What is a good Cheap mic preamp

Dan · Post: # 1971Post **Dan** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 2:51 pm

I have been reading some of the stuff that Cleantone has said is "out there" on the net. I was wondering how needed mic preamps are for studio and live recording, and if there were some good ones from 50-100 dollars.

dan

Cleantone · Post: # 1972Post **Cleantone** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 2:56 pm

In short. No there are no good preamps for that price range. That would be below the bottom of the barrel for preamps. Cheap ones still run $500. Good ones well over $1500. The top line custom shop types can be over $2500 for one channel. Any mixer has preamps on it. Anywhere you can plug an male XLR cable into to be amplified is a preamp. But as for external mic pre's $50-$100 is just off the charts. Sorry, I know thats not what you wanted to hear.

As far as needed, you cannot use a mic without one. So it's pretty important. The signal coming out of a mix itself is so low you need this preamp to boost it to a useable level.

What are you trying to do?

Here is "mic preamp" plugged into froogle:
http://www.google.com/froogle?q=mic+preamp
and I stand corrected, here are the ones in your asking range:
http://www.google.com/froogle?price1=50 ... ce=between
Just keep in mind you get what you pay for with audio gear.

Dan · Post: # 1989Post **Dan** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 3:32 pm

i was looking at your grace design lunatec v3 preamp. Its frequency responce is 5Hz to 80kHz... but i found this http://www.geartree.com/Shop/Control/Pr ... rid/117758
cheaper other places, but it has presettings for the other ones, kinda taking the ease of it. im gonna call my local GC to see if they have anyof them to test.

dan thanks

Cleantone · Post: # 1993Post **Cleantone** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 3:44 pm

Dan,

Just so you know. Behringer is evil. Not only does thier gear have major quality control issues (everyunit will sound different) but they stole all thier designs from other manufactures and use crappier parts to undercut everyone. Kind of the Wal-Mart of audio. Some people in the biz shun the use of any of thier gear. Not just becasue it doesn't sound good but also because of thier policies and practices. Just so you know. Someone had to tell me before I knew.

Dan · Post: # 1998Post **Dan** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 3:52 pm

Thanks. what about this presounus one http://www.presonus.com/tubepre.html

seems to get some good reviews. dont know ifyou know that name like behiringsucker

wow its snowing and i love it!

im off

Cleantone · Post: # 1999Post **Cleantone** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 3:55 pm

Dan,

Presonus gets more hype than they are worth. They are not top of the line at all but I do recommend that for you. I'm sure I'd find use for that pre too. I've though about getting it in the past and am sure it would sound okay for some use with some mic. I say go for that one.

Dan · Post: # 2010Post **Dan** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 9:51 pm

another question,

- Cleantone

Was there ever a time, that you didnt have a 3 grand to lay down on recording stuff, and had a lill over hundred to spend, and you wanted to record. Or did you just save up untill you could get the best.

Dannnn

Cleantone · Post: # 2018Post **Cleantone** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 9:41 am

Dan,

I've never had a lot of money. I started recording on borrowed gear adn cassette decks. Then saved up and have been buying gear for years. I spend most money I make from recording on new gear, and then some. I do always try to go beyond bottom shelf gear though. I figure I'll want to upgrade anyway so might as well try to get the better stuff from the gecko. (get go)

DCDireWolf · Post: # 2032Post **DCDireWolf** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 1:58 pm

I use an edirol ua5, modded by the Oade Brothers, it works well for me and cost right around 500 bones. fwiw.

http://www.oade.com/digital_recorders/D ... l_UA5.html

Jeffro · Post: # 2122Post **Jeffro** » Sun Feb 06, 2005 1:34 am

If you've got a quality computer (preferably a mac) then I recommend the ProTools M-Box. I use it with great success and the pre amps in it are great. Two inputs, USB interface and ProTools software for 500 bucks.

If you just want to do live recordings, I'd recommend getting a used DAT recorder. They have built in preamps right? They probably aren't the best in the world but I bet they still sound darn good.

Guest · Post: # 2309Post **Guest** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 1:13 am

DCDireWolf wrote:I use an edirol ua5, modded by the Oade Brothers, it works well for me and cost right around 500 bones. fwiw.

http://www.oade.com/digital_recorders/D ... l_UA5.html

$500? Did you just get the stand alone mod or did you go for their other mods too (warm, presence, transparent)?

I got a ua-5 a couple months ago on ebay for $180, then did the standalone mod myself, which is actually really simple, even if you only ahvea small amount of experience in electronics (like me). I like the ua-5, afor a mic pre and a/d converter you can't beat the price.

DCDireWolf · Fri Feb 11, 2005 10:23 am

Anonymous wrote:
DCDireWolf wrote:I use an edirol ua5, modded by the Oade Brothers, it works well for me and cost right around 500 bones. fwiw.

http://www.oade.com/digital_recorders/D ... l_UA5.html
$500? Did you just get the stand alone mod or did you go for their other mods too (warm, presence, transparent)?

I got the warm mod and the stand alone mod. I'm an idiot when it comes to DIY electronics so it was worth it to me to spend the money. Came out to about 480.

Works like a charm with my C4's.