mic preamp tubpre

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martinepiphone

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is a presonus tubpre a good mic preamp, because i found a package deal that has the b1 with this preamp, and shock, case, etc...for a good price, and i was just wondering if that was a good preamp for a condenser mic, i want to do vocals, and ALOT of acoustic guitar recording...what is the advantage of a preamp.
also how do you get rid of the "hiss" noise, all i have used so far is my soundblaster card - mixer - and a dynamic mic, does the dynamic mic have alot to do with the hiss sound?
thanks
 
Define "good"... if the gear works for you, then it's good for your situation. That doesn't mean it's universally "good" for everyone.

And it's not a question of "the advantage of a preamp" - a preamp is required to boost the relatively small signal level produced by a mic, to a level expected by most consoles/other gear.

Also, upgrading your soundcard to an audio-grade level will go a long way to reducing the hiss.
 
Cheap soundcard + cheap preamp + dynamic mic = Hissssss/bzzzzz

To do decent acoustic guitar recording ( with a dynamic mic ) you need a good preamp that you can crank to the max without much noise. If your dynamic mic is a cheapie, you'll still probably get a bunch of noise. A decent small diaphragm condenser (pair?) will help your noise level. I've just now begun to move into acceptable guitar recording territory with the RNP and a Marshall MXL603 paired with either a Rode NTK or a Sennheiser MD441. Pretty quiet. I tried to do it with a Blue Tube. No dice. I'm still wishing for better though. It just simply costs money to get the kind of sound everybody's shooting for. Unfortunately! If you're really going to record a LOT of acoustic guitar, start saving up or get out your credit card. Or, just learn to like hiss.
 
Is the B1 you're referring to a Studio Projects B1? If so, then get that mic with a Studio Projects VTB1 preamp. The mic sounds great and has a self-noise of only 12db (nice). The preamp can be used totally solid state, or with the tube dialed in. You can turn up the gain all you want without adding preamp noise. You can also turn up the tube into distortion, without adding any appreciable noise. This is a great bang for the buck combination.

Many like the M-Audio DMP3 preamp -- very quiet and clean, but it won't give you the tube option...

I can only say this second hand, but the Presonus models do supposedly have a fair amount of their own hiss.
 
billisa said:
I can only say this second hand, but the Presonus models do supposedly have a fair amount of their own hiss.
Click to expand...
That certainly isn't true of the VXP or MP20/80 models....
 
If you go to the presonus site, they have break their audio products into 2 categories: "personal recording products" and "pro recording products". I've owned a few of the "personal recording products" and they are fairly noisy compared to their "professional recording products".
 
Blue Bear Sound said:
That certainly isn't true of the VXP or MP20/80 models....
Click to expand...

My assumption, perhaps erroneous, was that in a package with a B1, the VXP or MP20/80's wouldn't be offered...
 
martinepiphone said:
is a presonus tubpre a good mic preamp, because i found a package deal that has the b1 with this preamp, and shock, case, etc...for a good price, and i was just wondering if that was a good preamp for a condenser mic, i want to do vocals, and ALOT of acoustic guitar recording...what is the advantage of a preamp.
also how do you get rid of the "hiss" noise, all i have used so far is my soundblaster card - mixer - and a dynamic mic, does the dynamic mic have alot to do with the hiss sound?
thanks
Click to expand...

If you are going to record "ALOT of acoustic guitar" on a budget I suggest you pick up a pair of the Oktava MC012 mics from Guitar Center while they are on sale for $99 pair. While you are there pick up an M-Audio DMP3 dual mic pre ($150 - $200) for a total cost of $250 - $300. This combo will give you great acoustic guitar tracks, stereo or mono, and IMO you will have to spend at least three times as much to achieve a better sound.

The VTB1, although quite a few people like it, is only a single channel pre, and on the side-by-side comparison I heard between the VTB1, DMP3, and the RNP ($475), I (and quite a few other people) liked the DMP3 best. The VTB-1 came in last on most everybody's vote. My personal experience with the Oktava MC012 and the DMP3 is that they are an awesome budget combo for acoustic guitar. The DMP3 also does great on vocals with either a dynamic or condenser mic.

Then save some more money for a LD condenser.
 
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