question about "upgrading" pres...

T

tf5_bassist

The LouDogg
alright, I've been curious about this for quite a while... so say that you're using your DAW, and you have something like an MBox, or q10, something with pres in 'em. Then you end up splurging for an RNP, Grace, or something definitely better than the built-in pres. You could just run that new orgasmic pre to the previously only slightly-arousing pre that was on your A/D, right? I've been wondering whether this would entirely defeat the purpose of having that new pre, or if it'd be fine if you left the lesser quality pre at a lower nominal setting, or whatever. Or do you have to go straight into an un-pre'ed input?

Same question goes for running into a mixing console for tracking to a 8-track deck. can you run through the existing pre, or should the new pre run into the line input on that channel?

I'm sorry if this is a rather stupid or nonsensical, or common sense question, but i just honestly am clueless on this.
 
Going from the output of a really nice pre in to the input of a lesser pre would actually be worse than just plugging straight in to the lesser pre. Reason being you'd have a serious impedence mismatch; the pre on your mixer or soundcard would be expecting to see a mic level signal, meanwhile your Grace or whatever would be kicking out a line-level signal.

Line-level signals should be feeding line-level inputs.
 
Oooh... see, I didn't know that the pres kicked out at line-level. I mean, it makes total sense, but yeah... i didn't even think along those lines. Gotcha. Thanks for clarifying that for me, chess. :)
 
Take the output of your nice pre, and go directly to the input of your A/D converter.
You can then of course, assign that A/D output, to any track in your DAW.

I currently have 24 i/o's in MY DAW.
1-8 are for the board. (Yamaha O1V)
9-18 are being used for some hot shit pres.
19-24 are for... future hot-shit pres. :p
 
Chessrock is likely right for many cases, however with the Aardvark Q10 you would be 100% OK. The inputs on the Q10 are set to take either mic or line level inputs, so your new orgasmic pre will go 1/4" to 1/4" patch to the front the the Q10 and you will be in good shape.

I currently do this with my Q10's and my RNP and Joemeek with no problem at all, infact, quite nice results.

If interested you can hear vocals going from SP C3 to RNP->RNC to my Q10 right to Sonar here:

www.soundclick.com/danwhitakercountryband

Jim
 
jdier said:
The inputs on the Q10 are set to take either mic or line level inputs, so your new orgasmic pre will go 1/4" to 1/4" patch to the front the the Q10 and you will be in good shape.

Jim
Click to expand...

Just be sure to set the preamp on the Q10 properly so you completely bypass the built-in preamps. To do this, just select the "Ln" preamp setting, and set the preamp level to "0". Sounds basic, but they don't cover this in the manual, and if you have it set to anything but "0", you *will* add color to the sound.

-mr moon
 
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