why do we need preamps??

  • Thread starter Thread starter Leeking
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Leeking

Leeking

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Hi guys,

I was checking out some studios websites and notice that even when they have a huge powerful console, they still uses loads of preamps.

So far, my understanding is that preamps is to amplify you mic signals, but I thought you don't really need one if you have a mixer with built-in preamp & phantom power??

so, what does preamp really do for you?
 
Its kinda like saying why get that jumbo box of crayons with all the cool colors when you already have a blue crayon.....different preamps sound different...some may be transparent....some may "color" your sound certain ways.....its nice to have choices ......

Ok, now someone that does know what the hell they are talking about, speak now or forever hold your peices.....
 
errrrrrrrrr

errr... point taken..... sort of... :)

anymore comments or elaboration are welcome.

I am still new to all these, so explain to me like I am a six year-old.

Have fun guys, and get some sleep. ;)
 
The same reason as for people having several guitars. They're all "the same" instrument but sound and handle differently.
 
Sometimes there are compromises made on the quality of the preamps built into a mixing desk. Outboard preamps are built to do one thing really well, and can give you a better sound, more gain, etc. From my limited experience, I've found that certain microphones "get along" better with certain preamps.
 
>>I am still new to all these, so explain to me like I am a six year-old.

What? I think a 6 year old could understand that having many crayons as opposed to just one is better.

How about this one then. You can have Thomas the Tank Engine only, or you can have all his buddies, James, and Edward, and Hank, and Terrence the tractor...etc...

Not nearly as good as the crayon analogy, but if you didn't understand that one, I don't know if you're going to understand at all. Let me try to elaborate. If you only have a blue crayon, you can color, you can draw, you can write. But everything is going to be blue. If you have that Crayola 64 pack with the built in sharpener on the box, your coloring, drawing, and writing have the POTENTIAL to be so much more. Now will your pictures be any better? Not necessarily, the artist is the more important link.
 
Look at it this way, there are basically two types of preamps ones that are more or less transparent and ones that add coloration to the sound. Coloration is not necessarily a bad thing, as a matter of fact some of the most expensive Pro gear is distinctly colored, but colored in a pleasing way, some might call it 'warm' or 'silky' etc.
Even on a Million dollar SSL or Neve board you can't get all the different colors from one preamp, SSLs pres sound good on certain things, Neve pres might sound better on others, that's just the physical limitations of electronic equipment.

So, like the guys said, even if you have a super duper, never ending, ultra vivid, never needs sharpening, ergonomic, hand made in the USA, environmentally friendly, non toxic, recyclable, all natural Blue Crayon you still might need to use a red crayon occasionally.
 
I have a Delta 44 24/96 Sound Card & a Behringer MX 1604A mixer (w/ Built in mic preamps) and my setup was Delta 44 Breakout Box > Behringer Mixer > Mic. I had to turn up everything on the mixer and on the control panel monitor settings to even get something playing. So I thought I would obtain a preamp so my setup is Delta 44 BreakOut Box > Mic Preamp > Mixer > Mic and now everything works great.
 
WhyteIce, VoxVendor has a point: it's Mic -> Preamp -> Mixer (at zero gain, or "line level") -> Comp/Tape/whatever...
 
I've read that artists, engineers, and producers like using different preamps so that each song produced has its own unique sonic stamp. If all the vocals, backup vocals, and miked instruments sound the same on every cut, the listener can get bored.
 
that's very true. when im working with albums, i never stick to the same preamps. it's very bad having the same sort of vocal sound appearing on a lot of the album. you dont wanna make it sound it was all recorded in the same session, if you get me.
 
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