Thanks to the Members

[glennc]

Hello and Thanks to those who have posted advice and websites. I've learned enough to begin to understand what I don't know. But I am narrowing down my choices.
Inexpensive mixer or an inexpensive preamp. The preamp will handle a mike and give me effects(Behringer Ultragain MIC200). A mixer will give me a good base for expansion and a mike and several inputs(Peavey PV6).
Specifically does anyone have opinions pro or con about these possible choices. Again, using Audacity into a line input on an old Celeron box. Recording just me. Will upgrade to a Shure Mike eventually.
BTW will anyone simply explain the difference between powered and unpowered mixer. I'm getting headaches from info overflow.

 

[Creamyapples1]

I'm not an avid Behringer hater, but I can't stand their preamps, noisey, cracky, etc. I'll leave it at that.


A powered mixer has a built in amplifier that will power a set of speakers without needing an external amplifier.

An unpowered mixer will need an external amplifier between the mixer and the speakers.

 

[NYMorningstar]

If you are real serious about your music then you may want to wait to get better equipment. Alot of peeps buy in to stuff like you have listed and in a few months grow out of it. Food for thought, the decisions depend upon your budget ultimately.

In my experience, it is best to get a separate power amp than to get a powered mixer.

 

[mx_mx]

I thank my member on a daily basis

 

[Dani Pace]

Without recomending any particular gear, buy the best you can afford. Firstly it will work/sound better for now and later when/if you upgrade it will be easier to add more good gear into your system. Investing a lot of money in a set up is great if you can afford it, getting the best sound on your recordings with whatever you have to work with is the important thing. A room full of top of the line gear is nice but I have heard some pretty decent recordings which were done with very limited gear. Knowing how to get the most out of whatever gear you have is as important as the gear itself.

 

[glennc]

Thanks Creamyapples1,
That's the type of information I am soliciting. Also clear explanation. Can you offer an alternative, in that price area?? Huh, will ya?? Thanks!
NYMorningstar,
I hear you! I have a genetic/social problem (nature or nurture?!?), that I become interested in an area and depending on my budget I buy in. Some have continued past infatuation, others are possible EBay sales. Luckily I never had the expense account to get too carried away. I basically need to upgrade or buy everything in the My Recording Studio, computer, software, instrument speaker headphones. You get the idea. Just want to see where this dream leads. Thanks for the advice about the mixers, too.
mx_mx,
Cool, I see why.
Dani Pace,
Thanks for the input and I understand your point of view. I am afraid I be carried away with the hardware and forget the music. Genetic/Social disposition (see above).
Please to All,
DO recommend gear if you have an inkling. The items I've mentioned and my goal is the starting point, not so much just those specific pieces.

 

[Kevin Deschwazi]

Decent quality cheap mixer- Yamaha MG range

I have no experience with the Peavey.

 

[daav]

If you are recording to DAW and mixing in the PC, i would reccomend a decent preamp (not the behringer either) over the mixer, unless you are recording more than a couple tracks at once, and even then i would reccomend preamps unless you need 6 or more inputs. i barely even turn on my cheap mixer these days. DPM3 I have and has much more clean gain than the mixer, and there are others that are affordbale that are highly regarded (3q, tampa, etc).

When you get a mixer, I would waiti until you are readly to do bigger project stuff ansd then get a nice one with plently of inputs, good eq and the best preamps you can afford, and lots of outs for your DAW.

Daav

 

[Cyanide-Depende]

Decent quality cheap mixer- Yamaha MG range

I have no experience with the Peavey.

Agreed, the Yamaha MG mixers are worlds better than anything berhinger could ever make, and they're in the same price range, maybe $10-20 more.

Im noit a fan of peavy mixers/pa equipment, the preamps hiss alot IMO and the eq's arent that great.

-C$

 

[glennc]

Thank you Kevin DeSchwazi, daav and Cyanide-Depende,
I am considering all the info I receive from youz guyz! But I think I got it licked for now. Took some old headphone (walkman style) cut the cables off of each, joined the wires together (wish I had a soldering iron) and plugged one end in the line input and the other into my pocket rocket. Voila, instant preamp with one equalizer, volume slider and get this, it's got a clear, distortion and a PBX output. Just got to keep the volume down.
First does anyone know about the PBX setting on a Pocket Rocket? Secondly now I know what a noise reducer is and how Audacity's works. Works perfectly!
A good preamp must be really amazing as this setup really beefs up the sound and adds the effects. I will look into those mentioned so far, just need a mike input now.

 

[Creamyapples1]

I'd say a good buy for you at first would be a decent soundcard, like an M-Audio 2496 or something similar.

 

[bubbagump]

I am an EMU fan personally. Their new cards with M in the model number (1212M, 1616M, 1820M) have amazing convertors and clocks in them for their price range.

 

[glennc]

Hello bubbagump and Creamyapples1,
Thanks for taking the time to respond. Why do you think the soundcard should be my starting point. I am interested in hearing learned experience as I am lacking in same. I was concerned about my computer not living up to the cards possiblities and my lack of Proffesional software and accessories.
Again I'd like to Thank the members who have answered my questions. The thought of people who may do this stuff seriously, even for a living, sharing thier time and knowledge is very benevelent. I even have yet to be flamed for my newbie attitude. Cool!

 

[Dogbreath]

I even have yet to be flamed for my newbie attitude. Cool!

D'OH!!!

(uh-oh)

 

[Kevin Deschwazi]

The process of converting your analog signals into digital is a key part of the recording chain, that's why you can spend $1000s on just a couple of high end channels of A-D conversion. Don't worry, you don't need to spend that much. Aside from sound quality you'll also run into fewer problems with latency compared to using integrated sound or a cheap card like a creative.

So long as your comp meets the technical requirements of the soundcard it doesn't really matter so much about what software you're using or the overall quality of the computer.

I agree that it makes sense to start here because there isn't really much point in nice mics and preamps if they're all going through poor quality converters.

M Audio make very god, reasonably priced cards, if you only need 2 ins the audiophile 2496 already mentioned is a good choice.

 

[bubbagump]

Well, honestly, I was a dumb ass and didn't read your whole post as you were asking about preamps. That said, the EMu card is great and has really quite good preamps in it, (The 1616M and 1820M) much better than a Berry or ART.

Okay, so assuyming what you have as a sound card is sufficient, I would really look used. You are better off spending $300 on a used Mackie VLZ mixer than $250 on a new Berry IMO. I am the sort to go without for a few months longer and get something better than get something cheap and crappy right now.

As for powered versus unpower mixer... a powered mixer has an amplifier built in to power speakers. Powered mixers are generally used for PA use and not recording. An unpowered mixer is the "normal" mixer you find in studios and for larger PA installations.