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anonymous 10 January 2006

list your PreAmps that you use or Recomend

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Davedog Tue, 01/10/2006 - 17:47

Gentlemen, gentlemen,gentlemen, why is always left up to me, MODerAtoR Man, to correct you guys in situations such as this? Have I not been patient ,ne: over-the-top accepting of your little jibes and antics?

Why oh why do you put me in this position?

EVERYONE knows the Violet Line Super Stereo Dalliator is the FINEST machine that money can buy.

So get it RIGHT ya Heebs....

(yer friend, dogg)

Reggie Tue, 01/10/2006 - 18:14

OMGPMP! :lol:

It's hard as hell to find a Telson in decent working order is the only problem with it. Can't even find much mention of it on google.
You guys are something.

OK guy, here are some buzzwords:
Neve, API, Manley, Universal Audio, John Hardy, Groove Tubes, GML, Avalon, Great River, um um, running out of ideas here, but any of these would be recommended.

Davedog Tue, 01/10/2006 - 18:44

Ok I'll quit jackin around for a minute and address this as simply as I can.

The preamp is only a 'part' of the recording chain.

A chain will typically include a mic, a pre,and perhaps some type of process or control device and something that records the signal.

The VERY most important part of your chain is the source.

If it doesnt sound good to begin with, theres no possible way ANY gear is going to resolve the bad sound.

Matching the mic to the singer is another important part that gets very little attention.

A GREAT singer...ie: one who has control, tone, and knowledge of mic technique will sound good on virtually ANY signal chain.

Those that need help need to address the basics before making gear decisions.

Theres a common thread running through todays information highway on a lot of these BB's that seems to indicate that one needs to have a tube something to make vocals sound 'good'...While this may or may not be true, the environment the vocals is tracked in has as much if not more to do with the sound than the advent of a tube in the chain.

See kids.....dadogg is 'old skool'....sh*t in=sh*t out....

So...search for a mic that you can learn to use and sounds 'right' for your purpose. Find a mic pre that compliments the mics' 'signature'..This may include a tube but more than likely a simple voltage in =voltage out situation without too many artifacts will get you closer to what you're looking for than a fruitless search for that silver bullet piece of gear. Look at your environment you are recording in. Learn about sound control. For vocals you dont have to have a huge area, but you have to have control of its tones and standing waves,reflections and flutters. The human voice contains so many overtones and paying attention to the physics of capturing these is free money.....

nuff said....

anonymous Tue, 01/10/2006 - 21:45

McCheese wrote: The VLSSD has the crappiest stereo imagining I've ever heard. Also everthing above 14k sounds tinny and high pitched. Not to mention that if you engage the HPF at 400Hz, it just sucks the low end right out of everything.

This is SOOOOOO true. Stupid VLSSD has absolutely no low end above 14k. Annoys me no end. It's a toy, Ddog. a TOY. Ya hear me??

Cheese: have you ever tried using the LPF at 400Hz? 8)

anonymous Wed, 01/11/2006 - 07:09

trojanso9 wrote: see, i am new to all of this i dont understand what the purpose is of having two preamps? do you use both at once or do they have different purposes?

i am looking for way to get a good vocal sound

You only need one preamp, can't plug a mic into two preamps at the same time, can ya? NO! And if you score a Telson you WILL get a good vocal sound.

anonymous Wed, 01/11/2006 - 13:44

Before this turns into another 31 page post, let me help you out as I know that I always appreciate some decent advice from my posts.

The first question is, what kind of music are you recording and what kind of sound are you going for (ie clean, vintage, etc)?
Next, are you only trying to capture vocals or are you planning on recording instruments as well? I can answer this one right away, if you're going to be tracking instruments, you'll probably want a >2 channel pre.
What kind of mics do you have?

The fact is, there's no one perfect preamp for any given situation, but there ARE good suggestions for different applications. (See Davedog and Reggie's posts above and just forget about the "Telson")

anonymous Wed, 01/11/2006 - 14:12

hi, i am looking for a very clean sound. i am recording mainly pop-punk, alternative/indie type music so there will be instruments as well. the mics i recently purchased were the MXL 990 and 991, and i use the 990 for vocals. i know it isnt the best mic in the world but it was what i could afford at the time. i am looking for a good preamp at a reasonable price.

i started looking at an ART TPS II, i dont know if i should go with it though.

anonymous Wed, 01/11/2006 - 14:25

trojanso9 wrote: what telson models are good?

TMA-1...TMA-2 if you wanted a 2-ch. model for almost twice the cash. Those are the tube varieties. If you felt like you were in a solid state kinda mood you could go with a MA1000 or MA2000.

They're not very inventive with their model numbers.

Can't beat the sound, though.

~S

Reggie Wed, 01/11/2006 - 17:33

Buy what you can afford with the features you desire that will get the job done for you. You sound a little green to start worrying about preamp colors just yet. Go trudging through the posts already in the "Budget" forum and see what cheap pres are hot (or at least not cold). Use the cheap junk while saving up your money and by the time you have figured out what your tastes are, you might have enough money to get something good.
Ŧ∑∟§Θ∩™ for life.

Kev Mon, 01/30/2006 - 12:28

yep

I've never analysed the pros and cons of the various forms of 1176
trafo input or op-amp input

I suspect the mic loadings will be different
AND
a normal mic-pre is likely to load the mic more that either of the 1176's

side note
An LA2a also has the gain to be a mic-pre and people have used the circuit as a starting point for a fully fledged mic-pre

Obviously with a line level device like the 1176 you don't get phantom or phase ...
which could be an issue as if it is drums you are recording ... snare upper and lower etc.

:roll:

is this of any interest or am I talking to myself and that last comment from TheRealShotgun was just rhetorical ... and just for fun.

shut up Kev

anonymous Mon, 01/30/2006 - 13:22

Kev wrote: yep

I've never analysed the pros and cons of the various forms of 1176
trafo input or op-amp input

I suspect the mic loadings will be different
AND
a normal mic-pre is likely to load the mic more that either of the 1176's

side note
An LA2a also has the gain to be a mic-pre and people have used the circuit as a starting point for a fully fledged mic-pre

Obviously with a line level device like the 1176 you don't get phantom or phase ...
which could be an issue as if it is drums you are recording ... snare upper and lower etc.

:roll:

is this of any interest or am I talking to myself and that last comment from TheRealShotgun was just rhetorical ... and just for fun.

shut up Kev

Hell man, I can't even SPELL rhetorical!

It's interesting I suppose. I probably won't be using said compressors as pres anytime soon, but it's interesting that one can. I suppose I wouldn't have thought of trying it, unless I was desperate I reckon. There's me thinkin inside that box again. I do know a place I used to frequent used to use an LA3 as a vocal processor with little to no compression, but just to get the sound of the circuit on the track, but I'm pretty sure it was downstream from some proper preamp of some type.

~S

JWL Sun, 02/26/2006 - 17:55

Start off with an ART TubePAC. They are $100, they have a built-in compressor, and you can get a reasonably wide variety of sounds out of it, depending on how hard you push the gain. You won't find anything as versatile for the money.

If you get one, learn to use it with the compressor OFF (ie, the threshold control fully clockwise), get good sounds, then sneak in the compression to smooth things out a bit.

For a cheap preamp, these are actually quite useable.

anonymous Wed, 03/01/2006 - 15:38

I recently picked up a new ART TPS-II after reading about it's build, basic circuit layout and some recommendations from some folks I respect in the industry. Indeed I must say I was pleasantly surprised. Surprised it was as dead quiet for a preamp incorporating 12AX7A's. When you get the gain structure set up properly ( a must which more often than not is messed up by folks less learned in the art of setting up gain levels in a circuit). It affords far more flexibility of adjustment than any other preamp under $500 to be sure. It warms things up considerably and allows for tonal variations and matches with every mic out there due to it's ability to dial in the impedance. It is balanced in and out so hum is a non issue. It is solidly built for products far more expensive. All in all it's hard NOT to use one for it's meager price of $179 (Sweetwater). I couldn't recommend it more highly. Great to DI a electric guitar and makes a cheap dynamic mic sound like a $700 studio mic (which really blew me away). I'd say get one!

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