new micpre do I need it?

  • Thread starter Thread starter John Mayes
  • Start date Start date
J

John Mayes

New member
Ok so here is the deal. I know this sounds like a dorky questions maybe but I'm new to all of this so I'll ask anyway. I'm running two echo Mona systems together and through my dell 4550 into Cubase SX. I have a nice array of Microphones and such but my questions is this. The mic pres in the Echo Get great reviews and to my ears they are very clean/quite and accurate. do I need somthing else? Can I just use the clean pres and let the mics take care of the coloring or should I invest in something like the octopre, or somthing else. I'll list below the equipment I have. thanks in advance for the help.

John

2 Echo Audio Mona 24/96
dell 4550 desktop (2.53 P4, 1 gig RAM, 30 gig HD, extra 200 gig HD for music files, flat screen monitor)

art tube MP studio

1 Neuamann TLM 103
2 Neumann KM184's
2 Rode NT5's (just got them tonight!)
1 MXL V67G
1 MXL V69M
1 Rode NTK
1 Shure PG81
3 Shure SM57's
3 Shure Tom Mics
1 Shure Kick Mic

M-Audio BX5 Monitors
 
If you like what your gettin' now..probobly not..But if you can try a something like a Neve type or API type or Avalon ect. maybe then you will be able to judge..Its up to you and how far you want to go..Its a big sonic/money pit LOL..Depends on what you are trying to acheave...But good mic tech/source will get you pretty far!Good luck
 
looks to me like you are ready to go. that is a pretty decent set of mics, little redundant here and there... i would try out those "shure drum mics" all over the place and see what happens.

i would record for a while with that setup before you get some more pres... see what you are having trouble with, what you want to improve, and then get a very nice pre to deal with it...

like try all mic combos with instruments with the clean pres... then if you are having trouble with guitars, a year down the line pick up an API...
 
John Mayes said:
2 Neumann KM184's
Click to expand...

How do you like the 184's? Have you used them for drum overheads? I want some new overhead mics and from what i hear these do a pretty good job.

Thanks,

Eric
 
I can't really compare the KM184's to anything else (I've got a set of NT5's coming) but the 184's sound magnificant to me. Crystal clear, and very smooth. Not harsh at all. If you didn't like em for overheads (which I doubt) they rick on acoustic guitar as well (my personal favorite mic for Steel string Acoustic)
 
John, you certainly have a lot of fine mikes there.
Are you planning to create "product" to sell, or is this just for fun?

If it's to sell, the M-Audio monitors in (I'm assuming) an acoustically untreated room would be the "weak link" equipment-wise. (Hey I don't have Genelec's either! :))

A bigger factor, since you said "I'm new to this", would be a pro engineer to help you if it's for something important.
One way to go would be to track at home, then take your recordings to a pro studio to be properly mixed/mastered, etc.

Chris
 
If you are happy with the sound you are getting, and you are mainly micing acoustic guitar, I think the cost/return ratio for mic pres for this application would be fairly high. In other words, you will have to pay a steep price for any perceived improvement in sound on an acoustic guitar. That's just my inexperienced opinion.
 
chessparov said:
John, you certainly have a lot of fine mikes there.
Are you planning to create "product" to sell, or is this just for fun?

If it's to sell, the M-Audio monitors in (I'm assuming) an acoustically untreated room would be the "weak link" equipment-wise. (Hey I don't have Genelec's either! :))

A bigger factor, since you said "I'm new to this", would be a pro engineer to help you if it's for something important.
One way to go would be to track at home, then take your recordings to a pro studio to be properly mixed/mastered, etc.

Chris
Click to expand...

I'm doing both. I am in a treated room though. the walls are 60-75% covered and the vocal booth is 100%. the moniters are nice for what I paid. They do the job ok. I Mainly have indie musicians who come in looking to do small mainly acoustic based records/demos sometimes full drums but mainly just hand drums guitars, shakers, vocals, BGV's, piano, that sorta thing. So what I have works well for that. My full time gig is building Acoustic Guitars though. Check out the website @ www.mayesguitars.com Thanks fo the advice! What do yuo all think of the focusrite pre's? I;ve got opnions that the platinum series is a waste of money, and that the ISA's are the only way to go. Is the Octapre a "clean" pre or more of a "colored" pre. What is a mid priced "colored" 8 channel pre? thansk!
 
John Mayes said:
Can I just use the clean pres and let the mics take care of the coloring or should I invest in something like the octopre, or somthing else.
Click to expand...

You basically need a new mic pre if you can't get the sound you want with the equipment you have today.

For example, the combination of my Line Audio preamp and an SM57 is almost (but not quite) the same as the my MK319 and the Tube MP. Both are good combinations for vocals.

My skill, and the rest of my equipment, can not yet make use of the subtle differences between these combinations, so therefore the SM57 (or the Tube MP) is kinda redundant for what I do today. But it is concivable that I someday do not think it is redundant.

So only you can make the decision. If you think the best improvement to your sound can be made by getting a new preamp, do so. It's that simple, and that hard. :)
 
My vote is for better monitors, then pre's

Just my opinion

Jason A.
 
If you HAVE :) to get 8 channels of pre's, you may want to consider a pair of the Sytek 4 channel units.
They are of the "clean" variety, however, they are reported to be quite good. They've been selling on e-bay for around $800 each new.
The (new) Joe Meek JM828 is supposed to be available by the end of the year, and it's also an 8 channel pre for less $$.
The website is www.joemeek.com

Someone like Fletcher can give you much better advice than moi.
The website for his store is www.mercenary.com

Chris
 
Just remebered...

There's a "JFET" option on the Syteks to make channels 3 & 4
have a colored sound. That way you could have four channels of "clean" plus four "colored", assuming you put that option on both units.

Chris
 
Well, if you insist on upgrading and are considering 8 pres, a couple (or at least one) of these should be in the running. Weston Ray (RecordingEngineer) swears by them.

http://www.davisound.com/ToolBoxes.html

The TB-6 is the 4-channel version of the mic-all pres ($995).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top