Budget Recording Gear Recommendations: Preamps

[Peter]

Here we go with some solid budget preamps to plug your mics into for ultimate happiness:

M-Audio DMP-3 – Two channel preamp with Phantom Power for condenser mics,. TONS of gain (ie, it can boost signal strength by 66 dB!). $160 or so new.

Studio Projects VTB-1 – Single channel preamp with Phantom power. It also has a tube emulator that you can blend in with the solid state signal. Very cool feature for warming up cold tones. $130 new.

Rane MS1B – Single channel solid state preamp with Phantom power. I haven’t personally used this preamp, but it is regarded as a solid budget preamp by many over at harmony-central.com. $150 new.

PreSonus TubePRE – Single channel TUBE preamp with Phantom power. This is a fucking cool preamp and it’s only $100 new! It sounds totally bitchin’ when you slam a vocal through it and get it all gnarly and distorted.

PreSonus Blue Tube – Two channel Tube preamp. Essentially, two TubePREs in one box. $200 New.

M-Audio Audio Buddy – Two channel solid state preamp with instrument input. You can plug your bass right into this baby and it’ll take it. Highly recommended for a beginning preamp for people just getting into recording. $90 new.

Summit Audio 2BA-221 – If you can afford this, buy it. Single channel tube preamp, hand built and sounds absofuckinglutely incredible. $590 new (not budget…but GREAT if you can afford it).

I thought about adding in the FMR Audio RNP8380 (Really Nice Preamp), but at $475, it’s not really budget…

Anyone else?

[SlingeroGuitaro]

i dont know if i can comment on any of those preamps. ive never used the 'budget market' for these applications.

on the other side of the spectrum, i just purchased a focusrite red1 ($2800 from sweetwater.com). this sounds great with a ribbon mic, as they tend to be a little touchy.


anyway, i just wanted to brag. :-D

[Peter]

If money were not an object, there are a great deal of preamps that I would recommend. the Avalon 737 for instance :drool:

[nathan]

Peter- i do not know much about recording gear...what do you think of the Lexicon Omega? It has like 6 or 8 powered imputs (XLR, 1/4", MIDI, instrument?), each with thier own volume controlls and hooks to the computer via USB...it gives you 4 tracks of simutanious recording...$300...any good?...i do not have much money, and i love the idea of recording our practices and being able to adjust the volumes later (on the 4 mics) instead of spending forever trying to get the mix right at first and not being able to change it because traditionally i have only one track of recording on my pc (mic in)...

[i]

What about the m-audio MobilePre USB? I've been looking at it for a while for my laptop/guitar.

[Peter]

Originally posted by nathan
Peter- i do not know much about recording gear...what do you think of the Lexicon Omega? It has like 6 or 8 powered imputs (XLR, 1/4", MIDI, instrument?), each with thier own volume controlls and hooks to the computer via USB...it gives you 4 tracks of simutanious recording...$300...any good?...i do not have much money, and i love the idea of recording our practices and being able to adjust the volumes later (on the 4 mics) instead of spending forever trying to get the mix right at first and not being able to change it because traditionally i have only one track of recording on my pc (mic in)...

I haven't personally used the Lexicon Omega, so all I know is what I read. As far as Lexicon goes as a company, they're incredibly well known for their effects processors, but not a whole lot else. I would say that since the Omega is their first digital recording interface, it might be wise to leave this one alone. However, you can absolutely read reviews about the Omega at the following link:

http://namm.harmony-central.com/115AES/Content/Lexicon/PR/Omega.html

users rated it at 4.11/5 which isn't so bad considering 199 people have rated it. I'd implore you to go look at the interfaces at http://www.m-audio.com A lot of people really like those interfaces.

Originally posted by i
What about the m-audio MobilePre USB? I've been looking at it for a while for my laptop/guitar.

As I understand it, it's a nice little piece of gear. Not overwhelmingly good, but not bad, either. I'd say it could be added to my list, absolutely.

[Tweety]

Peter is fucking awesome

[Peter]

I do what I can. One of these days I'll get around to doing a little thread like this one on recording interfaces for las computadoras

[Six Ways]

Originally posted by Peter
One of these days I'll get around to doing a little thread like this one on recording interfaces for las computadoras

Do eet! Rip his fucking head off!

Also, noticed you like homestarrunner.com. Kewl.

[Peter]

Originally posted by Six Ways

Also, noticed you like homestarrunner.com. Kewl.

I have a Trogdor t-shirt, even. And I found out a few days ago that the local record shop up the street from me sells all manner of homestar runner merch. Pretty cool shit.

[SlingeroGuitaro]

li'l brudder.... he can make it on his own :( :( :( :(

[Six Ways]

Originally posted by SlingeroGuitaro
li'l brudder.... he can make it on his own :( :( :( :(

I love that one. Also, the crazy cartoon one. "Eh, Steve!"

[Six Ways]

Originally posted by Peter
I have a Trogdor t-shirt, even.

BURNINATING THE COUTRYSIDE!
BURNINATING THE PEASANTS!
TROOOOOOGDOOOOOORRRRRR!!!

[Peter]

COME BACK ALI! COME BACK ALI'S SISTER!

[Jonathan]

Looks like this thread has jumped the Homestar-quoting Shark, but I'll just chip in and say that I bought a Joemeek threeQ a week or two ago. It's a pre-amp/compressor/EQ unit, pretty cheap (I paid about US$200 for mine) and so far it sounds pretty great. Lots of headroom, and the compressor & EQ give surprisingly warm, even results. I'm running it through a PreSonus Firepod into Logic Express 7.

I'm going to try to finish off a song in the weekend, so I'll post a link if anyone's interested in how it sounds.

Oh, and you know, just so I really sound like a total whore for this unit: it came with a free microphone which actually sounds better for acoustic guitar than the SM57 I was expecting to be relying on. (I think this promotion is running until the end of the month. Happy day.)

[jook]

Where did you buy the ThreeQ from Jonathan? I'm looking at getting one too, and I'm in Australia... noticed you're in New Zealand. I presume you got it online? I couldn't find any retailer that are selling it with the microphone rebate (which is offered on the Joemeek website but says US and Canada only).

[Jonathan]

Originally posted by jook
Where did you buy the ThreeQ from Jonathan? I'm looking at getting one too, and I'm in Australia... noticed you're in New Zealand. I presume you got it online? I couldn't find any retailer that are selling it with the microphone rebate (which is offered on the Joemeek website but says US and Canada only).
I got it from a New Zealand online dealer called ProSound (http://www.prosound.co.nz/). You should be able to find out who the Australian distributor is through the Joe Meek web site (http://www.joemeek.com/), and from that distributor a list of Australian-based dealerships.

As for the free microphone promotion, I have a feeling it was only running until the end of May, but it couldn't hurt to investigate. Whatever the Joe Meek site says, it's certainly not U.S. & Canada only — I dealt with the New Zealand distributor when claiming my rebate. Good luck!

[jook]

Thanks for the tip. I went to the ProSound website... but could not find Joemeek products listed anywhere on it? I might have to contact them by email.

I've found the Australian distributor before, but prices appear to be marked up alot here (like with all other audio gear). They're listed here at $539 AUD (414.297 USD). I've noticed that most places in the U.S. have it for around $200 USD as you said, and even if i include shipping, it'd still be cheaper.

If these ProSound guys can sell it for around $200 USD and will ship to AU, I'd be a happy bean.... oh and the Joemeek website said they extended the microphone offer till August 31st. Don't know whether this applies to the retailer offers or not, but I thought it'd be worth investigating...

[Jonathan]

Originally posted by jook
Thanks for the tip. I went to the ProSound website... but could not find Joemeek products listed anywhere on it? I might have to contact them by email.

I've found the Australian distributor before, but prices appear to be marked up alot here (like with all other audio gear). They're listed here at $539 AUD (414.297 USD). I've noticed that most places in the U.S. have it for around $200 USD as you said, and even if i include shipping, it'd still be cheaper.

If these ProSound guys can sell it for around $200 USD and will ship to AU, I'd be a happy bean.... oh and the Joemeek website said they extended the microphone offer till August 31st. Don't know whether this applies to the retailer offers or not, but I thought it'd be worth investigating...
Just checked the Joe Meek site and they say the promotion extension only applies to U.S. & Canadian sales — so it looks like you could be out of luck.

What I'd do is check with the Australian distributor. They might even do direct sales — the N.Z. Joe Meek distributor does (Oceania Audio (http://www.oceania-audio.co.nz/)), but couldn't get some other items I was after, and ProSound could. There's always a chance that they'll still be doing the promotion.

I paid NZ$280+GST for the threeQ, which works out to about AU$260. I think your GST rate is around 10%, so you're probably looking at about around $285 all up.

Hang on — just checked the Australian distributor's site — their prices are ridiculously inflated. $400 for a JM47 mic! I was quoted NZ$200 (inc. GST) for one of those. Crazy. I guess you should avoid them, then...

[jook]

Originally posted by Jonathan
I paid NZ$280+GST for the threeQ, which works out to about AU$260. I think your GST rate is around 10%, so you're probably looking at about around $285 all up.

Hang on — just checked the Australian distributor's site — their prices are ridiculously inflated. $400 for a JM47 mic! I was quoted NZ$200 (inc. GST) for one of those. Crazy. I guess you should avoid them, then...

You know, I always figured that the inflated prices here were because of the need to import 'cross the pacific, and the smaller market in Australia relative to the States etc. But now that I realize NZ are getting much fairer prices, that's clearly all bollocks. Something's very wrong, it's not just this distributor. Most gear in Oz have a similar 100% markup from their U.S. prices, sometimes even 200-300%.

I just contacted ProSound and to my disappointment, found out they won't ship overseas. Bummer. And I bet Oceania would point me back to the AU distributor... I can almost justify a trip to NZ just to buy gear at this rate.

[jook]

Thought I would add an update to this. I ended up contacting Oceania Audio (http://www.oceania-audio.co.nz/) who have been really helpful and was actually happy to ship things over to Australia. They got me the ThreeQ AND included the JM27 mic rebate, and I had them both shipped over, totalling at around $230 USD (with shipping).

Really pleased with that, and I don't hesitate to recommend them if anyone else is stuck with purchasing recording gear in Australia (where the pricing is just ridiculous)... or indeed anyone else on this side of the world. I think they stock most of the other preamps mentioned on this thread too(definitely the Studio Projects and PreSonus stuff).