PreAmp Question?

[2000Z28M6]

I'm stilling getting my feet wet recording vocals. I've been trying a few different mics and techniques.

I have been using a behringer powered mixer that then goes to my m audio 4in/4out card.

Right now I have my mics going thru the mixer, and then to the ins of the audio card.

Here's the scenario and question. If I purchased a decent mic preamp and then still went thru the mixer pre would I defeat the purpose of using an external pre?

To see the benefits of using an external pre is it a better idea to bypass the mixer and go straight to the sound card ins?

Thanks

 

[2000Z28M6]

Maybe I'm answering my own question here, but if I run the mic thru the external preamp first, doesn't that mean that the gain powering the mic is from the external pre and therefore the mixer wouldnt add much color?

 

[valem]

Good question that I myself need some clarity on. I currently go through my audio interface that has preamps, but if I were to get a quality preamp I would think by still going through the audio interface I would be defeating the purpose of the quality preamp unit. Right?

 

[Chili]

I'm stilling getting my feet wet recording vocals. I've been trying a few different mics and techniques.

I have been using a behringer powered mixer that then goes to my m audio 4in/4out card.

Right now I have my mics going thru the mixer, and then to the ins of the audio card.

Here's the scenario and question. If I purchased a decent mic preamp and then still went thru the mixer pre would I defeat the purpose of using an external pre?

Yes, If you are going to use the mixer, then you would want to run a line level cable from mic pre Out to mixer In. That will bypass the mixer's mic pre.

To see the benefits of using an external pre is it a better idea to bypass the mixer and go straight to the sound card ins?

Thanks

Yes, as little in the signal chain as possible. You might lose some monitoring and routing options, but you can work around that.

all imho...

peace.

 

[WhiteStrat]

In order to use an external pre and a mixer without the mixer coloring the pre signal, you have to go in to an insert on the mixer--on that completely bypasses its pres. I'd be surprised if that mixer has such inserts.

Why do you need the mixer for a single vocal track though? If I were you, I'd go from external pre to computer.

 

[2000Z28M6]

Reason I wanted to route thru the mixer was to gain the benefits of multiple sends, I have the sends setup to route headphone mix, reverb for headphone mix and would benefit from the line in/out to add the compressor.

But I suppose I could re route the signal but the preamp better have separate outputs so I can send one straight to the audio card and the other for the headphone mix.

THanks for the info, I had been banging my head on how much this would affect the signal or create more patching thru the patch bay.