Mic Pre-Amp Help

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wildwonderful

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I know this topic has been worn to death, but after searching here and gearslutz I am still no where closer to making a decision. I need a decent mic pre for home recording. I am using a digi 002R. Mic wise I have an AT3035, an AT4050 and a couple of 57's and 58's. Mainly just recording guitars, bass and vocals. Drums are usually done at a studio. I have been using the built in Pre's on the 002 but I have been rather dissatisfied with the vocal sound. I have about $300 bucks to spend on a new pre amp. I was looking into some of the joemeek stuff for the extra features like comp. and eq/enhancing.. But I really dont know. I need some advice. Thanks!

Jerry
 
This is just my opinion, but I think every studio should have a set of 6-8 solid "workhorse" pres. Getting them in 8 makes sense because you'll have enough to mic a kit with. If you pick a box like the M Audio Octane, the Focusrite Octopre LE, the Behringer ADA8000 you'll get 8 mic ins with phantom, maybe a few other gadgets or gizmos, but you'll have a set of solid and similar pres to work with.

My vote would be to get a set of these, and then when your budget allows start to add single or double pres that are more expensive and begin to add to your arsenal.

All this being said, 300 for a pre isn't going to get you much. I would look no lower than the DMP3 (about 150) - you could perhaps pick up 3 of them for 6 channels of pre for about 3-350 if you tried hard. Other than that, I'd look at the Octane next and then the Octopre (500 new, 400ish used)

Jacob
 
jkokura, I don't really understand your advice?
If he is recording drums in another studio and is concentrating on vocals, guitar and bass at home, I think it makes alot more sense to try and get one channel as nice as you can get. At least that's what I would try to do. As far as recommending one, well I don't even want to go there... :rolleyes:
 
From my experience, the cheaper pres sound barely better, if at all, than the ones on the cheaper boards or the interface. Id go with met-heads advice and get the best one channel you can. Or wait and save, sometimes a lot, to get a REAL mic pre. One that will carry you over to the next stage of your game. To me, it was worth it. Check out the used market ( thats what I did), so it wont totally kill your wallet. Dont get me wrong, it'll still hurt,....just not as much.
 
hey guys thanks for the advice. I guess what I am looking for is some specific models you would reccomend. I don't need 8 channels, so I plan to put my money in a 1 or 2 channel set up. I am looking for some specific models here haha. thanks

late!

jerry
 
save another $150 and start with a groove tubes brick, I've heard good comments on them as a good starter pre for the money. they list for $499 but GC is carrying them for 399 right now and you may even get them a little lower with some work. Take your mic and try it first, may be just what u need to start with.
 
The problem everybody is having is that $350 doesn't really buy you a preamp that is significantly better than the 4 you already have. I like the Joemeek pres a lot- I use a twinQ, among others. At about $500, you start to get a few options, especially Groove Tubes Brick, FMR audio RNP, Grace 101, M-Audio Tampa. Most engineers would consider those budget pres. I think people want to help, but they can't do it by lying to you and saying that a really good preamp can be had in your price range, and they don't want to sound like gear snobs, saying you have to have a Great River, Pendulum, John Hardy, Neve, or whatever to get good sound. I'm with you. I use a Digi002, and I consider the pres in it adequate for some percussion. For vocals, I often use the twinQ, it works for me. For guitars, I use an Avalon AD2022. If I could sell you one for $350, I would.
I'd say, go ahead and buy the Joemeek. I think you'll like it on some vocals. I'm not so sure it will be as good on acoustic guitar. It will work very well on cabs. It won't be any worse than the pres you have right now, and it will be different-Richie
 
The pre's on the 002 are focusrite, scince they are solid state, any tube mic pre should take off some of the brittle mids that the AT mics produce, however most of the mic pre's for around 300 will color the highs quite a bit taking away from some of the presence. If more specifically you are unhappy with the pre's because of some other reason, than there are other ways besides a mic pre to deal with these problems.
try looking at these mic pre's ART MPA-Gold around $469.00 ,Bellari RP-220 around $399.00 ,DBX 386 around $399.99 these are some useful preamps for a reasonable price that aren't too noisy. Also try using a limiter on the way in, depending on what type of material you are doing you may like the results. (sometimes just being able to run the preamp a little hotter on the way in can change the sound quite a bit) so you might be able to use what you already have
KSR
 
wildwonderful said:
I know this topic has been worn to death, but after searching here and gearslutz I am still no where closer to making a decision. I need a decent mic pre for home recording. I am using a digi 002R. Mic wise I have an AT3035, an AT4050 and a couple of 57's and 58's. Mainly just recording guitars, bass and vocals. Drums are usually done at a studio. I have been using the built in Pre's on the 002 but I have been rather dissatisfied with the vocal sound. I have about $300 bucks to spend on a new pre amp. I was looking into some of the joemeek stuff for the extra features like comp. and eq/enhancing.. But I really dont know. I need some advice. Thanks!

Jerry
Click to expand...

Man, what is it about your current vocal sound you dont like, and how do you know its the preamp? Are you into a compressed/squashed modern pop sound? Bright and shiny? Dark and gritty? Hi fi, lowfi? What mic are you using for vocals? How are you mixing the vocals? I like your own idea...get a combo peice with a decent compressor and eq and play with those...atleast then your not sticking all your eggs in one basket. You may be totally and completely dissapointed when you plug in that new preamp for your vocals...and it sounds exactly the same to your ears...

Dont forget the used stuff...200 gets you mic pre, eq, comp and desseser that sounds really good if you go symetrix528...
 
Jeremy has a DPS by ART going for cheap in the classifieds. nice starter piece
 
metalhead28 said:
jkokura, I don't really understand your advice?
If he is recording drums in another studio and is concentrating on vocals, guitar and bass at home, I think it makes alot more sense to try and get one channel as nice as you can get. At least that's what I would try to do. As far as recommending one, well I don't even want to go there... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I didn't read the part about drums done in another studio...oops...

In that case, 1 or 2 channels of pre for 300 is not going to be a big enough improvement (IMO), I'd wait till I had 7-1000 and then upgrade if I were you.

Jacob
 
I don't think that you will be able to purchase better preamps with 300.00 above your 002. I would wait until you have enough money to buy your "gold channel" for those special vocal takes where the nice preamps really come into play. Personally I compress abit on my vocals before recording and at one point I was considering a channel strip but have since gone with dedicated units - sep compressor , sep preamp. But that's just the way I do it. I would wait until you have the scratch for the budget real preamp and in the meantime try something different to get the vocals to sit nicely. Here's some to maybe consider:

Grace 101
Summit 2ba-221
RNP
Safe Sound P1
Mackie ONYX 400F
Groove Tubes The Brick
DAV BG-1
 
If it were me I'd save a little longer and pick up somehing like a Speck 5.0 or a True Solo--or two channels of Hamptone.
 
As I said earlier, take your mic to the store and try some at the range your budget allows. If u find one you really like, buy it. Everyone has their own taste and preferences. I've read and heard that the brick is a good pre for that range. Try it, if it don't fit, don't buy it. u usually have 30-45 days to try merchandise and return it if u don't like it. Unless u have a long drive to the store, just get out and check it out! Most sales reps will gladly hook it up and let you try it if u are seriously looking. Its really that simple. You can buy a $2000 pre and you'll find that u need a $2000 mic, then a $1500 converter. For the budget studio with $300 mics, a $400 pre sounds like an improvement to me...no pun intended. Unless youre using a very expensive console, youre using $25-50 pres, and that is definitly cheap.
 
tdukex said:
If it were me I'd save a little longer and pick up somehing like a Speck 5.0 or a True Solo--or two channels of Hamptone.
Click to expand...

...that's the never-ending "just-a few-bucks-more" scenerio...I just purchased a rebuilt Neve 1290 pre for the about the same price of the Speck or True...hopefully that's the end of my "mic-pre plight" for now... :eek:
 
kidvybes said:
...that's the never-ending "just-a few-bucks-more" scenerio...I just purchased a rebuilt Neve 1290 pre for the about the same price of the Speck or True...hopefully that's the end of my "mic-pre plight" for now... :eek:
Click to expand...

you're mic pre plight will not end untill you have at least one of every pre that was ever made....and every model of mic....and every converter...and every compressor....and every eq......???????
 
kidvybes said:
...that's the never-ending "just-a few-bucks-more" scenerio...I just purchased a rebuilt Neve 1290 pre for the about the same price of the Speck or True...hopefully that's the end of my "mic-pre plight" for now... :eek:
Click to expand...

At least you'll know for sure that if your recordings suck it isn't the preamp! :D

I think it is truly a great time to be recording when budget pres cost $300- $400 but by doubling this relatively small investment you can get a world class pre.

I pay $40 month for high speed Internet. That's $2,400 over five years.
I pay $70 month for satelite TV. That's $4,200 over five years.
I pay $25 month for netflix.
etc...etc.

A Neve 1290 preamp for $600 -$700. That's $10 - $12 month amortized over five years.

Over a ten year period, the contrast gets even more striking. The way i see it, quality recording equipment is a bargain if you shop wisely. ;)
 
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