Project Studio: Affordable Preamps February 15, 2008
Posted by ConnorSmith in : Digital Audio Workstations, Preamp, Project Studio , trackbackAh, another great debate. There are so many different preamps to choose from, and so many different sources on which we use them. What is there to look for in a preamp? Honestly, the first thing I look at is price… Doesn’t matter how good something is if you can’t afford it.
Nevertheless, sonic quality and character are very important things to consider. Some preamps are intended to be super “clean”, with the goal of not coloring the sound at all. Others are intentionally “colored”, developing a ‘warmth’ to the sound via EQ or distortion. (yes! ‘warmth’ is actually just a nice word for distortion). There are hundreds preamps to choose from, but I am going to highlight a few that would be great additions to any digital audio workstation setup and available at a project studio price.
Here is a list of several preamps sorted from low to high by price. (This is per unit, not per channel price). I’ll try to hit a variety of the one’s I’ve used.
Art Tube MP ($45)
The Art Tube MP is a great little pre for under $50. For beginning engineers and producers looking to add some color and warmth to their DAW tracks, this is a good start. It has a lot of gain, 48V, and a phase reverse switch. If you are unsatisfied with the sound of the preamps in your computer audio interface and are on a budget, look here first!
PreSonus TubePre ($99)
At just under $100, this is also a great buy as a front end preamp for your DAW. The TubePre is similar to the ART MP, but it has a few more features. It has the phase switch and 48V like the ART, but adds a hi-pass filter, a 10dB pad, and a 1/4″ direct input. It sounds great, and even has a VU meter to watch the levels. I would also recommend this unit to someone looking to warm up the sound of their tracks and have some choice besides just your interface preamps.
Focusrite Trakmaster Pro ($299)
This is an awesome channel strip for the money. With EQ and an opto compressor, you can tailor your sounds on the way in, so mixing will be a lot easier. Be careful, though: If you do a lot of drastic eq as you record, you might have less flexibility to shape the sound when you are mixing. It also has optional s/pdif out (via an expansion card) and a monitor out section (so you can hear yourself without latency). The front panel DI is also convenient for plugging in a guitar. The Trakmaster is a great medium range preamp to invest in as a “front-end” for your DAW.
ART MPA Gold ($299)
The MPA gold is extremely popular among project studio users with DAWs. It uses 12AX7A tubes, which really warm up the sound. It has switchable impedance and selectable tube plate voltage (so you can really tailor the sound of any microphone or sound source). Add in front panel DIs and a selectable hi-pass filter, and once again you have a great choice of preamp for the front-end of a DAW. (ART also makes a model of this pre with digital out)
UA Solo 610 ($799)
If you have a little more money to spend, and are looking for a high quality tube preamp or DI to add to your setup, the UA 610 is the right choice. It’s simple to use (with only input/output knobs, and some switches) and sounds great. Drive the input hotter for more tube sound, or keep it low for a less colored signal. It’s front panel DI sounds great, and the portable “lunchbox” design makes it easy to carry from studio to studio. Its great for a home/project studio, and also for the traveling producer or artist, who wants to ensure a consistent sound in different recording environments.
PreSonus Digimax LT ($799)
If you want to add 8 channels of quality solid state (no tubes here) input to your setup, go with the Digimax LT. For people running Digidesign 003 or 002 units, MOTU interfaces, or even digital mixers/hard disk recorders, you can add 8 channels with one ADAT cable. This unit also has inserts on each channel. If you record drums or bands and need to flexibility of more inputs, the Digimax is a good investment.
So, there are a few options. If you are looking to upgrade your studio’s sound, a quality preamp is definitely worth considering.
As always, if you have questions about these or other preamps (or about your studio in general), email me, or post in the comments here.
C
The Studio Files
Comments»
Hey,
I have been using the UA Solo 610 for a while now and really enjoyed it. I have been using it for my bass tracking as well as for my vocal over dubs. The bass recordings I have been getting are really warm and mixing them has been pretty straight forward, but I have some issues with vocals. Should I be using that preamp for vox or should I switch to a different one? If so, do you have any tips for getting a good sound for both male and female singers. Are the particular mics you would suggest to use? gain/level ratios? I would love any advice you have.
thanks,
Chuck P.
Hi Chuck,
You may be driving the tube (first knob) stage higher when you do the bass recording than you would want to for vocals. What mic are you using with it for the vocal tracking?
D
I would also add the JoeMeek 3Q ($299) to the list that Connor has offered. I had a VC3 (which was the predecessor to the 3Q) as my first outboard pre, and I always liked it.
http://www.joemeek.com/threeq.html
D
Hi Chuck,
Looks like Damon already made some comments, but I’ll chime in as well.
I’ve had good luck on both male and female vocals with the 610 with a few different mics (Neumann tlm103 and U87ai, Shure KSM32, AT4033a, and AKG 414).
But, as Damon noted, you may have to dial down the input knob. Pushing the tube circuitry too hard on vocals can sometimes warm it up too much. (Usually I can drive it harder on higher female voices, but with guys it can get too muddy).
It can definitely be a very “colored” sounding preamp, but with less input gain, its fairly neutral for a UA tube pre. What mics have you tried it with/which do you have available to use?
Hope this helps!
C
The Studio Files
I own the ART MPA Gold and when they say you get what you pay for, sometimes that is a very true statement. This preamp seems to be a hit or mis to many recording hobbyists. Some reviews comment on how people were able to get such an increase in sound quality and warmth from this pre, while other reviews label this unit as a block of scrap metal.
I myself noticed an immediate warmth that was added to my tracks. espeacially vocals. I was able to pull the vocals out from behind the mix with this unit. Not only did i get a nice tube warmth added to my tracks, i also got a nice addition of tube noise added to my tracks. This unit can be quite noisy. A hum will surely haunt your mix whil using htis unit. And nothing ruins a good dynamic pause than a very engraved tube hum.
I’m yet to try a $1000 + pre amp, that is the next step i am taking in my growth as a home studio recording engineer. once i try something spendier like the vintech X73i or the Avalon VT-737 i’ll be sure to let you know how much price does effect the quality that you will get.
But the advice i’ve been given countlesly that i will pass on is, save up and spend the extra money. Cheap mic pres loose their return sale value and if you are serious enough you are eventually going to upgrade, so you’ll lose money. Spendier units retain there value better and sound better. So if you get the spendier unit and 3 months later you decide that you need to quit the recording hoby because your wife wants a big house to start a family, you aren’t going to loose as much money as you will when buying the cheap stuff. So its smarter to save and pay more, its a better investment in the long run.
Also when reading reviews on certain mic pres, be sure to read reviews from people that are professionals and that use the expensive equipment. If they say that this $500 unit sounds great i’ll trust them more than the garage band kid who doesn’t know as much as the experience guy will. And also remember diferent pres for different situations. A pre might sound bad to one guy, because maybe he was using a tube mic pre in a situation where a solid state mic pre would have been a better choice, i.e. recording acoustic guitar. Usually when recording an acoustic guitar you want more of a natural sound.
hope this helps!
Dustin
“…once i try something spendier like the vintech X73i …”
Just FYI: Connor is putting his new Vintech 473 through the paces on a multi-day tracking session even as we speak. That is one heck of a nice set of pre-amps (who wouldn’t want multiple channels of Neve pre/eq in their rack?)
Skipped over the X73i and went straight to the 4-channel. Nice! I’m sure he’ll tell all of us about it and hopefully post some demo tracks. We’ll see when he comes up for air.
Damon
The STudio Files
Will do^^
Getting wisdom teeth yanked tomorrow, I’ll be incognito likely for a bit… (Although, as soon as I can focus, I can type….)
Help! I’ve got a Rode mic, NTK; it has a separate power supply. I’m finding it impossible to choose a preamp. I have a budget of a little over $1000 — but i’m hoping to have enough dough left for a compressor.
Can anyone just tell me which one to buy??
Thank you
Xander
@Xander
I can probably make a good recommendation if I get a little more info from you – things like:
What sort of work do you do (what will you be using the mic for primarily)?
What does the rest of your setup look like (DAW, computer, monitors, other pre’s, outboard gear, plug-ins)?
Are there any preamps that you’ve auditioned and liked/disliked?
I haven’t tried any out… i use an old tascam 388 studio 8 tape machine… I record to tape and then bounce to pro tools. I have no other components but i am planning on getting a compressor. This would primarily be for vocals, but presumably could be used for acoustic instruments as well.
I haven’t tried any out since it’d be kinda implausible to bring that tape machine around to try out preamps…
I just want to acheive a warm, present, and well-rounded sound.
Thanks!
xander
If I were you, I’d probably wait and save up to get something like a UA LA610 or a Vintech X73(i)
Or, for under $1000, getting something like a UA Twinfinity or Solo610 would be cool too. These are good pre’s, but with something like the LA610, you’d get a comp too.
I was thinking of buying a Focusrite ISA One which is about $700, but it has no eq or compression. It is only a preamp. Is it better to record straight into the preamp and then straight to audio interface or am I better getting a more expensive ISA that has compression and eq. If you have any ideas, please leave a message.
@dialashop
Unfortunately – the answer is something along the lines of “whatever sounds better in your situation is the better purchase”.
Some people prefer to record as clean as possible (no EQ no compression). Other people use a little (or a lot) of both on the way in.
Depending on your needs, preferences, and workflow, either of these could be right for you. Your current setup also may help to shed some light on this – let us know what you are using and maybe we can help.
I am using a Focusrite Saffire, the white original model. I record my vocals through it and I also use the DI which is available within the audio interface. I have two mics Rode NT-1A and Shure SM7B. Someone has suggested me to try another interface called Metric Halo ULN-2 and its suppose to have a great clean preamp and the built in chip has a plug in called ‘character’ which can emulate other preamps. I have a macbook pro and I use Logic Pro. Interesting I own the Line 6 Pod Farm software and it has 6 built in Software preamps. It includes an emulation of Neve 1073. When I use it, it does depending on the instrument enhance it, but I am sure a real neve sounds beter.
Hi
I’m using the Focusrite Trakmaster Pro and notice what seems like an obvious tube problem = large hum and the intermittant crackle, etc……wondering if anyone knows if this is a simple fix by replacing the tube and will have this work well again once done?
thanks,