Need preamp to complement my Mbox

  • Thread starter Thread starter anton
  • Start date Start date
anton said:
It occured to me that i could have had the pre's set to line input on the mbox, but i am pretty sure they were set to mic. i will have to check that out tomorrow.anton
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Once you restart your computer the pre's automaticaly go to line input,so you have to change them everytime you reboot.

Let us know.
 
sound

In contrast check a recording a buddy of mine did at his place. Guitar is a Larrivee L-03R. Earthworks TC20, Presonus Digitube into some sort of direct to cd recorder. This more of the sound i was hoping to achieve, clear and crisp, sounds like you are there. My recording sounds like its surrounded by plastic wrap.





anton
 
usb cable

Another thing that crossed my mind is that i am not using the original usb cable that came with the Mbox. I think its somewhere else or i may have lost it. I am just using a basic usb cable, but it does not have cylindrical converter thing on it, and the original cable did. Dont know if that makes a difference.



anton
 
more tests

Did some more experimenting today. I just cant get a good sound. I will post some more mp3's later. It seems to be when i get a strong enough signal into PT then the bass is strong, as i have a mini jumbo guitar. So when i back off from the mic so its about a foot and a half away then the signal is to weak, like at -25db, according to PT. I have the mic pointed at about 10th fret, well away from the soundhole.


anton
 
The mBox preamps have a maximum of 50 dB of gain. That much might be needed depending on mic sensitivity, mic placement and your playing style (which you mentioned as soft fngerstyle).

My guess is you need close to 50 dB of gain (maye a bit more) to get what you want. The MBox pres don't have enough gain. A new pre with higher gain would certainly fix things.
 
pre's

So if i got a pre with more gain and added it to my signal chain would that perhaps fix things? I was looking at the DMP3, which has 66db of gain. However, you said the Mbox only has 50db, so if i got a DMP3 to strengthen the signal could that overload the Mbox Pre's?


thanks


anton
 
recording

Did some more experimenting today. Here is another example that i think is a bit better. I have one 603 pointed at about the 10th fret, about two feet away. It pointed at a 45 degree angle down towards the neck. The gain on the mbox pre is set at three o clock, five o clock would be maxed out.





thanks


anton
 
dmp3

Just ordered a DMP3, so we'll see how it works out. Do i have to turn phantom power on it and on my Mbox to power my Mics, or should i only turn it on at one of them?


thanks


anton
 
I'm sure you'll like the DMP3. Phantom power will only be necessary on the DMP3, and of course you will be going from DMP3 to LINE ins on the M-Box, not mic ins.

-RD
 
dmp3

Got my dmp3 and did some test recording yesterday. Here is an example of the results i got.



the MXL's are in a XY config about two feet away. Gain on the Mbox is at about half way, and the DMP3 is cranked to almost full. The DMP3 sure made the signal much hotter.

Comments/criticisms appreciated.


thanks


anton
 
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