Preamp Priority

[Nakatira]

I going into a recroding session in a few months.

I will be using Presonus Firepod as my daws, 2 of em.

I've been fortunate enough to get to borrow 3 classy preamps + 1 dual art thing.
Preamps are: Universal Audio solo 610 X2 and the TL Audio VP1
+ I gotz the Art DPS dual pre.

This will be a live recording, sort of. for Bass and drums that is.
So I'm thinking the VP-1 on Bass Guitar, the U-A 610's on Overheads and then maybe the art on snare and kick, if its better than the Firepods pres.

what would you do?

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

For me the question of which preamp goes to which instrument is kind of secondary to the question of which preamps to match up with which microphones. Matching the pres to the mics gain-wise and - ultimately - sound-wise, would be what I would consider first, and then once I have those pairings figured out, decide where to use them from there.

G.

 

[newcomputeruser]

horses and courses

For me the question of which preamp goes to which instrument is kind of secondary to the question of which preamps to match up with which microphones. Matching the pres to the mics gain-wise and - ultimately - sound-wise, would be what I would consider first, and then once I have those pairings figured out, decide where to use them from there.

G.

i would match the mike to the source first
considering SPL and the frequency/coloration

then get the right pre to the mike

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

i would match the mike to the source first
considering SPL and the frequency/coloration

then get the right pre to the mike

Exactly what I meant, you just said it better. It's a question of mic selection first. You match the preamp to the mic, not to the instrument.

Or maybe even more accurately, you match the mic/preamp chain to the instrument, not the preamp alone.

G.

 

[Nakatira]

Exactly what I meant, you just said it better. It's a question of mic selection first. You match the preamp to the mic, not to the instrument.

Or maybe even more accurately, you match the mic/preamp chain to the instrument, not the preamp alone.

G.

Sounds way to complicated for me

I'll be using the akg 414 for overheads, I thought they sounded good through the UA/610 last time around.

Never tried the 610's on the snare or kick, wich I used a sm57 (snare) and a akg d12 (Kick)

I was more wondering like if you got some great pre's (IMO the 610 and the TL-audio are) and you got some cheap pre's what would you use what on.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

I was more wondering like if you got some great pre's (IMO the 610 and the TL-audio are) and you got some cheap pre's what would you use what on.

I can't give a one size fits all answer to that short of, "whichever tracks I want/need the highest definition from, or whichever tracks are using the kind of microphone that will benefit most from being plugged into one of those preamps."

Frankly, rarely do drums meet any of those criteria for me; typically I'll reserve my "gold channels" for things like non-scream vocals and non-percussive acoustic instruments.

But it sounds like you're limiting your choices to the rhythm section. In which case I'd probably first try the TL on snare, the 610s on overheads, one channel of the ART on kick, and bass direct.

G.

 

[Nakatira]

I can't give a one size fits all answer to that short of, "whichever tracks I want/need the highest definition from, or whichever tracks are using the kind of microphone that will benefit most from being plugged into one of those preamps."

Frankly, rarely do drums meet any of those criteria for me; typically I'll reserve my "gold channels" for things like non-scream vocals and non-percussive acoustic instruments.

But it sounds like you're limiting your choices to the rhythm section. In which case I'd probably first try the TL on snare, the 610s on overheads, one channel of the ART on kick, and bass direct.

G.

Yeah, the I am prioritizing the Drums and bass for this session as its the only instruments that will be recorded in this session, all guitars keys and vox and ect will be overdubbed on a later occasion, leaving all the pre's available.

BtwI might spring for one of thos Golden Age "Neve" pre's as well