The ULTIMATE Entry-Level Mic Pre Poll... :op

What is the BEST Entry-Level Mic Pre????

  • Art Tube MP

    Votes: 82 15.3%

  • Art Tube PAC

    Votes: 13 2.4%

  • Presonus Blue Tube

    Votes: 52 9.7%

  • Bellari MP105

    Votes: 2 0.4%

  • Bellari MP110

    Votes: 3 0.6%

  • Bellari RP503

    Votes: 5 0.9%

  • dbx Mini-Pre Tube

    Votes: 12 2.2%

  • M-Audio AudioBuddy

    Votes: 56 10.4%

  • M-Audio DMP3

    Votes: 187 34.9%

  • Behringer VX2000

    Votes: 27 5.0%

  • Rolls CL151 Mic Pre/Comp.

    Votes: 5 0.9%

  • Joe Meek MQ3

    Votes: 92 17.2%
  • Total voters
    536
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I didn't say there was no difference, I said there wasn't a whole lot of difference.
With that, I vote for letting this near rotten thread die on the vine!
 
WATYF, hope you received my (latest) private message.
Must get rest now to have enough energy to gear chat further...
(fighting bad flu)

Chris
 
WATYF said:

By the by... I'm a hobbyist musician, as far as my home-recording goes, and I don't think I'll ever spend 500-1000 on just a mic pre (any time in the near, and maybe distant, future) which is why I want to know the best entry-level pre. Saving up isn't the issue. The issue is, if it's just me making cheesy recordings for my own fun, I don't feel like spending that much on a pre... so yes,... it is necessary, sometimes, to know what the best budget gear is.

WATYF
Click to expand...

WATYF- I started recording two years ago this month. I've discovered that inexpensive gear is capable of making a damn fine recording. The rest is up to you to learn to use it well and trust your ears and intuition. Gear prices keep going down all the time and the quality of the cheap stuff is rising little by little. I haven't bought a new piece of gear in 7 months because I have everything I need. I no longer have much gear lust and I am able to concentrate on having fun and growing as a musician. It's a great hobby.....enjoy.

I know I made some sarcastic remarks toward you but don't take it personally. It was just me being a smart-ass.:)
 
watyf is like a little girl just learning to flirt and enjoying it. he pretends to be miffed at us but he is loving every minute!

:p
 
Wide Awake said:
WATYF- I started recording two years ago this month. I've discovered that inexpensive gear is capable of making a damn fine recording. The rest is up to you to learn to use it well and trust your ears and intuition. Gear prices keep going down all the time and the quality of the cheap stuff is rising little by little. I haven't bought a new piece of gear in 7 months because I have everything I need. I no longer have much gear lust and I am able to concentrate on having fun and growing as a musician. It's a great hobby.....enjoy.

I know I made some sarcastic remarks toward you but don't take it personally. It was just me being a smart-ass.:)
Click to expand...
Thanks Wide... I understand... (I'm really not bothered by anything you or anyone said... I've been posting on BBS's for years and I've had much, much worse things said to me than a few sarcastic comments.. :p I'm usually quite sarcastic myself). I guess my remaining issue is the whole "learning how to use stuff". I have a tendency to try and get a "pre-canned" solution to my needs because I'm kind of... well... lazy.. :D I have so many different areas that I dabble in (computer hardware, computer software, computer code, drums, guitar, recording (mixing), recording (software), recording (gear) ) that I just don't take the time to learn every nuance of each "hobby". I appreciate the input from this site because without it I'd surely be dead in the water.

OK, OK.. that's it.. I gotta stop posting to this thread.. :p someone needs to stick a fork in it already... :cool:

WATYF
 
Event EMP 1

I agree with Henri Devill... I have one of these, and it's SUPER transparent, clean, and has plenty of gain. The'll be under $200.oo easily. I don't know why Event discontinued this model. I never heard anything but praise for it.

Jusy my $.02

(and a slight boost to MY OWN post count...)

Bruce in Korea
 
Now Go out and try some of these Pres, Note that the Beh VX2000 will give you Both Clean and colored, as well as a Deesser, comp and eq. all for 120.00 By far the best value here, and I wasnt whistleing dixie about the Focusrite info.
 
darrin_h2000,

Ok I went out and picked one of these up at the local GC. They are indeed blowing these out during their sale this weekend for $120 a peice. I will let you know what I think. If this doesn't cut the mustard then I will probably return for the DMP3 or save up for the Grace 101. My only concern is the noise level of the unit.

Thanks for the suggestion though.
 
God forbid the Behringer should ever break or you'll be in
"customer service hell" from what I've seen others post!
(Hope it works well for YOU, Middleman)
 
Well... for what it's worth... I went ahead and ordered the Joe Meek MQ3. I've read numerous reviews and researched it at length on the internet, and have found it to be ideal for my specific application.........................


































oh yeah..


and a guy I know at Guitar Center sold me one for 99 bucks!!!!


:D :D :D :D


that kinda helped the whole "decision" process...

:p

WATYF
 
Im a little late on this one, but wouldn't it be wise to choose a preamp based upon how it fits your existing signal chain? I believe that you could spend gobs on a high end pre and it still may not fit into the context of your set up. Its like sticking 2 grand into a wheel set for a Pinto wagon. Most of the preamps (even expensive ones) have color, which color is for you? Im pretty confident that the Meek will not be your last pre purchase, so remember this exercise for the next time. I need a new pre, and Im trying to figure out how to obtain the new Summit pre before Im 40. Im saving slowly, but if my Boeing stock would just perform Id be happier:D


SoMm
 
2000.00 WHEELS on a pinto, your logic escapes most of the brothers in my hometown.

I would definanly consider a 1500.00 pre if it guarranteed to make that kind of a difference.
 
darrin_h2000 said:
your logic escapes most of the brothers in my hometown.
Click to expand...

Mine Too :p

Im a mega gear slut, but Im also broke as heck, so that makes me a wannabe gear slut really. Ive learned my lesson though, when I do have money, it doesn't go into the car! It goes into the rack.

SoMm
 
littledog said:
Damn! Now what are we all gonna do?!!!
Hey, Jeap! Who are we gonna pick on next????
Click to expand...

we can keep picking on watyf!!!

who did he blow to get the meek for 99$?


:p
 
jeap said:


we can keep picking on watyf!!!

who did he blow to get the meek for 99$?
Click to expand...
Actually... I'm gonna be nice here... :p (even though I could revert to my usual sarcasm.. :cool: ) I got that price over the phone... and it wasn't even a special deal "just for me".

Apparently, Guitar Center used to carry the MQ3's (and a few other Joe Meeks) and still has the pricing info in their computers, but they don't have them in stock. So they have to be special ordered. But for some reason, the price that's in the GC computer is 99 bucks.... Maybe it's some old sale price that never got changed back,... but I didn't ask questions. (lest I inadvertently show them that they should be selling it for $199 :p ) I went ahead and ordered a couple of em.

So if anybody wants this pre, I would suggest calling your local GC and asking how much it would cost to have them special ordered. If you live in St. Louis, call the Crestwood GC and I guarantee you that you'll get that price every day of the week. And if it's a "misprint", I sure hope they don't fix it any time soon. :)

WATYF
 
eh... probably...

but that's ok... I'll just sell it to some poor schmoe on eBay for twice what I paid for it...

:p

WATYF
 
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