Best Multichannel Mic Pre?

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 6:57 pm

Hey everyone. I'm looking for the best mic pre I can get for the best price, but i'm having some trouble finding some that don't take up a whole rack space. Once I can afford it i'll go out and buy some better pres, but I am looking for something that'll sound great, and maybe have 2 or 4 mic pres in one unit. I really like the dbx mic processor with the pre and the compressor together, but like I said, that only handles one mic. Let me know what you think!

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 8:19 pm

To worry about having something take up one whole rack space or more over getting something of real quality is foolish. If that is your real goal, then it won't matter much what peice of crap multichannel unit you buy. You might want to check with the wankers in the Budget Gear Forum where your bound to get more input than from the Pro Audio guys who hang around here.

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 8:41 pm

Lets keep the negative comments to a minimum please. The only reason I suggested having more than one pre in one unit is because of my price range. I'm not going to pay for mic pres that aren't any good, and it has nothing to do with how much space it takes up. I have plenty of rack space. I just need more than one mic pre and I'm looking for the best value. Thats all Laughing

Thanks everyone for your comments (in advance).

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 10:11 pm

The first question is... What is your budget?
The Sebatron 4000e is best value 4 channel pre in existance IMHO. It sounds like it should cost WAY more.

Also, I don't get you comment about rack spaces?????

...... Having a bad day Gaff? Wink

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 10:17 pm

Thanks for the tips Markd, I'm checking out the Sebatron unit you mentioned right now. If i'm ready this price right (1899) thats out of my price range (i'm just getting started), although I really like what i've read about that box. I need pres for my drum kit mics (3) one vocal mic. It looks like i'll have to buy them one at a time budgetwise, so we'll see how that goes. I'm pretty sure this question will get shut down, but does anyone like the behringer shark? Just wondering. Also, recommendations for budget but good pres?

Thanks!

P.S. About the rack space thing - Iwas just saying that I don't care how much rack space anything takes up, but I thought that a unit with four pres in one unit would be less expensive.

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 10:38 pm

Hey, you might want to check out the sytek mpx-4aii. 4 preamps in one unit, you can get one around $889. These were an enormous improvement over the stock pres i had in my presonus firestation at the time.

Also, customer support is great, especially when its the guy that makes them. Wink

I've always gotten a same day response from Mike.

Anywho, if this is out of your budget, I think Kurt has mentioned a studio projects pre that has a similar design. I can't vouch for those, however.

good luck,
-eric.

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 10:43 pm

thebrooksman wrote:

P.S. About the rack space thing - Iwas just saying that I don't care how much rack space anything takes up, but I thought that a unit with four pres in one unit would be less expensive.

I can assure you that the amount of rack spaces has absolutely nothing to do with price.

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 10:56 pm

Just looked at the gear listed on your website.

Man, if you are just starting out, then stick with the pres in your Behringer mixer while you get some experience, and in the meantime save up for something decent. Behringers are fine for learning on, and by the time your ears are telling you they are crappy, hopefully you'll have enough money saved for a Sebatron... or even higher.
Don't waste your money on anything mid-range..... because they really won't be that much better than the Behringer.

Good luck.

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 11:37 pm

Quote:

...... Having a bad day Gaff?

Not at all. I will admit I do erked at budget gear questions on the Pro Audio forum. If you know me, you know I don't pull punches and I don't worry about affending or being politicaly correct. I call em as I see em. Your last comments are spot on and even nicer than I would have likely stated them...

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 10:29 am

Thats a really good idea markd, I agree. I think i'm going to grab that Motu box first!

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 11:54 am

Some great multi channel mic pres are available from many manufacturers ... Vintech, Sebatron vmp 4000e, JLM TMP8, Millennia and so on. All of them are pretty expensive.

One very good pre that is not very expensive is the Groove Tubes "THE BRICK". About $350 "street" ... but this is a single channel mic pre. If you want 3 or 4 of them ... well that puts you at the place where you could just as well purchase something else.

Nothing that is a significant improvement over your Behringer pres is going to fall in the "budget conscious" category. If your thinking finance over quality I suggest as was mentioned the SP 828 or perhaps an M Box kind of thing. These pres offer a lot of features and flexibility but not the most dimensional imaging or big deep full bass and dynamics ...

If you do a lot of sampling and midi based recording and all you need is a few channels to record vocals, almost any pre will give you results that you will be impressed with. If you want to wow me and others like me who have come to the point where we hear the differences great pres do make, then you are going to have to bite the bullet and invest in some good front end.

And Gaff is right ... this post should go to the budget forum.

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