Ok:: here we go again!!

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nezpierce

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Good Cheap Preamps - Ok:: here we go again!!

In the glorious thread that is :

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?threadid=36354

We scored a victory for the cheap mike guy in all of us. Behringer ECM8000's for $35 bucks and approved by the great Harvey himself.

Now I ask you my brethren, what is the best inexpensive (less than $200, ok maybe $300) mixer to plug these into?

We want at least 8 channel to submix drums if needed.
We want +48 phantom power and mic preamps that don't suck. Stereo channels a plus.
(apparently the Behringer MX802A Mixer may or may not live through this battle?)

Fire at will! (and Santa Claus, if you are reading this please send me the winner for Xmas!)

nP
 
Last edited:
you want 8 preamps for $200-$300?...that makes it $25-$37 per preamp....I dont even think even Harvey can pull that off.....
 
Gidge said:
you want 8 preamps for $200-$300?...that makes it $25-$37 per preamp....I dont even think even Harvey can pull that off.....
Click to expand...


Nah, I'll take four for that price though if they come along with an 8 channel mixer...
 
you may be cursed with a Behringer.....

the Mackie 1202VLZ is about the cheapest youre gonna get away with, with 4 preamps......

but let me ask you do....gimme a minute and explain in detail everything you wish to accomplish with this mixer....is it for live use or recording....ifrecording, what are you recording to....and any more info you can summon up to the recording Gods.....
 
If you 're recording to a computer and you can live with mixing on that, then do what I did: Get some standalone pres and a line mixer for the monitoring. For the price you mention you should be able to pick up three Audio Buddy's (giving you six pres) and a used line mixer.

I've never A/B'd the Buddy to a B-word mixer, but I think it's safe to assume the quality the Buddy will give you is significantly better. I'm using it for extra inputs when I need more than the five quality ones I have. I'm a bit impressed by the little thing.

Good luck
/Henrik
 
Re: Behringer 802A mixer

I have an 802A, and the mic pre's sound harsh.
If there's any way you can put a bit more money together to
get a better mixer and/or better pre's your sound will thank you!
 
are the mic pres on the mx2004a any bette rthan thos eon the 802? becaus ei have the 2004 and i have nothing to cpmare them to: just wondering if they're good or not...
 
I think the Mackie 1202 vlz is about the cheapest way to get 4 good preamps and you get a free mixer. No wall wart, inserts on 4 channels, better quality control than Behringer, rackmountable.

www.bpmmusic.com is the lowest price I've seen for them.
 
I've heard some bad stuff about the PR8.

I was looking into buying it at a dealer here in Stockholm. He wouldn't sell it to me, as a matter of fact he would no longer take that product at all. Apparently, it sounds OK, but the build quality was so poor that the dealer had had several angry customers coming back with PR8's he had sold. It was something about the outputs being mounted in a very stupid manner, so if you connected and disconnected the unit a few times, the outputs would simply break.

Part of the picture is that this particular dealer isn't regarded as the top end here in Stockholm, actually the place he runs is known for being the place where you are most likely to find cheap junk. So I figure - if this product is too lousy even for HIM to take, then it's just not worth having.

What do I know, he may just have gotten a bad batch of the units. But until I hear that the company has redesigned the PR8, I'm staying far away from it.

Cheers
/Henrik
 
... so my $300 advice to Nezpierce is still three Audio Buddys and a used line mixer of any brand (I have the Roland M160, it's very quiet and nice, and has balanced outs). This is of course granted that you can stand mixing in your computer.

Cheers
/Henrik
 
I too would vote for a used Mackie 1202VLZ PRO, for which you should expect to pay about $275. It's musical, well built, and doesn't completely suck. To my ears, it sounds better than many preamps costing MUCH more.

Mark H>
 
WOW thanks guys!

everyone thanks so much for giving some juice to my post.

I'll give a little more background, bit I agree that the Mackie 1202VLZ looks like the best option.

My biggest goal is to be able to record live drums into the computer. I don't really need to mix outside of the computer, so the board is just a way to get 4-5 mics (kick, snare, overheads, maybe a floor tom mic) into a manageable "stream" for a stereo drum track at the very least.

Yes I like the inserts, that is a plus, and this certainly won't be my only preamp option (VT-1 anyone? I am already in line).

Also, I guess I could even do some "quasi" live recording with 4 preamps ? Anybody do multitrack live (like rehearsal or small gig) recording with one of these Mackies?

Keep the input coming!

nP
 
The idea is to get you into something that you won't take a beating on when you decide to upgrade. The 1202VLZ PRO has four of Mackie's XDR preamp modules on-board (plus additional line inputs, inserts, some eq, panning, and output flexibility). It's in an all-metal case, with a built-in power supply (no wall wart). It lets you set the trim for each of the four mics independently, so you can mix and match mics with disparate outputs. The mic pres are designed to accept a wide range of impedances from different mics without blowing up or sounding like crap. It supplies 48v phantom power if your mics need it.

It's popularity insures that you don't have to wait long to find a good used unit in the marketplace (eBay, for instance), and it also ensures that after you've used it for 6 months or a year, you're probably going to be able to re-sell it in the same place you bought it for about what you paid for it, if you take good care of your equipment. If you figure shipping costs, eBay fees and resale value, there probably aren't a lot of other mic preamps that you can try for so little money. A year's use might cost you $25 to $50.

Also, the Mackie gives a good listening baseline. After using the Mackie for a few months, if you then start auditioning more expensive preamps, your ears will be trained to listen for actual IMPROVEMENTS (not just differences). To my ears, the modest Mackie preamps embarrass some fancy-looking preamps costing quite a bit more. If you're going to move up, really move up -- don't just get a shiny faceplate with lots of cool dials and meters.

You probably know this, but when you look on eBay, you'll see 1202s, 1202VLZs, and 1202VLZPROs. The last one is the newest and should cost a little more than the older two. Just don't be lulled into thinking they're all the same unit. For a VLZ PRO in great shape and the original box, $275 is a good price (about $100 off of discounted retail) and $250 is a steal.

If money is the PRIMARY factor (cheap, cheap, cheap), then you should look at the various Behringer preamps that are currently on sale (closeout?) everywhere for $130 to $170, depending on features. I have no idea how they sound, but they offer a lot of processing power for very little money.

Mark H.
 
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