Please Help...

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limited

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Hi all. This may be a silly question but Im new here and to recording. I am looking for someone to explain mics and pre-amps. Can you connect a tube mic to a pre-amp? FET or tube pre? Or both? Is there anything special that needs done if you can? If not, does a tube mics power supply act as the pre amp?
Im soooo confused.......!

Thanks in advance for any answers

limited


HELP
 
Yo Limitations:]

First of all, if you use a mic that requires "phantom power," you will need to tie the mic into the phantom power source.

No phantom power needed mic types -- run right into mic pre.

As I see it, mic pres condition and amplify the signal from the mic, like a vocal or a horn solo or whatever. The better the mic pre, [$$$] the better the signal. But, it all depends on what your ears want to hear.

I use an ART dual channel mic pre; however, the mic pres on my Yam 2816 are pretty good too.

Also, the better microphone you have will add to the quality of the signal and there are different mics for different jobs. Check out the mic forum here.

Hope this helps you out.

Green Hornet
:D :cool: :cool: :cool:
 
GH thanks, Im kind of figuring this out now. If you had a tube mic, U would run the mic into it's power supply, then from the supply to the mic pre, right?

limited
 
Limited- By George I think you've got it! A condenser mic requires power, sometimes provided by a battery, but more often by a preamp or mixer, called "phantom power", usually 48v. Tube mics have, well, tubes, in them to provide selective distortion, often called "warmth". The tube needs more power than phantom power can supply, so they have a dedicated power supply which feeds both the mic and its tube, and therfore has lots of pins. You will run a regular 3 pin XLR cable out of the power supply to the preamp. There must always be a preamp, whether it is an outboard box, a mixer, a higher-end soundcard, or a recorder with built in pres. Keep at it. It will start to make sense eventually.-Richie
 
If I may add: your mic pre also amplifies your mic-level signal up to a usable line-level signal that your console, or sound card, or DAW needs.
 
You fellas are awesumo! I hoped I came to the right place and looks like I did!

Now, I hope I did the right thing here. I just made a major purchase after major research and thought, heres the list;

I already have a hot rod PC, so

Aardvark Q10
UAD-1 DSP Card
Grace 101 Mic Pre
BLUE Baby Bottle Mic
Cubase SX
Wavelab

My next two future purchases are;

Universal Audio M610
Soundelux U99

I hope Im not spinning my wheels here, any further input is greatly appreciated.

limited
 
Thanks SPINSTERWUN, really informative site. Looks like I'll be busy for a few more months!
 
As you may have noticed, Limited, I don't do computer recording, so I'll pass on any comment on the sound card, software, and plugins. The B.L.U.E. Baby bottle and the Grace 101 are an EXCELLENT choice for a single critical channel. No matter what you buy later, neither the 101 or the Baby Bottle will go away. I would seriously consider adding a solid dynamic mic, such as Shure SM7B, which will add another solid option for vocals, and an excellent guitar cab/drum mic.
If you intend to do drums, add a dedicated kick mic, such as AKG D112, and a pair of overheads, such as Neumann KM184's, which will also be great on a wide variety of acoustic instruments, guitar in particular. Just take your time. Buying gear is much simpler than returning it. You're doing fine.
My only concern is that you are going into some fairly high-end gear with a very limited knowledge base. You're talking B.L.U.E. and Grace, and you're not quite sure what phantom power is. Spend a bunch of your money on BOOKS! Then spec out the whole gear list, down to the last cable. Run it past this board and modify it until a bunch of heavy posters all agree you have a plan.
Many small things that you have left off the list add up, such as: cables, mic stands, power conditioners, foot switches. CD-R's and jewel boxes. Also absent: monitors and room conditioning materials (not small things) and monitor stands, headphones, and possibly a headphone distribution amp. You may need additional lighting, some dedicated furniture (2 chairs that NEVER squeak or creak are a must). Also remember after that, you have to have enough left to buy a set of strings, and if you don't have a lava lamp, you don't have shit! Most important, buy books with recent copyright dates and read them. Then you'll come to this board with better questions, and eventually answers. Keep it up, you're doing fine. Just resist the urge to buy until you're sure you've thought of everything.-Richie

P.S.-Anybody- Does anybody know why the nice word processing program is deleting all of my paragraph indentations? There were paragraphs, really.-Richie
 
Anybody- Does anybody know why the nice word processing program is deleting all of my paragraph indentations? There were paragraphs, really.
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