matching mic and preamp

[tl32]

Hi. I am trying to figure out which mics I want to use with which preamps and which settings.

I have the ISA-428 pre pack, which has 4 impedance settings, and an SSL VHD 4 channel pre which has hi and low z settings for a total of 8 preamps used mostly to record a live rock band.

The mics I am going to use, are Rode NT2-A pair for drum overheads, SM 57 for snare drum, AKG d112 for kick, SM 57 lead guitar cab, Sm 57 rhythm guitar cab, bass either direct from AMP or with SM 57, and vocals line in from PA.

Between the focusrite and SSL preamps, I have 6 different input impedances to choose from.

Here is a list of impedance values for the mics and preamps.

Mics
Shure SM-57--310 ohms
AKG D112--210 ohms
Rode NTA-2--200 ohms
Preamps
SSL-1000 ohms, (hi-z)10000 ohms
ISA 428--600 ohms, 1400 ohms, 2400 ohms, or 6800 ohms

I know that as a general rule of thumb the preamp impedance should be 10x mic impedance, but different combinations make for different sounds and you should choose with your ears. The reason I'm asking for advice is partly because I have bad hearing and don't trust my own ears very much.

The SSL at 1000 ohms, obviously doesn't fit the rule of thumb with any of my mics. The closest "match" are the NT2-a mics which would be 1/5 the pre impedance. For the NT2-a though so far, in the only small crappy room I've had a chance to use them in, I found the NT2-A's sounded better to my ears through the SSL than any of the ISA settings. The SSL sounds mellower and smoother, whereas the ISA is slightly harsher maybe due to poor room sound.

If I go direct from the back of the bass players ampeg into the SSL, should I use Hi-Z? Also with vocals direct from the PA?

Any opinions? About my setup, or mic/pre amp impedance matching in general?

 

[moresound]

I've be told that now a days you don't have to worry as much when matching ohmage as one would have to of done with vintage microphones.

 

[Shadow_7]

This is mainly an issue for cheap hardware. The high end stuff is more likely to give optimal results (+/- flavor) regardless of the mic(s) used on it. Unless you have a very limited budget and/or a need for tons of channels, your investment in terms of preamps can be in quality and not in quantity equivalent to owning a preamp shoe store. There are some impedance options that can have an impact on some mics. But really not much that couldn't also be done with some EQ in post.