Mixer vs Preamp..

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westnyle

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Hi, I have a basic home recording setup, Maudio firewire solo interface, I am using a Yamaha MG124C mixer which im barrowing, and a Rode NT1000 powered through the yama... Im looking at getting a cheap mic preamp if it will upgrade my sound, or should i stick with the mixer, If so... is the Mackie 1202 VLZ Pro preamps alittle better then the Yamahas, I just want to do the most logical thing until i can drop 300-400$ on a mic preamp...

P.S i only use the mixer to bring mic level to line level, So basically my question is keep using the Yamaha MG124C or Mackie 1202 VLZ Pro method, or one of those sub 100 mic preamps make a big enough difference ill notice by ear with no distortion...
 
Those cheap preamps you're thinking about getting will not make any noticeable improvement whatsoever.

edit: Your comment about distortion is kind of odd, however... Are your tracks being distorted during recording now? I would suspect you're got something setup wrong, if so.
 
No distortion now at all, I just was refering the what cheap preamps give, Ive had a ART Tube MP years ago, Was the worst investment i ever made, Just have to give this Yamaha mixer back very soon, Then my females vocal recordings will be low unless I pickup this Mackie 1202 VLZ pro very cheap used (100$ or something the guy was saying) was gonna use those preamps on the mixer until i can afford a 300$ preamp.. Great quality so far, Thanks for the swift response...
 
westnyle said:
Im looking at getting a cheap mic preamp if it will upgrade my sound, or should i stick with the mixer, If so... is the Mackie 1202 VLZ Pro
Click to expand...

The preamps in that Mackie mixer are fine, and there are many more important things you could invest in that would actually make a real improvement.

--Ethan
 
Hey, Thanks Ethan, I was just about to buy the Dmp3. Im gonna stick with the Mackie... What do you recommend i spend on a better upgrade?

Thanks, Nico
 
The Mackie has quite decent preamps, for vocals cheap mic pre's are not very good. but better than nothing.
If you want good cheap preamps though, get the first Digidesign MBox, cheap off Ebay. It contains two bad boy focus rite pre amps. they sound amazing
 
I had an mbox 2 mini, the small usb box one, I sold it to the same friend who lent me the mixer and mic, had ok preamp but i upgraded ot the firewire solo cuz it was much better latency.

I did pickup the mackie mixer earlier tho, it seems as if the pres are even better then the yamaha mg124c..


I do have a mic question, Is there a better mic then NT1A for its price range, im looking at replacing the NT1000 im barrowing from my friend soon aswell..

Also anything else that should is a big upgrade to be saving for and purchasing that im missing? I run a nice custom workstation rig i am a guru in computers not so much the sound and music hardware seems its much like apples and oranges with the knowledge of specs ect.

I respect everybodies help and input this forum is an abundance of knowledge, which is the key to everything!!!
 
microphones

in regard to microphones,

on kinda the same price range, but what i regard cheapest of the best, just my opinion,

Audio Techika AT4040
AKG C3000
AKG 414

that's getting better and raising in price as the list goes down.

A great dynamic mic for vocals is the Shure SM7

Keep checkin ebay, you can grab a bargain if your patient,

hope this helps
 
Ethan Winer said:
Well, what's your biggest problem? :D

I'm probably biased, but the weakest link in any project studio's chain is room acoustics:

Acoustic Basics

--Ethan
Click to expand...

I agree with this. It's the sort of thing you want to dismiss because its something that takes effort instead of something you can just throw a bit of money at and call it done, but when it's done the difference is shocking
 
McMajik said:
I agree with this. It's the sort of thing you want to dismiss because its something that takes effort instead of something you can just throw a bit of money at and call it done, but when it's done the difference is shocking
Click to expand...

This +1. I actually think that monitors might be the most important thing, but this is a damn near equal (if not just plain equal) second. Even the highest end Genelecs or B&Ws (or whatever) are useless if your room sounds like a warehouse full of sheet metal and glass.
 
To the original poster...

What is wrong with using the preamp in your Maudio firewire solo interface without any mixer?
 
The preamp in my firewiresolo just isnt loud enough for the soft singer voice who comes here, its fine for my old AT3035 mic, but my RodeNT1000 im barrowing needed this mackie mixer i picked up...

It seems alot crisper to run it through a mixer aswell, dont know why but in the side by side tests of singing the same thing...

I use alot of waves plugins and stuff in pt10

Im going to look into the AT4040, I have a friend who uses that mic, I remember it being ok but i liked the warm Rode NT1000 so i wanted to stay as close to that as possible thats why I as looking at just getting the NT1A..

As far as room acoustics, thats what I will deal with now.
 
westnyle said:
The preamp in my firewiresolo just isnt loud enough for the soft singer voice who comes here, its fine for my old AT3035 mic, but my RodeNT1000 im barrowing needed this mackie mixer i picked up...

It seems alot crisper to run it through a mixer aswell, dont know why but in the side by side tests of singing the same thing...

I use alot of waves plugins and stuff in pt10

Im going to look into the AT4040, I have a friend who uses that mic, I remember it being ok but i liked the warm Rode NT1000 so i wanted to stay as close to that as possible thats why I as looking at just getting the NT1A..

As far as room acoustics, thats what I will deal with now.
Click to expand...

You might consider a Cloudlifter. No direct experience but I hear good things.
 
Hey is there a huge noticable difference from NT1000 to NT1A? I can get a NT1A very cheap right now. like half of normal price
 
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