I'll post this here, because I need quick info.

[ATom2]

Hi everyone!

I just read in a Home Recording Magazine that is was better to look for a good mic pre-amp, rather than looking for a good mic.

I have a "fair" large condensor mic but it's not quite getting me what I want. (more warmth).

At first I was going to fork out bigger bucks on a better mic, but now I'm thinking of getting a mic-pre instead.

As it stands right now, I only use my Mackie's mic-pre's and then go to my recorder. Not bad, but not great.

I did buy a cheap Beringer tube pre-amp a while back, but that really wasn't any help.

A friend of mine suggested to look at Joe Meek's.

Any suggestions or experience out there?

I think my music is alright, but I pride myself on doing vocals (a lot of vocals) and want to get better sound from the get go.

Tom

[john]

Hi Tom

What you read is true to a point. The mike can only sound as good as the pre-amp. If you have a good pre-amp you may be able to make the most of the mike you have, but ideally a pretty good mike and a good vocal channel strip is best on a budget.

I'd look at something in the range of a Rode NT2 mike and eithere a focusrite or JoeMeek vocal channel strip. I don't know about the JoeMeek channel strips, but the focusrite gear is excellent. Dave Lang has both an NT2 and a Focusrite channel strip, so he should be able to give you some feedback.

I have an NT2, and it gives a nice warm sound. I too like lots of vocals and vocal harmonies so finding a good mike was important. Although I want a vocal channel strip I currently just run the mike through my Spirit desk, and the sound is pretty excellent, especially in comparison to previous recordings.

I guess what I'm saying is you might be better to aim to get a decent standard of both strip and mike, rather than puting all of your cash in just an execellnt strip or an excellent mike.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

John

[davlan]

Ha ha. Yeah my main mike at the moment is an NT2. In comparison to my Shure SM58 it sucks in alot of detail. I really like the 58 as it's really east to use. You tend to get a big chunky sound that doesn't require much tweaking from the desk. The NT2 breathes higher resolution and realism into the sound. Highly recommended.

Any article I've read on mics indicates that you need a good quality mic preamp to really get the benefit. A high quality desk will have a whole pile of these built in at wonderfully high cost. However, if you, like me, tend to need to record only one track at a time then it makes sense to record using a high quality channel strip. A one channel mixing desk in effect. I use a Focusrite platinum voice channel optimised for . . .well . . .voice I suppose. This incorporates amplification, noise reduction, saturation (kind of valve type thickening), compression, EQ, and de-esser. Basically it helps rip the musical information of yer mike and then gives you plenty of scope for some creative polishing. If used subtley it can make your recordings sound a little more "professional". Well recommended.

However, with the advent of digital stuff some of the good quality analogue gear has dropped in price so keep an eye open in the ads.

Best

Dave

[ATom2]

I don't wanna sound stupid here, but I will.

What the heck is a vocal channel strip?

If you have an example, please post the URL.

Thanks for the above help.

Tom

[Steve]

Hi Tom

If your'e looking for budget gear take a look at some of the latsest Behringer desks. I use a Behronger Eurorack UB802. It's an ultra low noise, 8 input 2 buss mixer with premium mic preamp. Basicaly, it's a 4 channel mixer about the width of a computer case! Mine cost around £60 ($80) As it's just me and my guitar and mic going through it, I find it does a stonking job...... Now I just have to learn how to record and mix ...  :

check it out yourself

http://www.behringer.com/02_products/prodi...=UB802〈=eng

[ATom2]

Is that what you guys mean when you say a vocal strip? I have a Mackie 12 channel VLZpro. I love it! I also use it for playing out live for mixing my keyboards.

If that is not what you mean buy a vocal channel, please explain further, or maybe I need to explain myself better.

Tom

[ATom2]

Is this what you mean?

[john]

Hey Tom

Sorry not to answer sooner! No, it's not what I mean.  a channel strip (as provided by Joe Meek and Focusrite is basically like one channel from a mixing desk. The difference is that it is like a channel from a very good mixing desk, one that would be beyond the budget of most home studios.  The channel strip can be used for signals that you want a lot of control of, and a high quality signal, such as vocals.

Check out the Focusrite Platinum VoiceMaster as a budget channel strip. Joe Meek do something similar. TC Electronics do some excellent kit, but it's expensive.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

John

[Guest]

A good mike PLUS a good pre-amp?

They have these nice TUBE-preamps these days for allmost anything, vocal mikes too, .... and if anyone has ever worked with a tube amp....

Well... I had this ANCIENT German 4-channel all-tube PA-amp about 20 years ago.... with those stupid DIN-connectors ... and the vocal sound of that little thing was just exellent! It really looked more like something You would plug Your gramophone into.... but sounded real good with the Shure SM-57's we used those days.... soft, full and clear with a LOT of nice warm bottom end....

Well.... THAT has nothing to do with today's technology, but if WARMTH is one of the things that matter.... maybe a journey into "tube-preamp"-section is called for?

Bye!

H.H.