Circle 312...After starting down that road I realized that good sound comes from real voltages (both solid state and toob), no cheap opamps or IC's and quality transformers...if it has a 9 or12 volt dc wall wart it will suck 99% of the time..Don't get me wrong...I am as poor (!) and cheap as the next guy..that's why I decided to start with the DIY stuff and stop trying to convince myself an old donkey was a thouroughbred..

Ray

 

[distortedrumble]

.....old donkeys are used until they die...thoroughbreds are used until they stop winning and they then are put down. .....

 

[lumbago]

Focusrite Trakmaster Pro $299.

Clean sound, useful features.

 

[mhelin]

What is the most inexpensive mic pre with an input transformer and class-A amplifier (maybe the Presonus MP20)? Or just a mic pre with the input transformer (nevermind what kind of amplifier it's got)?

 

[mhelin]

I own a Mackie 1402, a Rane MS1 and a heavily modified Rolls 220 and they will all get the sound from point a to point b with different color but they pale when compared to my old modules I have racked up
or the Seventh Circle 312...After starting down that road I realized that good sound comes from real voltages (both solid state and toob), no cheap opamps or IC's and quality transformers...if it has a 9 or12 volt dc wall wart it will suck 99% of the time.. Ray

The "starved" low plate voltage tube pre's are called "toob" pre's, btw. Wall warts actually may be a good thing, except with high-current class-A designs (like Neve). Problem with transformers is that you can't get decent ones cheap (~made in China).

 

[R-J-X]

I didn't read the entire thread so I dunno if what I am going to say has been said or not...

I would look for a used RNP or even a used Speck 5.0

Might not be able to find a 5.0 for $300, but you never know...

 

[Beck]

PAIA Tube Mic Preamp Model 9407 - Modified

A pre of a thousand voices. I love this thing! Warm, versatile and pleasing to the ear.

http://www.paia.com/tubestuf.htm#tmp

http://www.zhp.homestead.com/zhppreamps.html

http://www.phillyspot.com/forums/in...t=ST&f=6&t=155&

Do yourself a favor -- buy this thing, build it, modify it. Not only will you have an outstanding tube pre, you will have learned something.

Curt Yengst of Zerro House Productions says he'll put this modified pre up against anything in the $1000.00 and under range. That’s pretty serious for something that costs around $250.00 including mods.

-Tim

 

[MrBoogie]

Beck, this sounds like something I am VERY interested in; but the last link isn't working for me.....and on the second link, some things are unclear to a less experienced builder...like how exactly does he power the tube filaments with filtered dc instead of ac (i'm assuming the last link has more specific information on that)? I'm gonna go to that forum on the last link, and search for it.

Thanks for the info and the links. I am definitely gonna try one of those PAIA pres.

edit: just found the topic on that third link and it explains everything well. I'm ordering the kit tomorrow! thanks again Beck!

 

[Giganova]

This is the first time I hear that the PAIA is not total crap!

 

[The Axis]

I have owned Earthworks and Great River, and I think the DMP-3 is really hard to beat even if price were no object.

The main difference in the DMP3 is not the saund, but the quality of the case, knobs, connectors, etc...it is very fragile.

Soundes great though ! A real bargain.

 

[fernandoesmaron]

Not sure how this thread came to the top but I think there have been some changes since these opinions were relayed.

First, the M series pres are the same design as the ghosts which means they are better than the spirit folio notepad pres. Both of these pres however in my opinion are superior to the mackie boards.

The only other exception I would add is that I compared the Mindprint pre to the latest Focusrite VM strip pre and went with the Focusrite. Not as cool looking as the Mindprint but a very nice Class A sound. It now has the tube sat plus harmonics and a newer version op compressor. Both of these pres, in the Mindprint and VM Pro, sound slightly more professional than the Soundcraft pres. However, I think the Soundcrafts make a great base pre and even the Notepad pres add a very useable sound to most mics. They are very smooth and neutral and work great on colored mics like the NTK.

So on the Middleman hierchy scale of pres I have tried from "Starting out" to "Much better" and based soley on my ears.

Starting Out
Behringer boards
Art stuff
Presonus Stuff
Audiobuddy
Mackie Boards under $600
Soundcraft Notepad
VTB-1
DMP3
Soundcraft M series
RNP
Grace 101
Mindprint
Focusrite Voicemaster Pro
Sytek
John Hardy
Much Better

This pretty much covers the ground between $79 -$1000. OOMV

The micpre specs of the soundcraft compact series seems to be better than the notepad specs.

This topic was really helpfull for me to make my decision between a little mixer which i really need and an sp vtb1. Didn´t know the dmp3 before.

Will go with an compact 4 mixer and an sp b1. Should be now an good an cheap choice.

 

[The Axis]

I just realized that I voted for the DMP3, but all my experience was with the DMP2
Sorry.

I'll bet they are pretty similar, though.