Firebox vs DMP3 vs Firebox + DMP3

  • Thread starter Thread starter lppier
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lppier

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Hi,

I am going overseas for a couple of months and want to set up a laptop recording rig. I am thinking of going with the Presonus Firebox.
Currently, I am using the M-Audio DMP3 into my Audiophile 2496 sound card on my PC.

Will the sound be comparable to what I have now if I use solely the Presonus Firebox to record direct to laptop? ( Mic -> Presonus Firebox -> Laptop )
Or do I need to go Mic -> DMP3 -> Presonus Firebox -> Laptop
Will the extra DMP3 do good or make the signal worse?

Thanks.
 
Anyone? What is the effect of adding the DMP3 in the chain?
 
Generally, you don't hook one preamp into another one...
 
Well, you could plug preamp into preamp if you needed more gain, couldn't you?

Also, the firebox has line inputs, so you could hook the dmp3 up to those for 2 more mic inputs. Doesn't the dmp3 have spdif? You can hook up to the firebox via spdif too!
 
No SPDIF on the DMP3...it's just a preamp...

If you need more gain, get a preamp with more gain. You can hook one preamp into another, but a preamp is expecting a (low) mic-level signal, not a line-level signal which a preamp puts out.

Some people do it though, to each his own I guess...
 
You can hook it into the line-ins, thus avoiding using the Firebox pres. I have never used the firebox pres, so can't really comment. I would imagine the DMP3 would be better, but the best bet is to try it.
 
I owned a Firepod as well as a DMP3. Firebox has same pres as the Firepod.

I didn't really notice a dramatic difference between the Firepod pres and the DMP3. I always liked the DMP3 as it was a nice, clean, low cost pre. I got a nice demo out of the Firepod using it's pres, and thought they had decent gain and sound.

Personally, I wouldn't run the DMP3 into the Firebox. Why not let your ears tell you? Keep the DMP3 and compare it's sound to the pres in the Firebox. :D
 
danny.guitar said:
No SPDIF on the DMP3...it's just a preamp...

If you need more gain, get a preamp with more gain. You can hook one preamp into another, but a preamp is expecting a (low) mic-level signal, not a line-level signal which a preamp puts out.

Some people do it though, to each his own I guess...
Click to expand...

I don't see why it would be "wrong" to do this... Yeah, a preamp is looking for mic level and boosting it to line level, but if you needed more gain, then it wouldn't be line level yet. Obviously, it'd be nice to have a high gain pre, but not everyone does. This would work fine too.
 
Glad to hear this. I have yet to get the Firebox so I am asking this question. It'll mean bringing one less thing on my trip.
Thanks all.

warble2 said:
I owned a Firepod as well as a DMP3. Firebox has same pres as the Firepod.

I didn't really notice a dramatic difference between the Firepod pres and the DMP3.
Click to expand...
 
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