Grade A Preamp? What is the Price Range? Comaprisons?

L

Les W

New member
What is the deal with Grade A mic pre amps? How many of my future offspring would I have to sell to acquire one??

Also is a Avalon or sometihng gonna make my Studio Projects TB1 sound $1000 better? Or is it like you need a $1000 mic and a $1000 pre amp??

I hope I am not annoying anyone with these noob questions:D
 
Les

The price all depends on what you want. You can spend anywhere from $1k to $30k.

An Avalon will most deffinately make your TB1 sound better, but it's no going to make it sound like a Neumann, Soundelux etc. and how much better it makes the TB1 sound depends on what you are comparing it to.

But you don't need to buy an Avalon to get a Class A pre (Although Avalons are great gear and will quite often sell your studio just with their name.) Also check out names like Vintech, Phoenix, Chandler, Buzz Audio etc. (I have a Buzz Audio and it's fantastic!)

And ask all the noob questions you like.

good luck

Mark
 
A Class A amp (not grade A- thats eggs and beef) is just an amp with a certain type of electronics. They draw more juice than a class B amp. Do not confuse this with a measure of quality. Some class B amps are very high quality and very expensive. It's more like the difference between electric and acoustic guitars. Not necessarily better, just different. There are, however, very few cheap class A amps, they are expensive to build.-Richie
 
Actually - I think he may have meant "Grade A" as in "high-end", as opposed to specific electronic design.

Could be wrong, though!
 
Better preamps mostly more $$..sad but true LOL.The thing that I've found is that "better" pres will sometimes show "deficancys"{sp?} in microphones where a more..uuummmm...lets say a less accurate{ART Studio MP} will vail it..now that high end isn't so bad overly brite mic..My brain is fried :Dlong day ..Its just a matter of listening/recording as much as you can and "tuneing" your ears...I belive you don't know a peice of gear untill you find something you don't like about it..Short answer..LOL..No a Avalon will not make your TB1 sound any better than it "really" does..Im rammblein';) Good luck







Don
 
Good point HD. I think it was the Grace 101 that I read "will expose every detail of your mic, even the ones you don't want exposed".

RD
 
I thought he was referring to Class A because he said "What's the deal...?"

My understanding is that Class A preamps use transistors/tubes that conduct during both the positive and negative cycles of the signal and thus have the lowest distortion but are inefficient because they generate the full current no matter what the output is.

Class B preamps use one transistor/tube to conduct the positive cycle and another to conduct the negative cycle. This method increases efficiency at the cost of more distortion.

What does it all mean in relation to the quality of sound?

I have no fukking idea.:D
 
I meant Class A thx Rich...I told you guys it was a Noob question!!!:D

oz: I got the TB1 for vocals..it's fine...I have a deep voice so it handles it well...I have a UB502 mixer w/ crappy pres so I don't wanna lay any tracks down yet...

I just wanted to know if I should get a Presonus TubePre or save up for a grace or something if the differences would be well worth the money...

From what I understand (I have no knowledge of Nuemans, Soundelux's etc) but the purity of the mic signal from one of these high end mics, will be maintained with a high end (class A) preamp...Not any artistic beauty or anything just signal purity and accuracy...

It is an obvious question I know but because I never have really been 'in the same room' with a class A pre amp I had to ask...

I hear stories of getting studio quality with 'ordinary' condensers and I wanted to know if the class A preamp was the secret...

thx everyone for the links and all!! I appreciate it.

If you have anyhting you wanna add plz feel free I am inteested in this subject

Les
 
Davissound goes a wee bit beyond "homemade". The truth hurts, but *here* is the secret of recording great vocals, in a nutshell:
1. Get a great singer, one who knows how to work the mic.
2. Find a mic that makes that singer sound good. It could cost you $50 or $5000, you never know.
3. Plug it into any preamp that makes that mic and that singer sound good. That could be $150 or $2000 per channel. Clue here: If you've got that great singer with the right mic, more expensive preamps will often make him/her sound better. This is a good place to put your money.
4. Do this in a good room. If your room sucks, good mics and preamps will report that fact.
5. Give the singer kickass sidemen.
6. Pick a song that doesn't suck.
7. Remember that voices aren't exactly guitars. They have good days and bad days. Record them on good days.
8. Once the above has been achieved, move the mic around a lot. It may sound great in a place you never would have expected.

Richie
 
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