what do preamps do?

  • Thread starter Thread starter hsinn3r
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hsinn3r

New member
hello everyone, this is my 1st post
well, what do preamps do exactly? from what i have heard and/or read, i think that cheap preamps just boost the volume, and expensive ones make the actual signal sounding A LOT better.
i'm getting into recording with my pc, and i want to knowif i need a preamp to derocrd my vocals. condeser mic always. could/should i use a preamp when i'm micing my guitar amp? can i use it for both on 1 recording, or will it be impossible to mix?
thx in advance
 
Welcome to HRC, learn to use the search function at the top right of each page here. Here's a search with your question as the subject...

www.homerecording.com/bbs/search.ph...d=474456&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending

Unless you really like getting responses like this one try asking your first few questions in the newbie forum here.

The short answer is a preamp is an amplifier for boosting a mic signal to line level. the long answer is contained in the many posts that a search will bring up.
 
A preamp is any device used to boost the very weak signals produced by such things as microphones, guitar pickups, turntable cartridges, etc. to a level that most electronic devices can deal with, called line level. Every mic I know of needs one to be useful. Inputs on a mixer or computer soundcard that say "line-in" or something like that need a signal that is already at line level or you won't get much out of them, if anything at all. If this is the only kind of input you have, you need a preamp for each input used. Inputs that are labeled "mic in" on soundcards or mixers (often XLR inputs on the later) have a preamp built in. How much they boost the signal is often controlled by a "trim" or "gain" knob. Anything you run a signal through colors the sound to some degree and adds noise, and built-in preamps on cheap equipment can be kinda crappy, notoriously so on soundcards, so folks sometimes use seperate preamps and plug them into the line-in of whatever they're using, bypassing the built in cheapo pre's.

Ptron
 
ok, thx. i got what i really needed to know, now i'll search and THEN i'll post again if i still have questions. thx again
 
2 things I'll never perform on stage and record without - a preamp and a compressor.

Preamps give vocals and guitar a fatter more present sound and compressors keeps everything neat and tidy.

Basically that's what they do.

I've been using my guitar pedal lately for vocals cause it has preamp, compressor, reverb and delay in it. Very nice sound from it. However I'm upgrading to a VX400 floor processor.
 
Sometimes I feel like I'm on Candid Camera, ya know what I mean?
 
Track Rat said:
Sometimes I feel like I'm on Candid Camera, ya know what I mean?
Click to expand...
Not entirely, but your post still made me laugh my ass off! :D :D Thanks.
 
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