mixer vs preamp

[salmac]

Hi a friend me I having a discussion over preamp stand alone and mixers.. he says I'd get fatter vocals if I run the condenser through a mixer before the computer. I say I want to go direct from preamp (compressor insert used) to computer, then if I want to eq or whatever I can and still have the raw feed in the computer to work with.
what say you?
tia
salmac

 

[mattr]

I'd tell your friend to stop trying to be clever

 

[salmac]

I'd tell your friend to stop trying to be clever

I tried, but he insists, so I need a little more opinion here.. he's on the way with mixer in hand
to have a ...prove-out
salmac

 

[mattr]

A preamp is a preamp - good or bad - regardless of it being a standalone unit, as part of a multi-channel unit, or in a mixer, etc.

So you're going to be doing some recording with him, and he insists on using the preamps in his mixer, whilst you want to keep to using your preamps? I guess the real questions to solve this are what mixer does he have and what preamps do you have?

 

[salmac]

Let me be clearer here: the issue is not about the preamps..it's about the eq, he wants to eq the voice before it goes into the computer, and my argument is that he could lose frequencies that he can't get back without redoing the track.. My way is direct in, then eq later. A good mic a good pre and compressor direct in
salmac

 

[Jeff_D]

Let me be clearer here: the issue is not about the preamps..it's about the eq, he wants to eq the voice before it goes into the computer, and my argument is that he could lose frequencies that he can't get back without redoing the track.. My way is direct in, then eq later. A good mic a good pre and compressor direct in
salmac

Thats my method... accept I don't compress on the way in either. Just mic-->Pre-->Computer.
Your argument about processing before recording is totally valid. Record raw, then non-destructive edit in the computer.

 

[mattr]

Yup, ditto what Jeff said.

Though did you mention a compressor on the way in? I would get rid of that from your input chain also.

Even with the best outboard gear, I wouldn't trust myself and would always want to to record the raw signal to begin with... you can always loop things back through the gear and tweak to your heart's content later on if it really is worth doing. You will find that some professionals do track through compressors, etc, but they've had a lifetime of experience behind them to give them the knowledge, understanding and ears required to do this (and also the confidence in what they are doing) - anyone with less skill than this, which would still include many professionals, could end up ruining a take because of processing on the way in. Heck, even the pro's who do process on the way in probably get it wrong sometimes.

Also, in your average home studio situation (poor isolation between rooms, or even more likely recording all in one room) then it is virtually impossible to judge processing on the way in as you can't hear what you are doing! In a pro studio you can have the luxury of good isolation and being able to listen carefully and dial in the perfect settings before you hit the big red button.