Running AKG Perception 200 through Roland VS 1680: Preamp necessary?

[JonahPavesco]

Hey everyone, my name is Jonah, brand new around here.

Just like the thread says, do I need a preamp to run an AKG Perception 200 condensor mic through my Roland VS 1680? Or are the "built in" preamps sufficient? I have absolutely NO CLUE about this. I mean, I'd purchase a preamp if I needed to, but if I don't need one at the moment and the mic will work okay through the 16 track alone, then I'd rather not spend the money on the pre right now.

Also, I'm a total beginner to recording digital and with all this fancy equipment, so can anyone tell me exactly what a pre-amp is for? Is it the same idea as running a guitar through an amplifier before going into a mixer instead of plugging the guitar direct into the mixer?

Thanks!

 

[KineticSound]

Jonah,
Welcome to the boards. No, you don't NEED a separate preamp to use your AKG-200 with the Roland 1680. Just connect to one of the XLR inputs and turn on phantom power on the 1680. Then set your mic channel fader at unity (zero) and use the trim knob until you get the desired level.

A better question might be, "would I want to use a different preamp with my AKG?" Eventually the answer will probably be yes, but you can get started with what you have - which is simply using one of the VS-1680's built-in preamps.

The preamp does a couple of things - it provides a power source for your mic (phantom power), and it provides gain for the mic's signal.

Good luck!

David

 

[JonahPavesco]

Thanks, KS. I figured I'd still be able to use it, but the guy selling it to me was looking out and making sure I had a preamp or some other sort of equipment that I could run the mic through. It confused me.

And yeah, from what I've been reading it sounds like I will eventually want to invest in a preamp. Thanks again.