Im thinking of adding a mic preamp to my set-up and was hoping people here might be able to give a bit of advice.
At first I was set on Warm Audio WA73-eq as it seems to be really good value and in the demonstration iv watched I can hear a clear improvement in the sound that I like. However for only a few hundred more I could get a SSL Six, which again every time I have watched or heard a demo sounds great. Complicating the choice even more is that there are a number of 500 series Neve style preamps and eq’s such as the AMS Neve and Rupert Neve designs that I have seen on here that might end up being even better value in the long run.
Anybody have experience using any of these that might be able to offer any advice? I would be using it to record mostly guitar and vocals, though I would like to be able to plug anything into it and it add a bit of sheen or whatever. Im leaning more towards the Warm Audio or 500 series stuff as I might want to get a different mixer with more channels in the future. Thanks!
I use a couple of rack preamps just for giving character and texture to digital synths like MD and vocals one is a Soldano and a Mesa Boogie Formula Pre also a Lehle Sunday that is super good! And compact not a preamp! But mostly I use the preamps of my analog mixer for everything.
It really depends on what you really need/want and what your budget is. For example, I use a SSL2 audio interface as stand-alone preamp. You only have gain and 4K mode on and off, but the preamps themselves really do deliver, especially for the price.
An SSL Six or the Neves you mention are in different leagues of audio equipment but not necessarily the best solutions for what you want to achieve.
Do you need preamps only or EQ / compression as well? Filtering? Processing? How do you want to record it? Maybe a mixing console with quality preamps and build in interface would be a solution?
And what are you using now what makes you think you need a preamp?
I just invested in a Warm Audio Tone Beast pre amp. For me it gives things that final 10% if that makes sense–it kind of finishes off the sound, adds definition/opens up the sound/makes the small details more apparent, adds saturation (this is a specific feature of the tone beast) but this is all also very subtle. I’ve done some volume matched comparisons on my own and it isn’t just a “louder sounds better situation” but again, it is subtle.
I don’t run everything through it. I use it selectively on sounds that will be featured and out front in the mix.
I’m not saying this is what you think it will do but it isn’t an audio magic wand. It just gives well done material that little extra.
All that being said, I’m seriously considering buying another pre amp in the long term.
What’s the smallest, easiest and cheapest solution to boost the signal coming out of my Shure SM 58 mic to a level that I can directly put it into a pedal like Chase Bliss Onward?
I don’t have particularly high quality standards, I just want the signal to be loud enough without making the sound any worse. I would prefer if the preamp could be powered with a battery or by the mic, if this is possible. I had the ART Tube before and that caused a lot of hum through electricity ground issues and also was too big.
Please don’t suggest to use my interface. I have an interface that has a good enough preamp, but this means I’ll have noticeable latency sending the signal out from the interface and into the pedal and back into another input on the interface.
Not sure what your definition of cheap and small is but I’ve been looking at the Eventide Mixing Link for years. Battery powered(unless you want phantom power), FX loop, DI and mic pre in one pedal. I’m pretty sure it got good reviews from users here as well.
I ended up getting the JHS color box V2 during the search(got a great deal new). It sounds amazing. Not battery powered or cheap but it’s in front of every audio input while recording!
There are lots of options but I’ve found cheap, like the art you mention, to introduce a ton of noise. Good luck and let us know what you choose. I’m kind of a preamp junkie! Luckily I can’t afford proper ones!
Thanks, but I was thinking more about something up to 100€. The Eventide is almost 400€, which is way too much money for me just to get a signal louder without introducing noise. I really don’t need it to do anything else.
That’s a good idea, I also have a Zoom recorder. Don’t know if it will work as a good mic to sing directly into it, but I’ll try this out for sure.
Unfortunately no, I have an H1n, which only has in- and output that has a microphone symbol an “/ line in” “/line out” written on it, looks like mini TRS.
I could try to get a converter cable for XLR to mini TRS though. Which Zoom recorder does have XLR inputs? Might be worth it if it works. Another issue with my H1n is that the mounting hole is not compatible with my mic stand.
It’s really hard to resist, but I managed to not suggest to use your interface
But…
I will ask a question: which interface do you have? As with direct monitoring you shouldn’t have any latency. Damn, I just sort of suggested to use your interface right?
Like I’ve mentioned, I’m sending the mic signal into the interface, then out into a pedal, then the pedal output goes into the interface again. I’m having latency this way, not huge, but noticeable enough for when I’m singing. Maybe I can fix this, but my guess was that this is to be expected when doing things the way I’ve described.
For what you’re doing @Azzarole I would suggest a small cheap mixer with an aux/monitor output. Something like this:
I have one that I use for an improvised noise/vocal performance that I do with an SM58, a Cocoquantus/OP1, and a Eventide Rose delay pedal. Mic goes into channel 1, monitor out goes to the eventide Rose which goes into channel 2, and then the Cocoquantus goes into the RCA inputs.
You wouldn’t necessarily need any of the other inputs (just the mic and the aux out) but you definitely could in order to get feedback stuff going with the Chase Bliss.
When you use the monitoring via software via a DAW, you’ll have indeed
double latency. But when your interface supports (configurable) direct monitoring (so a pass through to one of your outputs), you can skip one latency trip. Depends on your interface though.
That said, you could try a simple transformer like this, it might boost your signal enough to be usable for pedals:
Thanks! I was initially thinking about one of these devices and didn’t know if they work and what’s important when choosing one.
As to the monitoring/routing solution of the interface: I guess I could do that via the software of my 18i8, but I would prefer if I didn’t have to change these settings constantly for different use cases and connections, so it’s not ideal for my use case. Thanks for explaining though.
I’m also open to just buy a mic that is hot enough to go directly into a pedal. Does such a thing exist? I don’t know much about the different types of mics.
