What is the best combo micpre/DI?

B

bishop55

Member
Hey folks,
A newbie here.
What is the best solution for someone with about one hundred dollars and an abiding love for the bass guitar and singing to use for recording bass and vocals onto a hard disk (pc) multitrack setup?

I have a (low-end but) decent soundcard and some good software. Now I need a solution that will allow me to record vocals and to lay down bass tracks. I have looked at the M-Audio Audio Buddy and the ART Tube MP or something like that.
Is this good stuff?
Will I also need an A/D convertor or can I just plug these puppies up and start recording?
 
bishop55 said:
I have looked at the M-Audio Audio Buddy and the ART Tube MP or something like that.

Is this good stuff?
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Either should work fine. Can't remember for sure if the Audio Buddy has 1/4" inputs or not. If so, then you're good to go.

Will I also need an A/D convertor or can I just plug these puppies up and start recording?
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Just plug 'em in and have at it.
 
Re: Re: What is the best combo micpre/DI?

chessrock said:
Either should work fine. Can't remember for sure if the Audio Buddy has 1/4" inputs or not. If so, then you're good to go.
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Yes, it has.
 
Dot said:
Get a Behringer MIC2200 Ultragain Pro. 2 Channel w/ EQ and $99 at Musician's Friend. Real XLR outs and its own internal power supply. Best low-budget 2-channel pre out there, IMO. Much better than the Audio Buddy.

_____________

Dan Richards
Digital Pro Sound
The Listening Sessions
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Dot--

I can't wait to try out the Behringer you're sending me. I'll know immediately if it's better than the Audio Buddy. I love the Audio Buddy but something better in that price range would be fantastic.

Steve, publisher of Mojo Pie
www.piemusic.com
 
I can't help but get a kick out of seeing guys with Syteks and Grace Designs getting all excited about a $100 Behringer. :D :D :D
 
Man, You all are the best. I really appreciate the feedback. I had done a ton of searching and the Ultragain never really came up. It looks like it could be right for me. I was concerned that the Audio Buddy might not track my bass playing well enough because I read on Steve's site (MOJO PIE) that it did not have flat frequency response. TO be honest I don't know exactly what that means, but it doesn't sound good!

I am accustomed to working in other peoples studios with gear that I could never afford. I know what to look for in those situations, I always mic one cab and also go direct. I like to dial in the eq on the board and also with Neve preamps. I know how to compress the sucker with a Pultech and get a fat punchy sound. Obviously, my little home rig won't have that kind of juice!

Hopefully, for my purposes the Behringer will be good. I like that it is rack mountable and also that it is a straight 48v. The Audio Buddy isn't for some reason, its like 41volts or something.
 
tdukex said:
Dan, have you compared it to the M-Audio DMP-3? Are the pres a lot better than the ones on the Behringer mixers?
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Good question. I'd like to know the answer to that one as well.
 
i've always heard and assumed that the pres in the behringer were absolutely terrible. But maybe they're getting better? From everything i've heard, if a preamp is worse than a behringer pre, then it's probably not even usable. The mackie or soundcraft pre's are considerably better than the behringer pre's and a lot of people consider them to be barely adaquit. Any insight into this?
 
Look, botton line is that in this price range, there ain't a whole hell of lot of difference between the whole lot of 'em. Best bet is to take your pick and start recording. For what it's worth, though, the M-Audio DMP3 is about as good as it gets in the $200 and under range, in terms of frequency response, noise, clarity, etc. Same goes for the pres in a Mackie board.

Anything with the Behringer logo is going to be a toss-up, and it's quality will depend a lot more on it's serial/model number than any published specs or one man's opinion on his. You'll get more doodads with it, which I'm sure is nice, but understand it is a Behringer and the YMMV acronym should rather read YMWV.

Take that for what it's worth.
 
Im assumeing that the Great river MP1NV may be the best for the money, but it sits at a higher price point. I have experince with one Behringer Mixers pres, and they do work ok but even the audiobuddy was an improvement.
 
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