Mic Preamps for the Poor?

  • Thread starter Thread starter circlemouth
  • Start date Start date
Hey, Axis, I never thought of using the channel inserts. How do you set the levels? My mixer just has clip LED for each channel and a master stereo meter. The inserts are "tip-ring-sleeve" by the way, so which plug do you use? Or do you just insert it half-way?
 
i've found that in most applications, a headphone out set to 2-3 out of 10 doesn't SEEM any noisier than a line level out and is approximately the same volume-in fact, when using a headphone out into something analog, i may kick it up just a bit more and mess with it until i hear what i like (for example, with a portable cd player in a car). i know that amplification is best saved for the part of the signal chain nearest the speakers if possible, but sometimes, it's worth settling for .02% distortion to make an otherwise kinda quiet line level device keep up a little better to the levels you want. just a thought.

on the trs plug issue, the tip should still be positive hot and the sleeve should still be ground, so i wouldn't worry about the plugging and just try it-you'll lose a balanced signal, but it shouldn't be any different than jsut running TS.
 
TRS thing...

Ok, I may be wrong here, but here's my understanding:

if a "tip-ring-sleeve" connector is wired for "balanced", then using a regular "tip-sleeve" plug just means "unbalanced". But if it's wired as "stereo" then using a regular "tip-sleeve" means just one of the two sides (channels) if inserted fully. Like 1/4" stereo headphone connectors. On my 4-track it does say "stereo inputs".
 
good point, gear junky-i neglected to point that out. i don't think i have any 1/4" stereo plugs on anything here, but i've seen em enough that it's good to be wary of them.
it's a shame they don't just have different looks than mono jacks, like 1/8" motorolas tend to have..
 
Usually it is Tip - Send, Ring - Return.
So use a mono jack and insert it the whole way in to get your direct out.
Levels you can adjust with the solo function and your gain controls.
 
Heh... Never thought of that...

I've been having problems recently myself...
I'm using an NT-1 for vocals and I pass that through an ARTTubeMP... I NEVER notice the clip light going on however loud it goes thorugh...

When I listen to the tracks back - (Myself or a client) I can hear an occasional "fufff" on open plosives like "oh" and "eh"...

Hmm... I might look into that "blue thingy" you guys were talking about...

Thanks for the info...

Riverdog

http://www.members.home.com/bkriverdog
 
There is another thread running somewhere here asking about
Paia equipment. Has anyone used any of their equipment or know anyone who has? I am going to buy there headphone amp kit and if it is any good try out their mic pres. Anyone having an educated opinion on their equipment I would be glad to hear it. I have heard people say it cant be any good
but they have never used or heard any of their stuff.
 
Tube MP's clip light

Like I said sometime before - the light wouldn't work on my Tube MP, but that was AFTER I changed the tube in it (I dunno why I did that, either), so I put the stock tube back in and it started clippin' again. :)
 
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