Recommend a mic preamp for home recording

[Jonny R]

Hi guys

I'd be grateful for any help you guys can give me - I'm trying to figure out what a good non-expensive option would be for a mic-preamp to use in home recording stuff

Anyone used the Behringer MIC100 Tube Ultragain Microphone Preamp with Limiter? Know if it's any good?

Any good options I should know about.

Cheers all
Jonny

 

[Curly]

Re: Recommend a mic preamp for home recording

Jonny,
actually, I have the Ultragain 2200. I can't tell you how good it is,though, because I haven't gotten off my lazy a$$ and used it like I was supposed to. Actually, I got it with my recorder because it was recommended, and it was affordable - less than $100 - and I needed some kind of preamp, and this had a tube as well.

 

[tone4days]

Re: Recommend a mic preamp for home recording

if you are using a computer for recording, i have heard excellent results/recommendations of the M audio mobile-pre $150 US

 

[y2stevo]

Re: Recommend a mic preamp for home recording

Ive never had experience with a mic pre, do they really make a big difference to sound quality? and do they make a big impact on instruments?

This would be direct to a multitrack

 

[Hellion]

Re: Recommend a mic preamp for home recording

I like Behringer equipment. I haven't tried the MIC100, but if it's anything like any of their other products, I'd guess that it sounds good. For Y2Stevo, yes, mic preamps can make a big difference. Good ones don't color the sound, they just give you more of what you're recording, makes the signal stronger for the recorder.

 

[Kelsey]

Re: Recommend a mic preamp for home recording

The M-Audio pres are supposed to be good for the $$. If you can afford to drop about $500, then I highly recommend the FMR Audio RNP (Really Nice Preamp), which is a very high quality 2-channel preamp in a compact package. It mates very nicely with their RNC compressor. I use this setup with both condenser and dynamic mics, and it really is tough to beat for 2 channels into a good quality PC sound card. Some ofthe cheaper pres will sound decent with condenser mics, but not so hot with dynamics like the good old SM57.

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Recommend a mic preamp for home recording

art makes some good tube pres, i have a tube pac preamp/compressor limiter and it sounds pretty darn good. 2 groove tube mullards, and i record with a really old beta 58

 

[Wattage]

Re: Recommend a mic preamp for home recording

The Ultragain units are pretty good and certainly a good place to start.

The ART Studio V3 is a cool little unit for under $100. They also make a 2 channel version for about $140. They both have easy to use presets for some limiting as well but there isn't much to tweak, not necessarily a bad thing when you are learning.

Joemeek has some cool stuff for a bit more money and PreSonus makes some decent inexpensive stuff as well.

You can spend silly money on micpre's just like anything else. Are you using it for vocals, guitar, percussion?

 

[Jonny R]

Re: Recommend a mic preamp for home recording

Thanks guys...

I'm using it for guitar and vocals probably.

Two options locally I have seen are the Behringer MC100 for about $80 and the MAudio DMP3 for about $130 (used). I think the MAudio one might be a good option for the money as new they are over twice that here...

But I'm a little hesitant at the mo just on money matters...maybe I'll wait a month or two and just use the compression on the computer to try to tidy the mic signal up a bit...

I'm just using an SM57 at the mo (might grab an SM58 or AKG dynamic from church for vocals) so I guess a pre-amp might not be crucial unless I'm running a condensor mic???