Help with Preamp settings!

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Fixxxer76

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I have a presonus Tubepre preamp and i am using it with a akg condensor mic, I then run it through a mixer and then into my computer. The problem is i get a sick amount of noise from the preamp. I have unplugged the mic from the preamp and plug headphone directly into the preamp and still hear noise when i turn the gain up. Where does it come from because i dont even have a mic plugged into the equipment and it still give a nasty hiss. However when i turn off the 20db pad, it seems to work a little better. ANd lastly my mic is optional battery powered, would it just be better for me to use a battery and plug directly into the mixer than to run througha preamp? thanks
 
The problem is that the presonus preamp sucks IMHO. I It was one of the first preamps I bought. I sold it after 2 days. Buy a better preamp. In the same price range you would do much better with a vtb-1 or a DMP3.
Good luck
 
Sounds more like user-error......... are you using phantom power with the mic? You need to be......

The pre is not the greatest, but the noise shouldn't be THAT obvious.......
 
you dont understand, its not about the microphone because i can hear hiss even when no microphone is plugged in,.
 
Perhaps its an AC problem.


Try taking it to a different electrical socket in the house or apartment or cave...whatever.
 
Fixxxer76 said:
you dont understand, its not about the microphone because i can hear hiss even when no microphone is plugged in,.
Click to expand...
Gain structure mismatch? Are you using +4dBu outputs with -10dBV inputs?
 
Turn off the pad and sing louder so you don't have to crank the pre. Change the tube. Also, you are going into the line-in on your mixer, not the xlr mic input, aren't you?
 
Fixxxer76 said:
no , im using the xlr input on the mixer.
Click to expand...

The xlr input on the mixer is for mics. It is connected to the mic pre in the mixer. You want to hook the outboard mic pre into the line in on the board. (or hook the mic into the xlr on the board)

You are experiencing the gain staging problem that Blue Bear was talking about. You are feeding the output of a mic preamp into the input of another mic preamp. This is a bad idea because it creates noise and other problems.
 
zbert said:
Buy a better preamp. In the same price range you would do much better with a vtb-1 or a DMP3.
Click to expand...

Wow... all 3 of those suck cock... in that price range, get yourself a book on how to build a mic pre, go to the Radio Shack and buy some parts and build yourself one that's twice as good for around the same money.

Yeah, it may take you some time... but when you get to the end you'll not only have a way better mic pre than any of those pieces of shit, you'll also start to get a basic understanding of how this stuff works.

Best of luck to ya... stay away from the cheap crap, it really isn't a bargain when you get to the end of the day.
 
Fletcher said:
Best of luck to ya... stay away from the cheap crap, it really isn't a bargain when you get to the end of the day.
Click to expand...


A big ol' amen to that!
 
The question should be "What cheapo pre-amp should you buy if you are not a techno freak who has lots of time to buy parts at Radio Shack and learn how to solder like a pro?"

:D
 
its not hard to solder like a pro. i'm sure the guys at the solder chops olympics do it like everyone else. its just a matter of steady hands (if you dont have these, pick up a soldering jig to hold the wires/parts for you), and knowing how much, or more precisely... how little solder to use. dont use giant globs, tin the parts in question. simple preamps are, well, simple to build. if you run any size studio, especially dealing with cheap equipment and cables, having basic electronics know-how is a deffinate plus. buy an entry level electronics book and google some simple circuit schematics.
 
fletcher said:
Wow... all 3 of those suck cock... in that price range, get yourself a book on how to build a mic pre, go to the Radio Shack and buy some parts and build yourself one that's twice as good for around the same money.
Click to expand...

Where would one find such a book, and how does one know good from bad, with no basis of comparison?

I'd love to try. I can solder a bit, and would love to learn!
What about this one? Electronic Projects for Musicians by Craig Anderton?
 
cellar dweeller. some sites for GOOD pre schematics/learning bout this stuff..
BUT FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY TAKE AN ELECTRONICS COURSE.
jensen transformers...
rane....
linear technology look for lt1115 pdf. around page 4 is a mic pre schematic. you need to build or buy a bipolar power supply.
epanorama.net has lots of links.....
check out jlmaudio.com.....
check out maxim semiconductors and analog.com....
look for taos mic pre schematic.
do searches under google for mic pre schemaytics and in google groups. lots of links.
you are now entering a crazy world that can be very rewarding...!
 
Thank you manning, copied and printed.

I have a good friend with a degree or two in electronics, I will ask for his assistance.
 
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