I'm looking for transparent, no frills dual mic pre.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mr Funk
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Mr Funk

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Hi there

I am looking for a great value ($300 - $400-new or $200 - $300-used) dual mic pre for stereo recording.

I am after something transparent, either with or without in built compressor, but I assume that I will get better mic pre amps for the money if the unit has no compressor or other proccessing? In this case I will use it in conjunction with the subtle compression of the RNC, for a 'really nice', clean recording channel.

I have the wonderful JoeMeek VC1Q for 'coloured' vocals, and would now like a transparent alternative for vocals as well as for stereo instrument recording. I will probably also buy a DBX compressor/gate-expander of some description to dirty/fatten up the clean sound if needed!

Hope you can offer some suggestions?
 
On the very inexpensive, high-value side, I would recommend either the M-Audio DMP3, new.

Or perhaps a used Symetrix SX202; if you can find one that is.

The next step up, I would look at the FMR Audio RNP, which would be on the higher end of your budget.

Somewhere in between, you might find the Presonus MP20 to be a decent 2-channel, but I'm not sure that it's going to be a significant step up from the dmp3 or symetrix to be honest.
 
isn't that an oxy moron "transparent cheap gear" unless its FMR of course ;) most cheap gear i've encountered is far from transparent when pushed
 
Chessrock,

Are the pre amps in the DMP3 the same as those in the Omni Studio? As I already have one of these.

Has anyone else heard the Line Audio DP1 in action? I really wanted something with a phase switch.

I would like the RNP, but it is pretty expensive in the UK compared to the US I think? The RNC is about £170 ($250) and I think the RNP is about £600!?

Cheers for the help so far!
 
The FMR RNP is very transparent (and musical, this is important) and has a lot of headroom. It looks to be a little over budget (they go for $475), but it's a great piece that you won't outgrow IMO. Good Luck.

Nathan Eldred
atlasproaudio.com
 
Mr Funk said:
Are the pre amps in the DMP3 the same as those in the Omni Studio? As I already have one of these.
Click to expand...

They're very similar. In your situation, you might just consider holding pat for the time being. I don't think you're going to find much out there that's going to be a noticeable enough step up untill you start getting in to the RNP territory.
 
If I use the DMP 2 pre's on my Omni Studio for now, until I can afford a RNP, what is the best way to connect them to an RNC (or other comp) and back again? Is it best to use the Insert Out and return to Line In 3&4? Will I still achieve zero latency monitoring?

Cheers
 
Teacher said:
isn't that an oxy moron "transparent cheap gear" unless its FMR of course ;) most cheap gear i've encountered is far from transparent when pushed
Click to expand...

"When pushed"? Well, yeah, if you "push" a mic preamp, it will start distorting and yeah, that won't be very transparent...

I think you are mixing up different types of equipment. Sound processing equipment an mic preamps are very different beasts. To make a transparent compressor, you have handle fast attacks differently from slow attacks, and not release to fast, but fast enough, and so on and so on. It's quite compliated. The RNC provides a fantastic price-performance ratio on transparent compression because it used a new and innovative design.

However, to make a transparent mic-preamp, all you have to do is to make a completely linear amplifier. It's much easier.
Mic-preamps has been around since the 1930's or something. It's old technology, and the knowledge of how to make linear amplification it well-known. Making a decent mic preamp is therefore dead easy. There is also today availiable excellent, cheap opamps which you can base a mic preamp on on get a clean transparent sound, very cheaply.

If you look at the really expensive mic preamps, you'll notice that they are NOT transparent. Instead they have a subtle characteristic colouring, that is makes many things sound a bit nicer in an undefinable way.

So, it's not an oxymoron (depending on how you define "cheap" of course).
 
well making a transparent pre for use in 'real world' applications must be hard cuz the cheaper stuff i heard doesn't do it well..
 
I think I will save up for a RNP or something of its calibre. Most (apart from DOT) seem to think it is transparent, so I'll at least try it out!

For now I'll use the DMP2 pre's in my Omni Studio for stereo stuff (and my JoeMeek VC1Q for vocals). When I get a RNP bolted onto the Omni for a little compression, I may find that I am happy with them anyway?

I will now go and read loads of RNP reviews to see if they agree with DOT about the colouration! May I point out, I do love 'musical' colouration, I just can't afford loads of different pre's to have a variety of colours at my disposal. Thus I think that a transparent signal gives a lot more options to colour the sound in the mix via EQ and various plug-ins etc.

Thanks a lot for your help.
 
I don't agree about the RNP being extremely colored. It's not extremely clean, but it's about 95% of the way there, it really depends on where the gain is too. If you are driving the input until the yellow light comes on, well yeah, it's not as clean.

Nathan Eldred
atlasproaudio.com
 
Teacher said:
well making a transparent pre for use in 'real world' applications must be hard cuz the cheaper stuff i heard doesn't do it well..
Click to expand...

Transparent isn't as difficult or expensive as colored.


Transparent=grace design=$500/channel=reasonable.

Transparent=sytek=$200/channel=very reasonable.

Transparent=dmp3=symetrix=very cheap.


Colored=API=Neve=Manley=Groove Tubes= pretty damn expensive.
 
i didn't hear the DMP3 but i heard the omni studio pre amps...and they are on the mackie level and you know how much i love mackie :rolleyes: so IMHO those aren't transparent...the grace seems interesting though

what dealers sell them?
 
Teacher said:
they are on the mackie level and you know how much i love mackie :rolleyes: so IMHO those aren't transparent...the grace seems interesting though

what dealers sell them?
Click to expand...

Don't use them in applications where you have to crank the gain past 12 o'clock, and they're plenty tranparent.

You can get the Grace at Guitar Center now. MWAudio, Sweetwater, etc.
 
chessrock said:
Don't use them in applications where you have to crank the gain past 12 o'clock, and they're plenty tranparent.

You can get the Grace at Guitar Center now. MWAudio, Sweetwater, etc.
Click to expand...

wow banjo town..

yea chess i learned that the hard way...but even when i had the gain at 12 for my condenser those highs just don't seem quite right..definitly not an open sound...could be the mic i'll know in a few days :)
 
Another route would be to take a used SX202 or DBX 760X
(one just sold for $100 new on e-bay), and have Jim Williams at
www.audioupgrades.com modify it for you.
I think that runs around $300.
Supposed to come out very "clean".

Chris
 
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