how beneficial would a mic preamp be?

L

LAWL_im_so_EMO

New member
Hello
i have a protools mbox 2 set up.

I want to record vocals, and im going to get an actual recording mic, but should i get a preamp?
Now, i know that you can plug mics directly into the mbox, but would it be better to run my microphone through a preamp, then plug the preamp into the mbox 2?

thanks
 
The mbox has a preamp in it.
So an external one is not necessary.
I'm assuming your looking in the budget range - the ART tube mp or something along those lines - in which case the answer is no, you should absolutely not get an external preamp.
 
I would help you get a more faithful rendition of the sound picked up by your microphone into your recording device, but there are so many factors involved (money is just one of them, and often not even the most crucial one) that simply getting a great preamp wouldn't necessarily mean your recordings would sound perceptibly better, if at all.
 
LAWL_im_so_EMO said:
I understand that, but what benefits COULD it have?
Click to expand...

Some preamps have more available gain. If you are using a lower output mic like an SM7B it could be a benefit to have more gain from the preamp than whatever the standard is on the mBox, especially on quiet sources

Some preampls add a "coloration" to the sound by design, if this is desirable and works well with what you are recording it might be a benefit but may not always be appropriate on everything you record having the choice of "color" or clean gain could be a benefit as it could add variety to the sound of your recordings

If you need to mic more sources than you currently have preamps for then another preamp would definitely be a benefit.
 
This is an interesting thread for me: I'm also about to purchase an inexpensive USB interface and am considering an external pre.

Cancers, you've kindly advised me on this in a another thread, but as a rule of thumb guys, at what point should one expect a benefit from a better pre?

In other words, let's say I buy the Focusrite Saffire 6 that I'm considering: It's $200. Would an Presonus Tuve Pre or a VTB1 (both in the $150 range) make an improvement? Or, on the other hand, would preamps in the $3-500 range be wasted on a cheap interface?

Sorry to labor the point: I guess I'm saying that surely there is a point that the preamps in these cheap interfaces CAN be improved without completely wasting money by out-classing the D/A converters......:confused:

Thanks
J
 
I may have oversold that point about outclassing the A/D converters.
There are certainly preamps out there that can improve your sound through whatever interface you have. The point I was trying to make was that the A/D converters on a budget interface are going to smudge the subtle differences between a $500 preamp and a $1500 one.

As far as potential benefits go, along with the extra volume (without an increase in noise) and potential appealing "color" you get from a high end pre, there are issues of clarity. A nice, really clean pre will handle big dynamic shifts and transients (like the attack of an acoustic guitar or a ride cymbal or a snare drum) much better. The best way I've heard it described is that those same transients come through lower end pres sounding "smudged" - the sharpness of the attack just doesn't quite come through the same.
 
@Cancers about ART pres:

I don't agree with that. I bought ART Tube MP Studios and they seem to be pretty decent to me. Not as good as more expensive pres, for sure, but they get the job done as well as most interfaces' pres. Plus you can crank them to get some extra tube saturation :)
 
LAWL_im_so_EMO said:
if i had a little extra money, what benefit would a more expensive preamp do for me?
Click to expand...
Mot as much as putting that money towards a better microphone would have.

Better preamps are nice, but (IMHO, FWTW) you usually cannot just spend an extra $100 or so and expect much of an improvement. If by "extra money", you're willing to mean $600-$700 or so, then yeah, now you're talking real improvement in sound quality, with some very nice preamps that can make a real significant difference. And even then, you'll only be as good as the microphone you're using.

The difference, however, between an OK microphone and one that makes a difference in sound does not *of necessity* have to cost that much, though it certainly can. You can get some very good mics for half the price of those preamps ($300-$400) that will sound very different from your average $99 eltry level model.
 
LAWL_im_so_EMO said:
if i had a little extra money, what benefit would a more expensive preamp do for me?
Click to expand...
Mot as much as putting that money towards a better microphone would have.

Better preamps are nice, but (IMHO, FWTW) you usually cannot just spend an extra $100 or so and expect much of an improvement. If by "extra money", you're willing to mean $600-$700 or so, then yeah, now you're talking real improvement in sound quality, with some very nice preamps that can make a real significant difference. And even then, you'll only be as good as the microphone you're using.

The difference, however, between an OK microphone and one that makes a difference in sound does not *of necessity* have to cost that much, though it certainly can. You can get some very good mics for half the price of those preamps ($300-$400) that will sound very different from your average $99 eltry level model.

G.
 
LAWL_im_so_EMO said:
if i had a little extra money, what benefit would a more expensive preamp do for me?
Click to expand...

It would help keep the economy chugging along.


But seriously, an M-Audio DMP3 (for about $160) will give you a modest bump up from most interface pres, and the pres found on most small mixers.
 
thebigcheese said:
@Cancers about ART pres:

I don't agree with that. I bought ART Tube MP Studios and they seem to be pretty decent to me. Not as good as more expensive pres, for sure, but they get the job done as well as most interfaces' pres. Plus you can crank them to get some extra tube saturation :)
Click to expand...

Well, that was my point about the art tube mp. If you have an interface with pres, there's no reason to buy the art tube and bypass your interface's pres. It won't improve your sound. And, as far as cranking them goes, I personally never heard anything nice about the tube saturation, especially with the amount of just plain noise it introduces. Then again, if you can find a use for it, more power to you.
 
The Cancers said:
Well, that was my point about the art tube mp. If you have an interface with pres, there's no reason to buy the art tube and bypass your interface's pres. It won't improve your sound. And, as far as cranking them goes, I personally never heard anything nice about the tube saturation, especially with the amount of just plain noise it introduces. Then again, if you can find a use for it, more power to you.
Click to expand...
Well, I used it when I wanted scream vocals and it works quite well. Keeps you from clipping at the interface stage, but levels out the sound and gives you a bit of grit. I mostly got them because I needed more than the four pres on the interface. They aren't any worse, but they may not be better, either.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top