Trace Acoustic TA-50R as a mic preamp?
Home > Home Recording Forum > Gear Gab > Trace Acoustic TA-50R as a mic preamp?
Posted on Sep 03, 2003 01:00 pm
Tadpui
I am not a crook's head
Member Since: Mar 14, 2003
I think that there is some potential here for using my acoustic amp as a preamp because of some verbage that I read in the online manual:
www.trace-elliot.com/manuals/Ta50_100.pdf
Check out page 8, where it has a picture of the back panel and explanations of what all of the jacks do. This looks a bit different than mine (from memory), and I don't think that mine has the XLR DI pre/post EQ outs. Of course, I just may not have paid attention to them since I finally got my first XLR cord just a couple of months ago :)
The front panel has an XLR input for channel 2, so I can plug my SM57 straight into it. I'm not quite sure about how to get a signal out of the preamp and into a sound card tho. I tried both the Link and the effect send into the mic in of my soundblaster Live!, but I never got any signal out of it. I also tried going thru the Randall rackmount mixer and into the sound card, but no luck there either. I even tried plugging the SM57 straight into the Live! mic in (via many adaptors :-D ) and still no signal. My little plastic condenser mic works like a charm in the mic in.
So, do you think there's any hope of getting preamp-like behavior out of the preamp stage of my amp, or am I chasing rainbows here?
[ Back to Top ]
MinkusMazBane of All ExistenceMember
Since: Mar 27, 2003
Sep 03, 2003 01:27 pm the manual seems to say that the Balanced DI XLR outputs are what you'd use for recording (sending that through a mixer into your soundcard). why are you trying to put in a line signal into the microphone in on your soundcard? that's what the line in is for. the mic in on your soundcard is pretty much useless except for the little plastic mics that you talk about.
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Sep 03, 2003 01:58 pm Well, I tried the line in also, but couldn't get a signal out of that either. Creative's mixer is a little wierd, but I'm pretty sure that I tried the mic-in and the line-in, as well as assigning each of them as the 'active' recording signal, but with no luck.
MinkusMazBane of All ExistenceMember
Since: Mar 27, 2003
Sep 03, 2003 05:13 pm stick with the line in. how are you hooking up the amp to the mixer, and how are you hooking up the mixer to the soundcard?
juesContributor
Since: Dec 30, 2002
Sep 03, 2003 05:48 pm Sounds like you need what Porp just got. www.homerecordingconnecti...64402c91"]
A behringer (or similar inexpensive) preamp will releave you from a lot of headaches, and will almost undoubtedly yeild better results for you.
jues.
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Sep 03, 2003 05:51 pm I am mixer-less. The soundcard is basically all I can afford between now and xmas, so I'm just trying to find a way to get by until then.
If anybody is giving away equipment, let me know ;-D
I think that a sub-$100 preamp is 1st on my xmas list!
Sep 03, 2003 06:03 pm Behringer also just started making a single channel tube pre that I believe you can get for a measely $40. Nothing special, but it would probably be similar to the quality of a Behringer UB mixer channel.
Sep 05, 2003 09:58 am i use an old Peavey bass head as a preamp from time to time. it's got multiple line level outs including a crossed-over high and low pass outs, as well as parametric and graphic EQs and for the longest time it was my only gear with a compressor!
another plus is that it doesn't get hot like it does when it's actually driving a cabinet
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Sep 05, 2003 10:05 am Nice Jamie! Since a peice of gear like this is designed for the frequency range of a guitar, do you think that it would work OK for vocals? How about a bass guitar? Or even random percussion (banging on things around the house)?
Sep 05, 2003 07:58 pm good question. i would call both voice and guitar mids, not highs. i guess you only way to tell would be to try. our very own the "flame the band" used a tiny guitar combo as a mic pre for the longest time and i love the sound he got with that. i call it an "indie" sound.
as for a bass thru a guitar amp, i've heard that this is a bad idea because giutar amps aren't designed for such low freqs. guitar thru a bass amp OK. bass thru a guitar amp not. that's what i hear anyways ;O) -j
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Sep 05, 2003 08:32 pm I can go with that.
I'm thinking of buying a cheapo bass at a pawn shop or something, and I'm trying to think of how I can record it direct since I don't want to spring for a bass amp.
Sep 05, 2003 08:40 pm Get a simple little DI Box at any music gear store, spend $20 and your set to record direct. I have a direct out of my Ampeg amp and still use my cheap little Rapco DI Box every now and then.
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Sep 05, 2003 08:51 pm Cool, thanks DB. I think I know how I'm going to spend my Saturday: shopping!
