Wats a mic preamp?

  • Thread starter Thread starter rnb259
  • Start date Start date
rnb259

rnb259

New member
wat exactly is a mic preamp and how exactly do i hook one up, or does it vary in design?
 
At it's core, it is a device to provide amplification to a signal. Hopefully a relatively clean source of amplification which does not alter the original tone (although some people prefer certain pre's - such as Joe Meek - that do "color the tone".)

Normally (always???) pre's also provide phamton power which is used to provide voltage to condensor mic's.

Mixing boards have built in pre's (often not as good quality as a dedicated pre) - basically each channel of a board has a pre.

Pre's are used mainly to provide presence and clerity to mic's, but many people run everthing through pre's (again, if you use a mixer, you are using a pre.)
 
they bring a microphone signal up to 'line-level' for your other gear to deal with it - a higher gain signal will have much more signal and less noise when you want to make it loud enough in your recordings.
 
Or, to put it another way. Think of a guy who whispers in your ear so that you can repeat what he says to the rest of the people in a room.... you're the preamp! If you muck it up, then you're a colored preamp! If you repeat it EXACTLY as you heard it, in the guy's voice, with the exact same inflection, only louder, than you're a very expensive preamp!
 
and if you say it at a consistent volume, you're a channel strip with compressor built in :p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top