Pre Amp or mixer

  • Thread starter Thread starter delta
  • Start date Start date
D

delta

New member
Hello, i am about to start computer recording, and it won't be anything complicated. I am wondering if i should get a mic pre amp or a small mixer (like a small Behringer). I think the pre amp will get better sound to my computer, but it has one input, which is a problem micing drums. Any suggestions?
 
What do you currently have? Soundcard? Software? A decent preamp going through a soundblaster is going to produce less than stellar results. If you can give us a little more information on what you currently have I am sure that we will be able to give a better answer.

Cheers,

Bryan
 
Buy a Mackie 1202 or next up in line.

The importance of preamps is blown so far out of proprotion as to be somewhat embarrassing.

Microphones and placement and the impact of the room you are recording in make an order of magnitude difference in what you get to tape than the preamp does. Not to mention talent...

The preampsin a Mackie are better than anything your gonna buy for less than $150 a channel, plus it has all the eq and mixing functions you're going to need to do your projects.

You'll need to buy a preamp about two years from now. By then you will understand the limitations of what you're working with.

Dan Kennedy
Great River Electronics Inc.
 
Come on, Dan, don't you wanna' make some money? ? Here's your chance, and off you go recommending the Mackie boards. :) I'm so disappointed in you. Haven't you learned anything from Alan Hyatt? :) ha ha. Just kidding, Dan.

I still say you and I need to start a business venture on a new pre. First we gotta' ditch the name "Great River" in favor of something catchy the Gen-Xers will like. We'll just call it GR. And remember, we're looking at a stripped-down version here. Just a box with an XLR input, an XLR and 1/4" output, and a knob on it that says "Volume." We're calling it "the Volume Knob" by GR.

On our advertisements, we'll have half-naked babes fondling the knob like a falic symbol, and the ad copy will read: "No one can resist a good knob."

So when do we get started, DK?
 
Dan, if he's like I was when I started he can't afford the $400 out of pocket for the Mackie. If that is the case, the Behringer will serve him well until he can afford $400 - $600 for something better.
 
Hey Dan,I was wondering if you've heard the M-Audio stuff(Audio Buddy,DMP3)and what you think about them compared to the pres on the Mackie VLZ Pros.Thanks.
 
oh come on. when i was 15 i saved up $500 of grass cutting money for a fender jagstang, so i think anyone can save up $400 if they're really interested in something and have any source of income at all. i see this person is a student, so either they're working part time, living with their parents or both, and it just ain't too hard to save up for a couple of months unless every last penny is going to necessities. with that said, i've never used a behringer and have no right to have an opinion (except for the fact that they're a well known ripoff company) and actually i think the album leaf's first album was recorded with a behringer into a pc, and it doesn't sound bad at all.
 
Actually, the reason I said buy the Mackie is for the flexibility it will offer to the recording process. It's preamps are
really not bad, I can't comment on the
Behringer mixers, having never heard them.

I don't really have anything against low-rent stand alone preamps either, I just don't think they make a lot of sense for the money.

I don't know about the business opportunity presented, doesn't quite fit
my personality.

If you can come up with something for grey haired beer drinkers, lemme know.
 
Dan Kennedy said:

If you can come up with something for grey haired beer drinkers, lemme know.
Click to expand...

Hm, that's me! And I just finished my first preamp...
:)

Dan, it is really refreshing to hear such a statement (refering to your first post) from a person like you. Me thinks too that one can produce a damn good record with a mackie or maybe even with a behringer (if it doesn't break). I still find it difficult to get enough gain from a mackie or thelike for my ribbons. In this case a small little box like the dmp3 might do the trick, especially if you are on a budget. Another advantage of these little boxes is that they are great if you have to carry them around alot, I am doing a lot of on location recordings.
But of course, I am dreaming of one of your boxes, or maybe a John Hardy...
Harald
 
Thanks Dan.I had heard alot of people compare the Audio Buddy to the VLZ pros pres and I figure that you must have good ears so I thought I'd ask.I would guess that anyone with access to higher end pres would not have any reason to try an Audio Buddy.I can't argue about the flexability of a mixer,it's just for some people even the price of a 1202-VLZ pro can be a bit much.$80 for two channels of Audio Buddy can get them up and tracking.I don't really like the sound of cheap toob gear except as maybe an effect.I have an Art Toob MP as well as an Audio Buddy and the Audio Buddy is so much quieter,it allows more of the mic's personality to shine through.

As far as the grey haired beer drinker thing,I can't help as I quit drinking a few years back but if something came out for grey haired pot heads I would be very interested.....:D
 
well i think u can try to get 1 used at ebay. i got a mackie 24x8 at 1k usd in MINT condition.

i think until u got nice pres, the mixer works better(helps a lot with my samplers and synths too since i only record midi when i record the synths), or if u only need 1 or 2 channels u can go with a pre(RME pres are nice too).

buts thats mi opinion, i think noones of thats 150 usd preamps cant touch my mackie.

so now i'm in savings to get a nice pre for my vocals, and kick snare, something like avalon or grace.´

i'm not a fan of berhinger
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top