Mic Preamp...starting to record

[Quagmire02]

Hi guys,

I want to record some vocals over some music Ive recorded. I have a M-Audio Delta 44 sound card and supposedly I need a mic preamp with this in order to record vocals. What is the best bang for your buck mic preamp?

I also have a guitar preamp that I used to record direct...could I use that or is it not compatible? Thanks for all your help.

 

[Dogman]

Hi guys,

I want to record some vocals over some music Ive recorded. I have a M-Audio Delta 44 sound card and supposedly I need a mic preamp with this in order to record vocals. What is the best bang for your buck mic preamp?

I also have a guitar preamp that I used to record direct...could I use that or is it not compatible? Thanks for all your help.

What kind of mic will you be using? Some mics will require phantom power, so for those, you will need a pre that has it. I just purchased a DMP3, and it works well. Very clean, and under $200. 2 channel, and has phantom power. The guitar pre may, or may not work.
Ed

 

[Quagmire02]

What kind of mic will you be using? Some mics will require phantom power, so for those, you will need a pre that has it. I just purchased a DMP3, and it works well. Very clean, and under $200. 2 channel, and has phantom power. The guitar pre may, or may not work.
Ed

Im actually not sure what mic to use. I made a separate thread asking for advice on that (for Manowar/Judas Priest style vox).

 

[metalhead28]

You definitely want a dedicated mic pre, and I'm going to second Dogman's suggestion of the DMP-3. It is a great little pre-amp. You'll probably find most people on the board agreeing on it as a bang -for-the-buck value as well.

 

[punkin]

Strike 3!...the DMP for starters on a budget. Stay clear of the pretty knob and light covered TOOB units. Those things are really better at being "effects" and DI's than quality mic pre's. Don't get me wrong, they can be used in certain applications but for someone starting out, stay with nice and clean.

 

[reshp1]

DMP3. Solid little unit that does it's job very well. Great bang for buck and even if you get something really sweet later on, you'll still find uses for it.

 

[Quagmire02]

I'll try that. It's made by M-Audio, right???

 

[travelin travis]

yes, it's made by m-audio.

 

[Robert D]

Gee I hate to muddy the water, especially when there;s a concensus on a product that I own and love. The DMP-3 is a really great deal on a nice clean dual channel pre, and I've been getting some good results with mine......though not necessarily on vocals. And not knowing what mic you're going to use really makes it hard to say that's the preamp you should get. The thing is, a DMP-3 is really good at what it does, provide clean, quite, and non-colored preamplification. Coupled with a mic that has a bit of body and charachter, it would work well on vocals. Coupled with a sterile sounding mic, you might end up with a sterile sounding vocal. If this pre is going to be your only pre for awhile, and will be used for a variety of applications, the DMP-3 is a good choice, and you should pick out a mic with the above in mind. If this is going to be strictly a vocal pre, there may be better choices, especially if the voice it will mainly be recording needs a little body and charachter added. I don't know if it's within your budget, but for vocals, another M-Audio product that is supposed to be quite good, and more suited for vocals, is the Tampa. It can be found for under $350. There are lots of other choices out there, and knowing what mic your going to use will help to narrow it down.

Regards,
RD

 

[scrubs]

For a cheap, versatile pre for vocals, I would also add the SP VTB-1 ($99).

 

[WERNER 1]

+1 for the VTB-1......especially if you're looking to add a bit of color to the sound (It's got a tube/blend feature)

One advantage of the DMP-3 is that it is a 2 channel pre, where the VTB-1 is only a single channel.

Rick

 

[Quagmire02]

Well, since I'll be recording vocalists in teh style of Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Eric Adams (Manowar), and Ian Gillan (Deep Purple), you guys would know best if I want to color the sound...and also which mic works best for these guys who have sometimes gritty mid range vocals and often loud high pitched metal screams...thanks for any advice.

 

[chessrock]

Well, since I'll be recording vocalists in teh style of Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Eric Adams (Manowar), and Ian Gillan (Deep Purple), you guys would know best if I want to color the sound...and also which mic works best for these guys who have sometimes gritty mid range vocals and often loud high pitched metal screams...thanks for any advice.

I generally use a good dynamic on a screamer.

SM-7, RE-20, etc.

 

[Quagmire02]

I generally use a good dynamic on a screamer.

SM-7, RE-20, etc.

Thanks. Keep in mind im not talking about a screamer as in growly screams but a screaming like Ian Gillan.