The Pre-amp Question
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Posted on Jan 06, 2004 11:48 pm
FunkDadyP
No Commercial Appeal.
Member Since: Jan 09, 2003
What does a pre amp do and what is it used for? I hear all this talk about them but I've never used one. I have a mixer, Mackie SFX-16. Does it have a pre amp. Sorry for the question. Thanks.
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LokiCone PokerMember
Since: Apr 07, 2002
Jan 07, 2004 01:32 am A preamp is used to boost the signal up before it goes to tape or HD recording and to color the sound a bit. What I mean by color the sound is that an analog preamp will have a distinctly differant sound than a digital one. Your mackie SHOULD have preamps on the mic channels.
A lot of signals like microphones require preamplification because the signal is not that strong, so the preamp boosts it up before it hits the console, recording medium, or amplifier.
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Jan 07, 2004 02:40 pm Yup Loki has it. The first stage of most any mixer is a pre-amp stage. Now most mixer pre-amps are pretty basic. If you to color your sound during that stage of amplification a whole array of pre-amp units are available. You can use them in front of your mixer, or some even use them in place of a mixer and use the output of the pre-amp to drive the input of a sound card. There are also specialty pre-amps for certain mics, Piazio (ultra high) impedience pick-ups etc. In a recording system the signal needs to be at "line" level for sound cards, tape machines etc. to work. Pre-amps bring low level signals up to line level.
FunkDadyPNo Commercial Appeal.Member
Since: Jan 09, 2003
Jan 08, 2004 10:48 am So if I run a mic through my mixer, can I use a preamp before it (mic-->preamp-->mixer-->computer)? Will that just muck things up? Also, would there be any benefits to getting a preamp now that I have a mixer? Obviously there would be a different sound, as you said earlier, but does a preamp only boost the signal or are there other advantages?
Jan 08, 2004 10:51 am If you don't like the preamps in your mixer and want to use differen ones, just run the preamp right into your sound card and cut the mixer out...if you don't mind the mixers pre's (which Mackie's generally have decent ones) then don't bother with a seperate pre and just run the mic into the mixer and use the mixers pre.
cooloFrisco's Most UnderratedMember
Since: Jan 28, 2003
Jan 08, 2004 02:37 pm Different preamps will give different variations to your sound. Tube pres will color it slightly and give a sound often described as "warm". Solid state pres generally color your sound less. But there should be preamps in your mixer that you can use, so no need to get a dedicated preamp. Although you can if you think it will be beneficial. I don't know, am I babbling yet...
LokiCone PokerMember
Since: Apr 07, 2002
Jan 08, 2004 07:14 pm You can run the mic into the preamp, and out of the preamp directly into the soundcard and avoid using the mixer on that channel, or I suppose if you wanted too you could go mic, pre, mixer, soundcard
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Jan 09, 2004 12:09 am Yup Yup, all sounds good to me. A good mixer tries to achieve a very transparent sound. What goes in comes out. With a good mixer you can go mic, pre-amp, mixer, soundcard. If your mixer is adding noise or a color you do not like than the pre-amp can be used to bypass the mixer. Except of course where the pre-amp also provides special electrical matching charistics such as the bass pick-ups I mentioned earlier.
FunkDadyPNo Commercial Appeal.Member
Since: Jan 09, 2003
Jan 09, 2004 11:50 am Ok, I get it now. On to the next question. I have a friend (in another state) who uses a direct-in box. He says it makes things he's recording sound much much cleaner and prettier. I understand the purpose of a DI, but if I don't spend a large chuck of money on a nice one, am I just wasting money? I saw a behringer for $30 in musicians friend, but there was also a $250 BBE. From my experience, (in general) the more you pay the more you get. So is the $30 DI just not worth a patoot? Thanks.
Jan 09, 2004 12:30 pm One of my DI Boxes is a Rapco that cost me about $20 and I have used that numerous times...surely not as good as the POD or any other direct unit like that, but still...good...
FunkDadyPNo Commercial Appeal.Member
Since: Jan 09, 2003
Jan 09, 2004 03:27 pm So if I purchase a DI box, should I try to use it on pretty much everything guitar oriented? Or is it just a preference thing?
Jan 09, 2004 03:30 pm Thats up to you, I only use it on bass guitar myself...
Jan 09, 2004 03:32 pm Mainly a preference thing. Many people will tell you that there is no substitute for moving air (micing a cab) but if the neighbors or other things restrict you from cranking it up, a DI box is great.
FunkDadyPNo Commercial Appeal.Member
Since: Jan 09, 2003
Jan 09, 2004 03:39 pm Would it just be stupid to mic a cab, and then run the mic through the DI box? Or is that just canceling out the effect of getting a room's sound?
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jan 09, 2004 04:24 pm Kind of yes. The direct box is just that, it is a way to balance the signal going direct into the mixer. I generally only use a DI box on bass guitar. Now that said, you can DI the bass as well as mic the cab, but you do need to split the signal from the bass so it actually goes to both the DI and the Bass head. But I can tell you that 80% of the basses you hear recorded are Through a DI, maybe a bit less.
Guitar is another fish altogether and I wouldnt recomend going through a DI for that. Either use a n amp sim such as POD or mic a cabinet. If you plugged a guitar into a DI and then the mixer you would get a very limp signal.
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Jan 09, 2004 08:08 pm Yup, A DI box is great for Bass Guitar. I have used the Behringer Ultra DI Pro (4ch DI in a rack mount) for keyboard, and guitar as well. The DI box will often help limit transmission line noise on long distance runs. This is good if you are capturing many instruments at once and need the isolation of going DI. If you are going to do any amplified string instruments beyond guitars (bass inc.) look into a fishman. The electrical charistics are different suited for pick=ups used on violins, violas, chellos, upright basses etc.
