Preamp directed towards vocals?

  • Thread starter Thread starter PRiZ
  • Start date Start date
P

PRiZ

New member
Hey, I'v been told the Presonus blue tube is one of the best preamps. Everytime I read something about this preamp it seems to be more specified towards instruments. I'm going to be only dropping vocals, Is this the preamp for me?
I'm willing to spend about 200/300 US. but if it's needed I guess I could go a little higher.
I want phantom power for condenser MIC's etc, ability to be able to have two vacalists at once with two MIC's...
What do all of you think about the preamps on the omni studio?
look forward to your replys...thanks for reading!
 
Omni studio preamps are awesome.....in my less than educated opinion, better than the Blue Tube........
 
"Acceptable" or "reasonable" are probably better terms as opposed to "the best"...

"The Best" are Manleys, APIs, Grace Designs, Avalon pres -- all well above the $2K mark....

Bruce
 
Hmmm

You can get a 2 channel Neve designed preamp for about $1400. The best deal all around, I'd say. Thats only about $1100 more than you planned to spend! :)
If you;re gonna spend $300 on junk, I'd suggest saving it for a few months and buying one of the $600 line of Symetrix, Presonus, HHB or Focusrite.
You can find the Symetrix sometimes for about $350. Check Ebay and other places like it. Sometimes $350 new, if you look hard enough.
 
I have _heard_ that the JoeMeek preamp is a HUGE bargain for the money, currently being sold for $199 through various outlets at long discount. I think it's around $400 list.

One comparative print review I saw reposted on the net compared it very favorably to various pro preamps also tested in the $2000 to $3000+ range.

I have no experience with this preamp myself, but it's on my short list to buy if I ever get this far with my equipment selection.

Try running a search on "JoeMeek" and see what you come up with here.
 
thanks...

Damn, didn't know that's how much an acceptable set up was.
Those prices include both, (a pair) I assume. I gotta get an amp too with those monitors right. Is it smart to get the monitores with the built in amps. I heard the Mackie and Event are good for hiphop due to deeper bass, these have built in amplifiers matched exactly to the speakers they are driving. Doe's anyone have any experience or info on these, are they good.
 
Hey tubedude!

"If you;re gonna spend $300 on junk, I'd suggest saving it for a few months and buying one of the $600 line of Symetrix, Presonus, HHB or Focusrite.
You can find the Symetrix sometimes for about $350."
Uhmm, are 300 preamps really junk, does it make that much of a difference to get apair at a 600 level.
About tube preamps, do think that they are better than anything not tube, The Art tube mp was looking good, apparently 350 I think...my buget isn't the best but I don't won't junk.
what about in the 500-400 area...?
help me out...
 
Hey Priz..

My being affiliated with TubeDude All-Tube-Microphone-Stands, Inc., I can, of course, get you a good deal on a Tube Microphone stand. Totally eliminates the need for a crappy preamp. Good ones with a dual 12ax7 gain stage start at only 99.95, plus applicable taxes in your state. Shipping not included.
And on a more serious note, the $300 ones aren't necc. junk, they won't fall apart when you bump them or anything, but they just wont get that kind of quality we all desire deep inside. Although, truth be told, the BEST preamp in the world should NOT cost more than about $500 for a dual. C'mon, people, $2000 for a preamp? Thats disgusting, and someone should be punished for such "criminality". And yes, I'd spend it if I had it, of course. Gotta feed the addiction. But truthfully, is a preamp WORTH $2000. Someone should be able to duplicate that same quality for $400 without a problem. But when they do, they'll jack it up to $2000. Us poor people just lose and lose and lose.
Sorry, getting a buzz rant going.
Anyway, if you are anywhere concerned about sound quality, I would get a slightly more expensive preamp. And money isnt the deciding factor... There are probably $300 preamps that sound BETTER than some $600 preamps. Just gonna have to figure all that out, somehow.
Peace,
Paul
 
I posted this in another thread, but it fits here too...

Is a "tube" preamp at under $1K going to give you a sound that's any closer to say, a Manley, than a under $1K non-tube pre? DEFINITELY NOT.

The word tube is a hot marketing buzzword right now... the non-pro market is huge and gear manufacturers know that people who have been mislead into believing in the so-called "sterility" of digital now have a hard-on for anything with the word tube on it.

The reason a Manley tube pre costs $4K is NOT 'cos the Manley name is worth a lot, it's 'cos designing a great tube pre is expensive!

So what does a manufacturer for the low to middle end do? He designs the middle of the road, basic solid-state pre, perfectly usable... THEN, adds a tube gain stage in parallel with the normal output, adding a dash of tube "color" to the signal. Does that make it a "tube" pre?? I don't think so... yes you get a coloration, that may even be beneficial to you, but you can't really call it a tube pre. If you pull the tube out of the circuit, I bet you the pre still works just fine (!), even though you've ranked what would normally be a crucial element out of the circuit! You would just simply lose the coloration portion of the signal.

So, a tube somewhere in the path does NOT make it a tube pre, BUT you can bet those marketing guys will certainly plaster the word "TUBE" all over the front panel in order to capture joe-public's attention and increase sales.

You want a tube preamp, be prepared to throw a few thousand on it.... anything less is simply "tube modelling"........

By the way, I'm not putting down the under $1K pres - they are perfectly usable and can be good-sounding (I use one myself!) -- I just don't like people being misled by marketing hype, especially if marketing hype is what is causing them to consider the purchase of a piece of gear.

Bruce
 
Re: I posted this in another thread, but it fits here too...

Blue Bear Sound said:
The word tube is a hot marketing buzzword right now... the non-pro market is huge and gear manufacturers know that people who have been mislead into believing in the so-called "sterility" of digital now have a hard-on for anything with the word tube on it.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. Digital recording, when handled right does not have to sound "cold" or "sterile" and tubes do not explicitly impart "warmth" on a signal. Still, Ed swears by his Tube MP's and his results speak for themselves. Maybe there's some usefulness to such hybrid circuits afterall.
 
I agree...

I wasn't trying to convey the impression that these tube hybrid were not usable, or even good sounding... they certainly can be! But I think it's important to make the distinction between a true tube pre, and a "tube-enhanced" circuit, at the very least as an FYI for pre-amp "rookies"!

:)

Bruce
 
wondering...

Is a tube preamp more directed at being better for acoustics/instruments? ...or vocals?
What preamps let you adjust the way things sound?
The Art tube MP seems to be getting alot of praise, even at it's 350 street price...how is this one for vocals! this goes to those that have it or have heard it. thanks

About the omni preamps, I've heard their based on the DMP 2 ($250) which have gotten great reviews, and I've heard someone experienced with these both say the that the DMP is almost exactly the same as the JoeMeek VC3Q, except the meek tends to sound a little smoother at times. so Gidge I think you may be correct...
 
i dont know why big buck pre amps are even being discussed. just because something cost $$$$$$$$ does not mean YOU will get it to sound like $$$$$$$$$$$$$.

according to ELECTRONIC MUSICIAN. the presonus blue tube is the BEST preamp for less than $1000. it won the 2001 editors choice award. when it was reviewed it received 19 out of 20 points.

the LANGEVIN dvc preamp won the 2001 editors choice for preamp more than $1,000. when it was reviewed in the nov 2000 issue of the mag it received 18.5 points out of 20.

so if your going to go by reviews i suggest you pay attention to what i just posted. the presonus is good for vocals. if you value so called EXPERT opinions look into the presonus. i dont think the editors give good reviews when it comes to crap products. in fact they have saved me money. i was gonna get a yamaha 4416. after i read the reviews and went BACK to the store and played with it i saw it was HYPE and an OK recorder nothing more. you have to play with the stuff. see if you can go in and hear how the stuff sounds b4 you shell out any money.

i hope you arent a person who thinks the more you pay for a piece of gear the better it will sound. thats not true. QUALITY gear is important however if you dont know how to operate it or if you dont learn what use is it?

many people here might not consider a roland VS recorder "PROFESSIONAL". however outkast uses it,teddy riley uses it and jazzy jeff uses it. not to mention i use it. everything is a matter of OPINION. NOTHING is etched in stone as "the best" because even if it comes from an editor or mag review its still OPINION.

you can make PROFESSIONAL sounding recordings without a neve or pro tools or any other trillion dollar stuff. did hendrix have pro tools? nope. when ric roc did beats for ice cube,too $hort,spice 1 or e40 did he use an SSL? nope.

get what you can get and DONT blow your whole wad on one piece of gear. balance it out. i would rather have a decent mic,decent pre amp and a decent soundcard than a whack mic,MILLION DOLLAR PRE and soundblaster. balance it out so you have ok stuff to work with. remember your NEW so some of these things might be a lil too much to handle right now. last time im gonna say this......balance it out.

make sure you dont have OUTSTANDING VOCALS with mediocre music. can you spell b a l a n c e?

czar


PS pro tools le, rode nt 1 and presonus tube. or roland pack rode nt1 and tube.


pps
Omni studio preamps are awesome.....in my less than educated opinion, better than the Blue Tube........
Click to expand...
can you find a review and post it? blue tube had 19 out of 20 points in electronic musician.
 
Czar,

I dont need a review to back up my opinions.....Ive heard the Omni pres and Ive heard a Blue Tube pre and guess what?...I rather the Omni, which is why I stated in MY opinion, it is better.....now if you want a review of the Omni Stdio, then :

a) first kiss my fat white ass

b)go to www.metacrawler.com and find it you damn self
 
I dont need a review to back up my opinions
Click to expand...

on other threads priz was looking for reviews on products. i guess he thought that reviews would help him make a descision. however when I was looking at the yamaha i only played with it and in my opinion it was a good machine. after i read the reviews and went back to play with it i found that it wasnt all it was supposed to be. even the salesman said it was rather average after we discussed it and its features. so i take the REVIEW into consideration but im no fool......i buy what i like not what joe or mike says is good.
.....Ive heard the Omni pres and Ive heard a Blue Tube pre and guess what?...I rather the Omni, which is why I stated in MY opinion, it is better
Click to expand...

......ive heard digital and analog and guess what?.....i rather BOTH.which is why i want to dump my wav files and vs stuff on a 2 inch reel. in my opinion the combo is best. so if you heard both and you like the omni better thats GREAT!! however do you do hip hop music? do you know how hip hop vocals and music sound when going through an omni?


a) first kiss my fat white ass
Click to expand...

why all the hostility? im trying to help someone and your tellin me to kiss your ass? if i said i would rather KICK your ass would you like that? or would you run and yell "threat"????

b)go to www.metacrawler.com and find it you damn self
Click to expand...

whats wrong? cant find a good review? like i said priz was looking for reviews on products and i gave him reviews for several products i told him about. now can you NOT show your ASS and give the man a good review?




czar


ps btw gidge are you going to the function on the 6th in san francisco? i am. hope to see you.
 
Czar,

thats not hostility, believe me.....

The dudes question in the original post of this thread was "what do you think about the preamps on the omni studio" and I gave my honest opinion, and pointed out the fact that it was my opinion.....he did not ask for reviews in this thread...now you chose to quote me in your post and ask for a review, which I find offensive....now if you do a search of this BBS there ARE links to reviews of the Omni Studio and the DMP2 preamp by M-Audio, which share the same circuitry....do yourself a favor and see where THESE preamps are reviewed and said to be better than Mackie and better than most standalone preamps in the under $1000 range....however, these reviews didnt mean squat to me... I bought my DMP2 preamp based on JamesHE's review of it, which I trust more than any stupid magazine....take that for what its worth, czar.....
 
Gidge...?

How did you test the two, did you test with a guitar etc or just vocally? This is actually the biggest problem of getting help on sites like this, you get so much information but no one ever specifies what they are using the equipment for.
Bleive me, I'm way past believing reviews by now, but atleast with a review it's a so called experienced producer and not someone who just got a peice of equipment and has instantly become a pro. (Like peeps that call themselves a DJ just because they picked up some wheels, there's more!)
I'm not tryin to give you(s) a lesson, there are alot of heads up in here that are better than the reviewers I can say with out a dought...
 
Priz,

Ive tried vocals, guitar, and bass thru the Delta....I like it for vocals but I still rather my J-Station for guitar and bass....I only tried the Presonus on vocals and played with it briefly along side an Art Tube Pre and the Art blew away the Presonus.....I was almost set to buy the Art but JamesHE tipped us off to the M-Audio DMP2 preamp(uses the same circuitry as the Omni).....we picked em up for 80.00 ( a steal)....I may decide eventually to get the Art because you can get more color from it than the DMP2.....

As far as reviews, I can point out a review from Electronic Musician that loved the Marshall MXL2001 microphone (as someone pointed out earlier but then ProRec reviewed it and basically said you are better off with an sm57....so who do you believe?....Harvey Gerst....he said it sucks and I trust him and thats what it comes down to....you want advice, look up Harvey......

And again Czar, these are opinions which I have a right to and dont need a review to back it up...if you cant see why that was wrong of you to do, then you may want to read through this entire thread again....peace, my brutha......
 
thanks...

Hmmm. yeah it's nice to know the Omni aint all bad, but I'm pretty sure I'll end up with a seperate preamp, thinkin the Lynx One card and Art preamp...I'm get excited just thinkin about that setup. :) Sonusman peep my post to you if you readin this.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top