Mic Pre- Specs

[Sennheiser]

All the talk on the site about pre-amps has me ichin' to buy one.

Since I don't know what's good and what isn't, is there a way to tell from the electrical specs what is? Aside from the S/N ratio?

I DO NOT want any pre that adds color to the sound. What specs should I be looking at?

I'll probably be buying mail order as any music stores around here are too far away to drive to and they wouldn't carry anything like a mic-pre anyway.

Is there anything good in the $250-$400 range?

 

[20db.com]

I DO NOT want any pre that adds color to the sound. What specs should I be looking at?

Sennheiser you might want to do a little more research and check out a few more threads before making a purchase. The reason is your post is some what counter to how I would suggest you go about buying a mic pre.

First of all EVERY thing adds color. The mic is obviously where this starts (other than the instument, make and age of strings, voice quality etc) so color is not a bad thing. The trick is to match the right combination to get the quality that best fits in the mix and reflects the song.

Not to dwell on the point but if you ever get the chance to hear a perfectly flat mic in a perfectly designed acoustic chamber through flat speakers, I would bet money that 99% of the people would hate the sound.

So to get closer to answering your question specs are not going to do you much good. Even the cheapest gear now days has great specs but that has very little to do with how it sounds.

If you still believe you want an uncolored mic pre then there are certain characteristics that you should look for. For example transformerless outputs generally have a more transparent uncolored sound. Solid state designs tend to be more in line with your request so you would rule out non-solidstate gear.

Senn, I could go on but I think you get the idea. Its not specs but type of sound you are looking for. And on top of that it has to do with the types of mics you are using. Impedence match can drastically effect the color of the sound of a mic pre.

20

 

[Sennheiser]

Thanks. That answered my question.

 

[Wide Awake]

Is there anything good in the $250-$400 range?

PreSonus MP20
Mackie 1402vlz or 1202vlz

Both have clean sound with plenty of gain. The PreSonus is a much better choice if you want a bass guitar or guitar DI, but the Mackies are good if you need a submixer and aux. sends. They all have internal power supplies (no wall wart) and inserts for patching in compressors or equalizers. I've owned both (still have the MP20) and I can vouch for their sound quality...in my opinion they both sound very good and the "bang for the buck" factor is high.

The Earthworks and Grace preamps are more expensive but are known for their "colorless" sound. Sytek also makes a four-channel preamp that has a good reputation. Lot's of choices out there.

 

[Sennheiser]

From reading numerous posts on the matter, that's what is so damn confusing, having so many choices. I hate that. It's as bad as satellite TV.

I will not be able to try anything before I buy it, so I just have to take my chances and hope I get it right the first time. That's why I was wondering if I could tell anything about them from the specs.

 

[Wide Awake]

I will not be able to try anything before I buy it, so I just have to take my chances and hope I get it right the first time. That's why I was wondering if I could tell anything about them from the specs.

You could buy the preamp from a store or online site that offers a good return policy in case you aren't satisfied. Most large ones offer that policy.

If you don't need more than one channel the Grace 101 would probably be outstanding, but I'm just basing that opinion on reviews and many happy owners that I've talked to. I haven't had the opportunity to use one.

The M-Audio DMP3 is based on the popular DMP2 model, and it's only $200 for a clean-sounding two-channel preamp. If I didn't already have enough preamps myself I would give it a shot, knowing that if I didn't like it I could return it.

The one spec that I think is important is how much phantom power the unit supplies. There are some on the market that don't give the full +48 V. I would definitely avoid them.

 

[Sennheiser]

Thanks guys. I will check out your selections.