Home Studio preamp questions....

[Grey Ghost]

Hi everyone. I'm new to this forum and also fairly new to home studio recording. I'm in the process of building my studio and would like some advice on decent preamps for mic/guitar (mostly acoustic/electric) in the $300 range. What is everyone using? What's good, what's bad? Do I need an Avalon or Grace to get a good sound?? I currently have a SP C1 and a Shure SM57. Thanks for your help.

Have a good one!

 

[brutus]

Oh my....well check out this link that one of the members, WAYTF started that has grown monsterous.

http://www.homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?threadid=56463

There is also the SP VTB-1 that just came out and if you do a little snooping, you will find some comments on it. Or better yet, do a search for "mic preamp" and that will give you more info than you can shake a stick at. I have been a lurker here for a while and there is some good info on this site. Welcome and good luck.

 

[knownuttin]

While we could all tell you our favorites based on what we have or have used, that amounts to personal opinion. Just to make things more complicated, not all preamps will sound good with all mics. One reason is impedance loading. For example, the Mackie XDR pres in their 1202 VLZ Pro mixer might sound quite good with your C1, but probably not that great with your 57. Which is unfortunate, because the 57 is a very good mic and deserves better.

If you don't mind "Coming Soon" notices, the RNP from FMR Audio is likely going to be available towards the holidays. If you can stretch the budget a bit by then, you probably wouldn't be sorry. Unless you get a ribbon mic habit by then.
-kent

 

[Frank P.]

knownuttin is absolutely right about different pres working differently on different mics with impedence differences and such. To that end, you could do a lot with a pre that has variable input impedence...but until you get to the upper end Avalon stuff (the AD2022 I think it is) or to the Groove Tubes VIPRE pre...multi-thousand dollar units both...those are hard to find. I think one of the Joemeeks may have variable impedence actually, perhaps someone else could correct me if I'm wrong on that. Just a thought.
-Frank

 

[chessrock]

In the $300 range, I would look at:

The m-audio dmp3 if you want something clean.

A Joemeek mq3 if you're looking for vintage/colored.

A Bellari RP220 if you want nasty.

An ART PRO MLA if you want dark and fuzzy.

And a VTB-1 if you want toob insanity.

 

[Gidge]

i like chessrocks list minus the Bellari.....

the VTB-1 seems to be the most versatile......

 

[Sennheiser]

A Joemeek mq3 if you're looking for vintage/colored.

Chess, how "vintage" are we talkin' here?

'50's and '60's vintage, or closer to late '70's early '80's vintage?

I'd like something that would give me that latter sound.

 

[chessrock]

Man, I know I'm getting old when people are calling the 80's Vintage.

Sen, definitely earlier vintage. It really isn't as obvious as people make it out to be, either. I'm pretty much stumped as to '80s. I think that sound was more typified by giant-sounding gated reverbs, electric drums, synthesizers and weird guitar effects than anything else.

When I think of late 70's, I think of dryer-sounding drums, warmth, high-fidelity with amazing production value and attention to detail. A little more experimentation and an artistist's approach to production.

And Gidge, I did say "nasty" about the Bellari. Believe it or not, though, the Bellari is a "real" tube design with transformer input. Pretty much the only affordable one, too, now that the VMP2 is no longer around. And for the price, it isn't bad. Not particularly good, but at least it supposedly sounds like the real thing (60's-70's era tube gear).

If you're handy with a soldering iron, you can make it sound really good, too, if you stick a good transformer, good opamps, caps, and tubes in place of the el-cheapos that come stock.