mic pre upgrade

  • Thread starter Thread starter Melsi
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Melsi

Padawan
I currently have a focusrite platinum voicemaster pro mic pre, and i think im about ready to upgrade to something better, any suggestions of any pre's stepping up from the focusrite?

Im using a SE Electronics Z5600a mic, recording mostly female singers typically RnB and Pop music!

Thanks in advance!
 
My only suggestion would be that you don't make a small upgrade. Like if the one you are using now cost $400, don't bother buying one that's $600, for example. Small upgrades are generally just side-grades and not worth the money.

That said, a relatively inexpensive mic preamp that I use is the DAV BG-1. It really sounds great, surprisingly good for the cost. If not the DAV, then plan on spending about $750+ per channel for a mic pre that will be in a totally different league than the one you have now. Small improvements aren't worth it.
 
im gonna try and rent one of them for the day an test it out, see how it sounds, any other suggestions?
 
Melsi said:
I currently have a focusrite platinum voicemaster pro mic pre, and i think im about ready to upgrade to something better, any suggestions of any pre's stepping up from the focusrite?

Im using a SE Electronics Z5600a mic, recording mostly female singers typically RnB and Pop music!

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

The only thing that beats my VMpro's pre-amp is my Avalons (both are clean sounding). The VMpro has a very nice pre-amp in it. If you like a clean pre, maybe you want a different flavor?

If you do rock, try some Vintech for some different color. Study up on what catagory existing pre-amps generally fall into. Don't just buy another pre-amp with the same "sound" as you will only spend more $$$ and get the same dissatisfaction. Read some posts on applications of these types of pre-amps and you will have a list of the ones to try in seperate catagories.
 
SonicAlbert said:
My only suggestion would be that you don't make a small upgrade. Like if the one you are using now cost $400, don't bother buying one that's $600, for example. Small upgrades are generally just side-grades and not worth the money.

That said, a relatively inexpensive mic preamp that I use is the DAV BG-1. It really sounds great, surprisingly good for the cost. If not the DAV, then plan on spending about $750+ per channel for a mic pre that will be in a totally different league than the one you have now. Small improvements aren't worth it.
Click to expand...

This is very true EXEPT if you want a colored pre-amp instead of a clean pre-amp. Post above explains.
 
thanks for the tips guys, but i think i just want a very clean sounding pre, with low noise.

so your saying if i buy a pre similar to the vmp, but more expensive i wont really notice a difference?

even with the DAV BG-1 as suggested?
 
If you want clean, then the most likely (but by no means all) candidates are (in approximate ascending order of cost per channel):

DAV
Grace
Millennia
Avalon

Each has its devotees and detractors. If you can rent and try them out, so much the better. I have a couple channels of Millennia, but I'm also interested in the DAV units which others here have liked.
 
I think you will notice a big improvement with the BG-1. I used to own a Grace 201, which lists near $2,000. I actually like my BG-1 better, and sold the Grace a while back. The BG-1 sounds big and clean, yet has a warmth to it.
 
yeah im picking up the BG-1 and a Rupert Neve Designs Portico 5012 tomorrow to test them!

Thanks for the advice guys, i let you know how it goes!
 
i like the 5012 but it doesn't have the DI input.He also has the 5016 that one has a DI
 
I'll be interested to read your impressions of those two mic pres in a back to back comparison. Be sure to lay down a number of tracks with each, just to see how they stack with themselves.
 
SonicAlbert said:
I'll be interested to read your impressions of those two mic pres in a back to back comparison. Be sure to lay down a number of tracks with each, just to see how they stack with themselves.
Click to expand...

YES. Finally, someone who knows that a single track recorded with different pre-amps is useless in and of itself.

Track stacking is the ONLY sure way to tell for sure.

Kudos.
 
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