using outboard pre's

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chris Jahn
  • Start date Start date
C

Chris Jahn

New member
I use presonus firepods as interfaces, my question is if i want to play around with another pre amp in the signal chain between the mic and the pods input, am i gonna run into problems running one pre into anohter, can i bypass the pre on the presonus, or is just a matter of keeping the input level low?
 
I have the firebox and i used another pre with it no probs, i used an input on the back panel which i believe is for such a purpose you need, i'd imagine the firepod would be pretty similar.
 
Chris Jahn said:
I use presonus firepods as interfaces, my question is if i want to play around with another pre amp in the signal chain between the mic and the pods input, am i gonna run into problems running one pre into anohter, can i bypass the pre on the presonus, or is just a matter of keeping the input level low?
Click to expand...

On some mixing boards turning the Trim level all the way down sets the line level mode.

Basically The Mic Preamp gain or Output takes over from there.

I assume it would be the same on the Firepod.

If you were setting the Firepod level half way on the trim and the Mic Pre half way or something you basically would be tainting the signal of the better Mic Pre with that of the FirePod.

What about the Line In 1 and 2 on the back?

In not super familiar with the Firepod but I wonder if you can use the external Mic Pre on Input 1 and 2 which bypasses the Pre's and gain control on the front side and goes strait through the firewire to the PC.

???
 
Yeah, you gotta run into the Line In in order to bypass the mic pres on the FP. You can't (or at least shouldn't) run one preamp into another preamp.

You also need to read more ;).

G.
 
the first 2 channels on the Firepod have TRS Line In jacks on the back which bypass the preamp. the other 6 channels switch to Line In if you plug a TRS into the front. if you use XLR, then the preamp is still on, TRS bypasses the preamp.
 
thanks that clears it up, and now i remember that from the manual, but since the manual is not in front of me, one last question. ARE the FRONT TRS conections on channel one and two differnt then the rest? i seem to remember them being desingned for direct signals or somthing like that.

And when i plug direct to the back line ins, or the next six TRS in the front therby bypassing the pre's, i assume that i lose control of my trim pot ?
 
yes and no.

the front 1/4" connectors on the first 2 channels are for instrument level connections.

the trim pot for line in i think switches over to +/- 10 with 12 oclock being 0. you can see it on the knob, theres 2 different sets of numbers, one for preamp gain and one for the line in.
 
yeah, its amazing what you see when you actually look, i checked out the pods last night and low and behold, two sets of trim, one for mic and one for line, DUH!!!!!!

Now, do I set it at "twelve o' clock" or leave it a -10 and build from there with the gain from my pre, or do i add the outboard pre with the trims at zero.

Also, the first two trims say instrument and mic, that i understand, but if im using the line ins on the back of one and two does "inst" just become a line trim like the other six?
 
i usually leave it at "12" when usign an outboard pre, and if the input on the Firepod starts to clip or something, you can trim it down, but i've never had a problem with clipping on the line in.

and yes if you use the line in on ch. 1-2, then the trim pot works just like the other 6 as far as i know.
 
this just go's on and on, but the info im getting is so straight forward and helpful its hard to stop!!!!

But this should be about it! If the trim is at or above twelve o clock am i gettin a coloration from the pods pre's, or are they completly passive at this point, and in closing, since you have no choice but to use TRS inputs, are you compromising any quality not using xlr conects? I Have lots of good cables both xlr and 1/4 but ive never really heard if there was a major differance in sound quality between the two?
 
All I have ever heard is that 1/4 inputs have a tiny contact point when connected to eachother. The surface contact is so small that any slight bend or oils and such could cause problems in the signal.

Where as XLR's are pretty solid in contact.

But any good 1/4 should be about equal to an XLR.

Obviously theres a difference in using balanced and unbalanced cables for certain applications etc.

But signal wise, you should be good.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top