Pre-Mic, weak link?

[chamelious]

Currently i'm recording vocals with a Red5 RV6 mic, into a old ass behringer mixer, into a Delta44. I'm wondering if the mixer is a weak enough weak link so as to be affecting the quality of my recordings?

I'm perfectly willing to accept that maybe my skill level is still the weak link, i'm just after opinions, would replacing the mixer with a DMP3 or something be worthwhile.

 

[Shadow_7]

It wouldn't hurt IMO. Sub < $500 pres tend to add a lot of color to the sound IMO. DMP3 being one of the few that's cheap and less colored. Even my $350-ish each Sound Devices MM-1's improve my signal chain IMO. Also with a delta 44, although I don't use it as often as I should. In terms of pre's I've had / have (in a particular order):

1) Sound Devices MM-1
2) Korg MR-1000
3) DMP3
4) Art Tube MP

I'd be hesitant to use the Art for anything, even a cheap demo. Or a bad client who's check always bounced. It's that different from those listed above. Maybe for some heavy distorted grunge band or something. I had to sell mine with a decent mic just to get it out of the house.

The DMP3 and MR-1000 are pretty evenly matched IMO. At least in terms of preamps. The MR-1000 being slightly better.

The Sound Devices are in their own league. Although can be a bit noisy if you bump them past the first three clicks. Otherwise pretty amazing to run full 48V mics for 4+ hours on 2x AA's (per pre/mic). Having stepped gain makes it easier to keep a matched pair matched.

The main difference per say is noise floor and EQ curve. Your mics have a particular frequency response and I think that the pres can impart their own bias to that curve. Sometimes to the mics benefit, sometimes to it's detriment.

 

[mshilarious]

Any preamp with an "EQ curve" is broken, either by design or by accident . . . certainly nothing remotely comparable with the variations in microphone frequency response.