M
MrRock
Guest
Yo yo foos, I am looking for everyone's opinion on the best Tube Mic Preamp under $1500... So far it looks like the DBX 586... what do you all think about that?
All help welcomed.
All help welcomed.
G
gordone
Well-known member
Some questions -
1)Why does it have to be tube?
2)what will you be recording with it?
3)what mics do you have?
4)Would you like color or tranparent?
I don't have much experience with pres (including the DBX you mentioned), but I love what my Great River MP2 (non-tube) does for my acoustic guitar recordings. ~$1500.
Good luck!
-Evan
1)Why does it have to be tube?
2)what will you be recording with it?
3)what mics do you have?
4)Would you like color or tranparent?
I don't have much experience with pres (including the DBX you mentioned), but I love what my Great River MP2 (non-tube) does for my acoustic guitar recordings. ~$1500.
Good luck!
-Evan
W
Wil Davis
New member
You could buy a pair of HHB Radius 40s for less than $1k5, and you would be getting more than just pre-amps, viz. compressor, expander/gate, equaliser to boot...
- Wil
- Wil
Gidge
Lapdance Test Dummy
I think the pros will tell you that you wont get a tube pre for that price that is worth didley squat.....
db51
New member
....on the other hand you could get some very nice non-tube preamps like the Brent Averills Neves, Great Rivers or Vintechs...I'm quite sure they'll beat the dbx586 in most situations...These are world class preamps...
Why does it have to be tube?
Why does it have to be tube?
S
schwa
New member
Cant get a good pre amp for $1500?
nonsense. I have a 586, and while even I would agree that it would not be the best for <$1500, there are definitely good solutions with the sort of budget.
I would never drop that kind of scratch on on peice of equipment without listening to it myself and comparing units.
Go to the store and check them out yourself. Bring them home and put them through their paces.
nonsense. I have a 586, and while even I would agree that it would not be the best for <$1500, there are definitely good solutions with the sort of budget.
I would never drop that kind of scratch on on peice of equipment without listening to it myself and comparing units.
Go to the store and check them out yourself. Bring them home and put them through their paces.
darrin_h2000
Banned
I for one would like to see a poll on which tubes are best to put in your preamps. like groove tubes , mesa, sovtek, or whatever else is out there. I like my presonus blue tube but I am thinking that maybe putting a better tube inside will make it a better pre any opinions on this issue.
By the way Ive just seen a dbx pre thats 99.00 and looks alot like the tube mp. anyone tried it mars just got them yesterday.
By the way Ive just seen a dbx pre thats 99.00 and looks alot like the tube mp. anyone tried it mars just got them yesterday.
M
MrRock
Guest
ok, so let me on in the secret... perhaps I was hasty in my conclusion that tube mic preamps are better because, well, everything with tubes seems to be better.
Here is what i am doing.....
1) recording vocals and acoustic guitar with a decent cardioid condenser mic (AT 4033) onto the Akai dps16.
2) recording wide range of guitar tones from cabinet (not direct) ....tones range from thick, near metal distortion to pure cleans.
So tell me something friends.... I have heard that the mic pre's on the DPS16 aren't the greatest, and so I assumed that is because they aren't tube based. Short of dropping a silly wad of cash on a great mic, which mic preamp will warm up the vocals and acoustic guitars?
-------- feel free to school me as I dont really know that much about the application of a mic preamp in a project studio setting------
Here is what i am doing.....
1) recording vocals and acoustic guitar with a decent cardioid condenser mic (AT 4033) onto the Akai dps16.
2) recording wide range of guitar tones from cabinet (not direct) ....tones range from thick, near metal distortion to pure cleans.
So tell me something friends.... I have heard that the mic pre's on the DPS16 aren't the greatest, and so I assumed that is because they aren't tube based. Short of dropping a silly wad of cash on a great mic, which mic preamp will warm up the vocals and acoustic guitars?
-------- feel free to school me as I dont really know that much about the application of a mic preamp in a project studio setting------
H
Henri Devill
New member
Your 4033 is a very good mic [IMHO] for recording elec guitar
and can be pretty good for vocs. too. For acoustic It can be ok.
So I dont see a reason to drop alot of cash on a mic at this point
Learn what you can do with that mic first..then see what you need later.The gotta have a tube thing seems like a hold over from the days when digital recording was newer ,everyone was trying to soften[ harmonic distortion] there input into the recorders to emulate analog machines.I'm not a expert but thats
my opinion.Now the equipment is better {a/d converters,higher bitrates}.There are so many options for mic pres now that you should look into all the different ones avalible They all have different sounds .If you are going to spend your cash try and be as vesatile as you can ..And you didnt say anything about a compresser,
fit that into your expenses you will want one to track with one.
The RNC is a good value under 200.00. I hope that I helped you
some.....Good luck
Don
and can be pretty good for vocs. too. For acoustic It can be ok.
So I dont see a reason to drop alot of cash on a mic at this point
Learn what you can do with that mic first..then see what you need later.The gotta have a tube thing seems like a hold over from the days when digital recording was newer ,everyone was trying to soften[ harmonic distortion] there input into the recorders to emulate analog machines.I'm not a expert but thats
my opinion.Now the equipment is better {a/d converters,higher bitrates}.There are so many options for mic pres now that you should look into all the different ones avalible They all have different sounds .If you are going to spend your cash try and be as vesatile as you can ..And you didnt say anything about a compresser,
fit that into your expenses you will want one to track with one.
The RNC is a good value under 200.00. I hope that I helped you
some.....Good luck
Don
tubedude
New member
Easy call
Easy call if it were my money...
$1500, right?
Tube- Avalon M5
Solid state- Vintech 1272 or Brent Averill 1272.
Honestly though, I would take my $1500, save up another $500 and go with a Great River 1073 copy, the MP-2-NV, then fill the rest of the rack with decent "get by" pre's.
Paul
Easy call if it were my money...
$1500, right?
Tube- Avalon M5
Solid state- Vintech 1272 or Brent Averill 1272.
Honestly though, I would take my $1500, save up another $500 and go with a Great River 1073 copy, the MP-2-NV, then fill the rest of the rack with decent "get by" pre's.
Paul
X
xtremedb
New member
I sometimes wonder if people start threads like this just to stir things up ;-)
I don’t especially like the 4033 for vocals (especially rock or “edgy” vocal stuff) or acoustic guitar, but I had to make due with one when I started recording because it was the only condenser I had (it’s one of my favorite mics for most other applications) . I found that the TL Audio 2051 was a very good match after auditioning several pre’s.
Brad Gallagher
http://www.just-for-musicians.com/
I don’t especially like the 4033 for vocals (especially rock or “edgy” vocal stuff) or acoustic guitar, but I had to make due with one when I started recording because it was the only condenser I had (it’s one of my favorite mics for most other applications) . I found that the TL Audio 2051 was a very good match after auditioning several pre’s.
Brad Gallagher
http://www.just-for-musicians.com/
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