preamp question.

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rui

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Do i need to have a preamp for every mic that is being recorded live?
(i.e 3 mics on drums, 2 on vocals and 1 for guitar) Would I need 6 preamps for this setup?, what type of gear is necessary ?

I am trying to go mixerless and am planning on getting a Delta 1010 soundcard for my PC.

Thanks for any input/output :p
 
Yeah, you need preamps.

Uh........... a mixer? This is gonna be the cheapest route. Plus, hardware mixers are handy as hell to have around.

Or 6 channels of standalone preamps.
 
But the preamps on a mixer usually bite the big one, in comparison to a seperate preamp don't they?

All the preamps I see only have about 2 channels. Any suggestions?
 
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rui said:
But the preamps on a mixer usually bite the big one, in comparison to a seperate preamp don't they?
Click to expand...

Some do, some don't.

And it depends on what you're comparing them too.

Do most suck in comparison to a John Hardy? Probably.

Compared to a Presonus or a vtb-1? Likely not. Might even be better, depending on the mixer.
 
Are presonus pretty bad? I was looking at an 8 channel one for around $350.00

Where would I find a recording done with some crappy preamps so I would hear how crappy it really is?

Any sites with recordings of any specific gear would be appreciated!

Thanks......
 
Maybe look at an interface with pres included like the Aardvark Q10 thing or a Tascam FW-1884. The pres in my Tascam sound pretty darn good..very quiet and clean. Got 8 of them but I don't use them because I have pres. If you're going for at 6 decent pres on top of your 1010, you're looking at..mmm.. another $1200 -1500. Maybe a Sytek and an RNP (these are what I use..quite nice) or other two channel rig. The Soundcraft M-series mixer pres are reputed to be pretty good. You might want to listen to one.
 
rui said:
Are presonus pretty bad? I was looking at an 8 channel one for around $350.00
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While the Presonus doesn't compete with high-end gear, like many companies that target the middle-road in terms of gear quality/pricing, they've got low-end along with much more respectable stuff.......
 
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rui said:
Are presonus pretty bad? I was looking at an 8 channel one for around $350.00

Where would I find a recording done with some crappy preamps so I would hear how crappy it really is?
Click to expand...


No one really said they were that bad. All I said was that you're not likely to hear an appreciable difference between a budget standalone mic pre, and those on a decent budget mixer.

If you want to spring for something like a John Hardy or even a Grace Design (in the $600 to $1,200 category), your chances of hearing a difference are going to be much greater. I think it would be safe to say that plugging in to a John Hardy might make for a better recording experience than plugging in to a Mackie board, for example. It wouldn't be a huge stretch, I don't think.

It gets foggier when you start talking about the lower-end models. Is using a standalone pre like a Presonus or a VTB-1 going to be better than plugging in to a Mackie or Soundcraft board? Maybe, but maybe not. Either way, it will likely be a much more subjective thing to judge.

That's all I'm saying.
 
You won't need 6 pre's because you will probably be using dynamics on the drums and could use dynamics on guitar and bass cabs, You could get a nice two channel for your vocals and a mixers for the rest and save some $ for later
 
My friend really likes his Delta 1010, and he uses a Mackie 1604VLZ mixer, which has pretty decent preamps. That's a great way to go because of all the mixing functions.

I opted to go with an Aardvark Direct Pro 24/96, and have just ordered a second one. I find the preamps very clean--not top of the line--but definitely in the middle of the pack. I would look at the Aardvark Q10 before you make a decision. It's eight channels (ten if you include stereo SPDIF inputs, which come in handy if you get a preamp with an AD converter) including preamps, but only four have phantom power.

Another way would be to get the 1010, a small mixer with at least six microphone preamps, and a dedicated, middle-of-the-road preamp.
 
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Big Kenny said:
You won't need 6 pre's because you will probably be using dynamics on the drums and could use dynamics on guitar and bass cabs, You could get a nice two channel for your vocals and a mixers for the rest and save some $ for later
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That's funny - when I tried out a DMP-3 I found it was my dynamics (Shure and Beyer) that benefited more than my condensers (SE and AKG). But I know what you mean - 'gold' channels.
 
Do check out the Soundcraft M series boards. They have the same Ghost preamps that their $5000 consoles have. Also look at the Behringer ADA8000. This has been getting good ratings from audiophiles for being quality preamps and converters for the price. It is not a Hardy or Sytek, but it's decent quality at a much better price. It also comes with ADAT I/O.
 
fraserhutch said:
Anyone have any comments on the mic preamps on a Tascam DM24?


Fraser
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Yes, they suck. I owned one of those boards for a week and sent it back. The whole board (including the pres) just had this sort of weak "distant" sound to it...hard to describe but not a real good presence to it etc.

A fair amount of folks like that board though, so someone has found redeeming qualities about it.

The learning curve sucked too.

War
 
To clarify, EVERY mic needs a preamp, but onyl condensers require phantom power (unless it's a tube condenser with its own power supply). In fact, dynamics usually benefit more from a really nice pre since they put out alot less signal than condensers. Just plug a SM58/SM57 into a Great River and compare that with using a Mackie.
Now I think Big Kenny was saying you could use the mixer mic channels for the dynamics, which is correct BECAUSE those inputs have preamps. I just wanted to make sure the correct info is given out.


Big Kenny said:
You won't need 6 pre's because you will probably be using dynamics on the drums and could use dynamics on guitar and bass cabs, You could get a nice two channel for your vocals and a mixers for the rest and save some $ for later
Click to expand...
 
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