preamp vent/rant

  • Thread starter Thread starter rightbrainnow
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To summarize the summary: the only way you'll get experience is by doing it. It's the best way to learn IMHO.
 
rightbrainnow said:
Im sick and tired of shopping for a mic pre. Ive literally been researching it for half a year. Something will catch my eye, ill research the hell out of it and see what people on this board say about it, musiciansfriend reviews, harmony central reviews..i google for reviews and usually find a couple that have been feature in magazines etc. Theres such a broad spectrum of opinions on this board its ridiculous. "this preamp really gave the signal a rich and warm sound"...then two posts later "this thing is a piece of crap!!!sounds thin ...youd much better off buying a blah blah blah for this price range..."..so then you research those recomendations and you get the same thing over, and over, and over again. Ive come to the conclusion that the quality of a mic pre really only matters if youre getting into the high dollar stuff. People either rave about something because they want to like what they dropped money on...or they will bash it because they dropped so much money on it and it wasnt what they expected...i obviously find this biased, and not a true representation of a product. I live in a town where GC runs the music gear world. Their customer service is absolutely horrible and i dont trust them becuase they just push products to make money. "tube is the only way to go!!!" says on person...then the next says "well in todays day and age solid state is just as good, and at a better price tag" Everyone is so concerned with fixing their sound..not enhancing it. Im a purist and i beleive things should be fixed at their source. Does your guitar sound suck? why not buy a new guitar or amp instead of saying "my presonus mic pre is a piece of junk! my guitar still sounds bad!!!" This preamp stuff is just crazy. too many options. GC doesnt let you try anything, and when you ask their opinions they just read whats on the side of the box..i would like to just tell them "ok ive already read that a million times on the internet, stop promoting products you dont know anything about." Trying to pick out a preamp is just a never ending circle of contradicting opinions. I have no source to actually hear any of the products i would buy...so i kinda have to rely on all the research. I think im just gonna go with my gut and buy blue's robbie...being the purist that i am, I like that they neglected information overflow and just gave you one knob. blah, whatever.
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I believe thats called "analysis paralysis".
You also would probably not be having this much difficulty if you knew what you wanted out of a preamp. The broad spectum of opinions are to be expected - because people have different expectations, and value different things from audio gear. Make up your mind about what you value, and go buy a decent unit that will approximate that sound. It should take you 6 months to save up for it...not six months to choose it. If you dont like it, sell it on ebay and get something else...what you lose in cash you gain in experience...
 
I can solve this whole thing right here and now. Tell me what your budget is, what you need to get out of it, and what your preferences are. I will then tell you what to get. If you buy it and don't like it you can come back and call me an asshole:D
 
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I'll do one better. Don't tell me what you're looking for and I'll tell you what I think you should be looking for. :D

For a first pre, the word that comes to mind is "clinical"---as in a good first preamp is one that is so clean that you could do surgery on its output. :D

To that end, the DMP3 is a frequently recommended choice for stand-alone pres. For a mixer with extremely clean pres, I'd personally recommend the Peavey PV8 mixer (or something else in that family).

For a second pre, the word that comes to mind is "character". Buy a brick or something. :D

Seriously, though... what's your budget and what are you looking for?
 
no no no! i love the blood, sweat, and tears...i just want to have all my troops now to go to war with. Im playing and recording everything..drums, guitar, ...so it takes a lot of getting up, moving around, testing,,whatever..im sure youve all been there. I was talking to a guy at GC today and I asked for his input...he says most "guys like us" are recording in our living room...so get a pre that adds some color..something to make it rich and warm. I had originally asked him why everyone is trying to change their sound instead of enhancing it..he said that you have to have a perfect recording environment to use a "clean" pre...whats your guy's take on that outlook? Trust me, im not looking for a quick fix..thats not the kind of thing i value. Im not looking for a pre to change my life.
 
Forgot to answer the "what are you looking for?" questions. I listen to a lot of Radiohead, David Bowie, and Joy Division...I dont like sounds to be overmastered...I like them to sound human. Gritty and haunting are qualities i like in a sound.
 
I guess I don't understand why the salesman would tell you a "colored" pre should make up for a bad recording environment. If the environment is bad work on fixing the environment. I imagine there are other uses for a colored pre, and I'm not an expert, but I would think if I had to choose just one pre I'd go for the cleanest pre I could afford, which would let me capture the sources as accurately as possible. Then, if you want to alter the sound you could do it in other ways.

Tell these guys your budget, and I bet you can get some recommendations for the best options in your price range. Honestly, I think I have a lot more faith in the opinions of most of these guys on the forum, than I do of the average salesman at Guitar Center.
 
I think im going to put some money down and buy the sebatron VMP-4000e...everything ive read ive liked..i havent found anything negative, ill get 4 pre's, it seems to be everything i want, and it seems as though you have the ability to vary the sound a lot...negating the idea that one pre is not enough to record multiple tracks.
 
rightbrainnow said:
I think im going to put some money down and buy the sebatron VMP-4000e...everything ive read ive liked..i havent found anything negative, ill get 4 pre's, it seems to be everything i want, and it seems as though you have the ability to vary the sound a lot...negating the idea that one pre is not enough to record multiple tracks.
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do it, do it, do it, do it, do it, do it


do it, do it, do it, do it, do it, do it


do it, do it, do it, do it, do it, do it


do it, do it, do it, do it, do it, do it.

Just do it! And then get out there and learn your gear, experiement with, and come back here with some recordings!

FWIW, I do believe that one good pre can provide all the tracks you need for a recording. More than one good one provides for different character and/or colour. But one good one, that layers well, can do the job nicely, I think.
 
yeah, just do it. forget what youve read. pick which one appeals to you more. I mean, which is better? a strat or a les paul? The question cannot be answered. just pick the one that you want. and if you're still not sure, pick the one that looks coolest. The fact is, whatever you pick it will probably be an improvement over what you've got.
 
You've made a GREAT choice. The Seb is one of those pres that can be many different things, from clinical to downright nasty. Ya cant go wrong. Great build and even though he's in OZ Seb is a great guy to deal with. Everyone should START with this pre as it will go a long ways towards teaching you the finer points of using a mic pre .

Good one young man....now get out there and get that thing!
 
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