Layne YungAce Haire
New member
I'm looking for a good quality pre amp for my studio. Any suggestions?
Pre-Amp
- Thread starter Layne YungAce Haire
- Start date
Salem Beats
Ki from Salem-Beats.com
Here's a short list of some of the best preamps at each price point.
Out of all of them, I think that the Grace m101 is the most versatile
and provides the best bang for the buck.
These are all preamps that I have either owned or used at some point,
and my thoughts on them.
Since you didn't list a budget, the price range will be pretty vast.
From cheapest to most expensive, here are my thoughts:
PreSonus TubePre v2 (A little over $100 on Amazon, click to check current price)
The most highly-recommended preamp you can get if you can't spend much more than $100.
It's a tube/solid-state hybrid, meaning that you can match its tone and method to the type of microphone you're using.
If you have a warm-sounding microphone and the tube amp makes it sound too "fluffy",
you can switch to solid-state mode to get a nice "clear" amplification (and vice-versa if your mic is too "sterile").
ART Pro MPA II (A little less than $300 on Amazon, click to check current price)
Excellent value in budget tube preamps.
This is definitely a "colored" preamp, as it drives the microphone with tubes rather than solid-state amplification.
This makes it a great choice if you're trying to add a "musical" tone to a preamp that might feel too "clinical".
FMR RNP (A little less than $500 on Amazon, click to check current price)
Really solid preamp, a tiny bit of coloration but not much (mostly a "neutral tone" clean preamp).
An extremely solid choice for both dynamic and condenser microphones,
and well-recommended within audio circles.
Many project studios will either recommend this or the Grace m101.
Grace m101 (A little less than $700 on Amazon, click to check current price)
Extremely transparent and clean preamp,
ESPECIALLY well-suited for pairing with dynamic microphones
like the Shure SM 57, Shure SM7B, or the EV RE20.
Also great for any other microphones that require high gain like ribbon microphones
because this model provides up to 70dB (!!!) of clean gain.
Universal Audio Solo 610 (A little less than $1000 on Amazon, click to check current price)
A great (and cool looking) preamp from the same company who make the UAD plugins.
This is another tube preamp, designed to "flatter" some very accurate condenser mics
that might otherwise sound a little bit too "clinical".
Avalon VT-737 sp (A little less than $2500 on Amazon, click to check current price)
My buddy who makes a ton of money and does a lot of vocal recording for local artists owns one of these.
Sounds great -- it's pretty expensive because it's an entire channel strip rather than just a preamp.
As a channel strip, it comes with a compressor and an EQ in addition to the preamp.
As for the preamp part -- it's a great tube preamp! However, you really don't need to spend even nearly this much to get a great sound.
It's nice and all, but only pick this one up if you really have money to blow.
-Ki
Salem Beats
Out of all of them, I think that the Grace m101 is the most versatile
and provides the best bang for the buck.
These are all preamps that I have either owned or used at some point,
and my thoughts on them.
Since you didn't list a budget, the price range will be pretty vast.
From cheapest to most expensive, here are my thoughts:
PreSonus TubePre v2 (A little over $100 on Amazon, click to check current price)
The most highly-recommended preamp you can get if you can't spend much more than $100.
It's a tube/solid-state hybrid, meaning that you can match its tone and method to the type of microphone you're using.
If you have a warm-sounding microphone and the tube amp makes it sound too "fluffy",
you can switch to solid-state mode to get a nice "clear" amplification (and vice-versa if your mic is too "sterile").
ART Pro MPA II (A little less than $300 on Amazon, click to check current price)
Excellent value in budget tube preamps.
This is definitely a "colored" preamp, as it drives the microphone with tubes rather than solid-state amplification.
This makes it a great choice if you're trying to add a "musical" tone to a preamp that might feel too "clinical".
FMR RNP (A little less than $500 on Amazon, click to check current price)
Really solid preamp, a tiny bit of coloration but not much (mostly a "neutral tone" clean preamp).
An extremely solid choice for both dynamic and condenser microphones,
and well-recommended within audio circles.
Many project studios will either recommend this or the Grace m101.
Grace m101 (A little less than $700 on Amazon, click to check current price)
Extremely transparent and clean preamp,
ESPECIALLY well-suited for pairing with dynamic microphones
like the Shure SM 57, Shure SM7B, or the EV RE20.
Also great for any other microphones that require high gain like ribbon microphones
because this model provides up to 70dB (!!!) of clean gain.
Universal Audio Solo 610 (A little less than $1000 on Amazon, click to check current price)
A great (and cool looking) preamp from the same company who make the UAD plugins.
This is another tube preamp, designed to "flatter" some very accurate condenser mics
that might otherwise sound a little bit too "clinical".
Avalon VT-737 sp (A little less than $2500 on Amazon, click to check current price)
My buddy who makes a ton of money and does a lot of vocal recording for local artists owns one of these.
Sounds great -- it's pretty expensive because it's an entire channel strip rather than just a preamp.
As a channel strip, it comes with a compressor and an EQ in addition to the preamp.
As for the preamp part -- it's a great tube preamp! However, you really don't need to spend even nearly this much to get a great sound.
It's nice and all, but only pick this one up if you really have money to blow.
-Ki
Salem Beats
Last edited:
MadAnthony81
New member
Solid State Logic X-Rack Mic Pre Module | Sweetwater.com
SSL is popular I believe. Atleast it was for a long long time. There's a Link.
But I love my Impact Twin Audio Interfaces onboard preamp with the onboard effects. To me it looks and acts like SSL. It is quality too. It uses a mini-powercore for TC Electronic built into the actual Impact Twin Interface. Although it acts and performs just like analog gear it is in a Powercore. It is only a line in. You cannot adjust pre-recorded vocals like on a VST. It really does perform like analog.
If you like, I can shoot you a demo I made with my Impact Twin and it's mini-Powercore SSL-like EQ compressor d-esser. I truly am astounded with it. The Impact Twins drawback is that it's firewire. The bonus is that the Impact Twin only costs merely between $250 and $370.
TC Electronic Impact Twin | Sweetwater.com
P.S.
Thee Impact Twins Effects may be built in, and really are but: they are both adjustable on the Impact Twin knobs and also via the computer screen. It performs for Live shows too and for a DAW. It has super ultra Low latency drivers available for only the best of the best computer setups not hardly even on the market yet.
Take in mind once again that once you record your vocal through the pre and mini-Powercore you cannot adjust the recorded vocal even on the computer screen. It acts just like an analog device; once you record, you can't go back.
Peace
SSL is popular I believe. Atleast it was for a long long time. There's a Link.
But I love my Impact Twin Audio Interfaces onboard preamp with the onboard effects. To me it looks and acts like SSL. It is quality too. It uses a mini-powercore for TC Electronic built into the actual Impact Twin Interface. Although it acts and performs just like analog gear it is in a Powercore. It is only a line in. You cannot adjust pre-recorded vocals like on a VST. It really does perform like analog.
If you like, I can shoot you a demo I made with my Impact Twin and it's mini-Powercore SSL-like EQ compressor d-esser. I truly am astounded with it. The Impact Twins drawback is that it's firewire. The bonus is that the Impact Twin only costs merely between $250 and $370.
TC Electronic Impact Twin | Sweetwater.com
P.S.
Thee Impact Twins Effects may be built in, and really are but: they are both adjustable on the Impact Twin knobs and also via the computer screen. It performs for Live shows too and for a DAW. It has super ultra Low latency drivers available for only the best of the best computer setups not hardly even on the market yet.
Take in mind once again that once you record your vocal through the pre and mini-Powercore you cannot adjust the recorded vocal even on the computer screen. It acts just like an analog device; once you record, you can't go back.
Peace
Last edited: