Which Mic Preamp for vocals?

  • Thread starter Thread starter ChaChaBeats
  • Start date Start date
ChaChaBeats

ChaChaBeats

Producer/Rapper
So i just found out that i need a mic preamp to make my vocals more clean and clear. I'm willing to spend in the ranging of about 100-200. At tops 300. Any suggestions? This is my signal chain right now:

1) Mic: MXL V63M
2) Audio Interface: M-Audio Fast Track
3) iMac 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB Memory
4) Logic Pro 8

I know i already have a post on my mic setup...but i need to know what kind of mic preamps every suggests to give me a better idea of what im looking for because i really have no clue. Thanks in advance guys!
 
If you want clean and clear go with a Rane MS-1S or save up about $200 more and get a Black Lion Auteur, Grace Designs 101, Focusrite ISA or a True Systems P Solo. All are very clean sounding.
 
I would say don't any anything in the $300 range right now!

Use what you have for now, to you have saved about $500.

With $500 you can get one of the following:

Focusrite ISA One
MXL MPAC-01
A Used Grace Designs 101 (eBay)

But If you just can't wait, I would sell the M-Audio Fast Track. Use that money + the $300 and buy a new Audio Interface with better built-in peramps. Some like an Focusrite Saffire PRO 24 DSP. http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Focusrite-Saffire-Pro-24-DSP?sku=523334

Just my 2 cents
 
Last edited:
Thanks Morning Star and SturatedSkillz.

I'm leaning toward the MXL MPAC-01 because of the fact is has a compressor on it, too.I need to really start saving up or sell some stuff for $500.
 
I had a chance to play with the mxl mpac at summer NAMM and was impressed for its price. I've heard excellent things about the Grace, which I think the m103 will be my next pre.
 
Czarthp said:
I had a chance to play with the mxl mpac at summer NAMM and was impressed for its price. I've heard excellent things about the Grace, which I think the m103 will be my next pre.
Click to expand...

I know, I have been hearing tons of good things about the Mpac.....

The Mpac or ISA One will be my next preamp
 
Thanks for the reply Czarthp and SaturatedSkillz. I have another question. If i buy a high end preamp like the Mpac, does it matter what kind of audio interface i have? I have the M-Audio Fast Track by the way.

Does the high end preamp make up for the low end audio interface? Or do you need a high end preamp and high end audio interface? I'm new at this...so take it easy on me guys. Thanks.
 
if you're worried about using a high end preamp on a low end interface...you can go for a firewire interface in the $1000.00 range.. get a high end AD/DA converter with firewire interface

my vocal chain soon to be

preamps
several modified 500 series preamp such as
http://fivefishstudios.com/

to
Lynx Aurora 16
16-channel 24-bit/192kHz A/D D/A Converter
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Aurora16/
to
Tascam DM-4800
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DM4800/

going big board stlye with som added outboard gear

monitoring/summing handled by
Dangerous Music 2-BUS LT
16-channel Analog Summing Amplifier/Mixer
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/2BusLT/
and

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LSR4328Ppak/

all done up in
sounded treated room get back to you with the exact package
 
ChaChaBeats said:
Does the high end preamp make up for the low end audio interface? Or do you need a high end preamp and high end audio interface? I'm new at this...so take it easy on me guys. Thanks.
Click to expand...

the preamp will help because it will be better than the fast track pre's, but it does not make up for a low end interface. You would eventually want a high both, or well high end everything. The preamp is a good move for now. If you only need a few outputs check out something like the apogee duet.

If your interface had a digital in (spid/f) and your preamp had a digital out, you could go digital from the preamp to the interface. This way your interface is not doing any signal conversion from the pre. This means whatever is coming from the pre is untouched back in the interface. This could make up for a lower end interface, unfortunatley your interface does not have digital out. But its something to look for on your next interface or pre.
 
ChaChaBeats said:
Thanks for the reply Czarthp and SaturatedSkillz. I have another question. If i buy a high end preamp like the Mpac, does it matter what kind of audio interface i have? I have the M-Audio Fast Track by the way.

Does the high end preamp make up for the low end audio interface? Or do you need a high end preamp and high end audio interface? I'm new at this...so take it easy on me guys. Thanks.
Click to expand...

No it dose not makeup for a low end audio interface, but it will make a different. Later on you can upgrade to a better AF.
 
fataltone said:
if you're worried about using a high end preamp on a low end interface...you can go for a firewire interface in the $1000.00 range.. get a high end AD/DA converter with firewire interface

my vocal chain soon to be

preamps
several modified 500 series preamp such as
http://fivefishstudios.com/

to
Lynx Aurora 16
16-channel 24-bit/192kHz A/D D/A Converter
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Aurora16/
to
Tascam DM-4800
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DM4800/

going big board stlye with som added outboard gear

monitoring/summing handled by
Dangerous Music 2-BUS LT
16-channel Analog Summing Amplifier/Mixer
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/2BusLT/
and

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LSR4328Ppak/

all done up in
sounded treated room get back to you with the exact package
Click to expand...

no disrespect my dude, but the last few posts i seen of yours have been what you will be using...do you have anything that you're using now that you can suggest to anyone with a budget that cant accommodate buying a $1000 interface?
 
You do not need a compressor to record. They are almost useless for tracking purposes these days. You can buy a Rane MS-1S and a FMR RNC or RNLA and it will kill anything twice the price with a built in compressor.
 
Okay morning star. So you are saying, it's better to buy a separate compressor than to buy a preamp with a built in compressor? And what would the signal chain be? Is it:

Mic > Preamp > Compressor > Audio Interface > Computer?

Correct me if I am wrong please. Thank you.

---------- Post added 10-25-2010 at 01:21 AM ---------- Previous post was 10-09-2010 at 01:21 PM ----------

So I'm thinking of making my mic chain from:

1) Mic: MXL V63M > 2) Audio Interface: M-Audio Fast Track

to:

1) BlueBird Mic > Presonus Blue Tube Pre Amp > to an upgraded audio interface

the question is....what audio interface should i upgrade to???

What you guys think?
 
Audio gear is only as good as the audio path design, components, and power supply. When you have as compressor that uses the same power supply as the preamp it's not going to sound as good. A good channel strip cost $2,000-$3,000 anyways.

With the right technique you don't need a compressor for tracking, and with the right mic you don't need an eq for tracking. It can then all be done with plugins. Download Reaper for free and all the Stillwell Audio plugins and you will have everything you need for professional songs.

I really do believe that the SM7b is the best mic under $1,000. It's great. Get one and get a mic pre with some good clean gain. That's all you need. Worry about the soundcard last.
 
Chicitybeats - the MkII i have right now is USB, but i hear firewire is the way to go.

Morning Star - I agree 100%. I'm just worried that i won't be able to connect the pre amp to my MkII (M Audio Fast Track). I don't see any input connections on it.
 
Joey Gunz [OBM] said:
no disrespect my dude, but the last few posts i seen of yours have been what you will be using...do you have anything that you're using now that you can suggest to anyone with a budget that cant accommodate buying a $1000 interface?
Click to expand...

none taken ....I don't use anything right now to record vocals.. producing only right now...

what I do own

(tascam US-428 audio/midi interface/control surface,decent computer,cubase 4,Sony Acid Pro 6.0,FL Studio Producer Editon 9, ART Digital MPA II dual channel preamp,Tannoy Proto J Monitors,AKG Perception 420 microphone, Auralex room kit, and some other absorption panels)

I hate to see ppl who are serious about recording go for the cheap stuff its good to learn off I guess if you decide to give it up(recording/producing)

I hate that I had to buy such low end stuff...
midrange or high end from now on...some low end stuff does have a amazing bang for your buck though no doubt..



I will be buying a home soon..could buy one now but looking for a duplex with a least 3 bedrooms on one side(family side) and at least two on the other side (studio/business side)

and working very very hard on my business plan which is very detail and up to standard..
starting a indie comtempory gospel label with outreach community minstry (non profit business the label and minsitry) tons of grants avaibable and other tools for success..
dang Bush is out he was giving tons away and keeping big gov. away from minsitries lol..

so... my purchases will be over a 2 year period for my major stuff
and a third year for some extra things
(most of my computer/recording/mixing/monitoring needs will be purchase in 2011 thank God for tax refunds...thats how I be able to purchase a $5000 digital board with firwire card and meter bridge)


hit me up if you're a christian rap artist or more on a RnB side of things looking for soul-out christian artists looking to network and start dialogue

but yeah to the orignal poster ...I'm thinking yeah at least $500 for a preamp.....and then add a more high end preamp with/or without color for something different down the line...

main thing is getting a a good performance in a decent treated room
CHACHABEATS GO HARD MAYNE
 
fataltone said:
none taken ....I don't use anything right now to record vocals.. producing only right now...

what I do own

(tascam US-428 audio/midi interface/control surface,decent computer,cubase 4,Sony Acid Pro 6.0,FL Studio Producer Editon 9, ART Digital MPA II dual channel preamp,Tannoy Proto J Monitors,AKG Perception 420 microphone, Auralex room kit, and some other absorption panels)

I hate to see ppl who are serious about recording go for the cheap stuff its good to learn off I guess if you decide to give it up(recording/producing)

I hate that I had to buy such low end stuff...
midrange or high end from now on...some low end stuff does have a amazing bang for your buck though no doubt..



I will be buying a home soon..could buy one now but looking for a duplex with a least 3 bedrooms on one side(family side) and at least two on the other side (studio/business side)

and working very very hard on my business plan which is very detail and up to standard..
starting a indie comtempory gospel label with outreach community minstry (non profit business the label and minsitry) tons of grants avaibable and other tools for success..
dang Bush is out he was giving tons away and keeping big gov. away from minsitries lol..

so... my purchases will be over a 2 year period for my major stuff
and a third year for some extra things
(most of my computer/recording/mixing/monitoring needs will be purchase in 2011 thank God for tax refunds...thats how I be able to purchase a $5000 digital board with firwire card and meter bridge)


hit me up if you're a christian rap artist or more on a RnB side of things looking for soul-out christian artists looking to network and start dialogue

but yeah to the orignal poster ...I'm thinking yeah at least $500 for a preamp.....and then add a more high end preamp with/or without color for something different down the line...

main thing is getting a a good performance in a decent treated room
CHACHABEATS GO HARD MAYNE
Click to expand...


Definitely can respect your vision and where you're trying to go my dude, I wish you all the best in the future and in putting all that together.

Right now, I just got too much going on to justify spending that much money so early on. Being as how my wife is currently in school, my income is the only thing thats holding us down, which isn't a bad thing, but there isn't too much cushion to go crazy with after all the expenses are taken care of.

Once I pay down some credit cards and this loan I have, I hope to have a nice chunk of money to play with around income tax time. I hopefully am going to try to get an AT4050, a GAP Pre73 with the full mod, and some better monitors as well as NI maschine. I already have a computer built from the ground up as well as my recording software, producing software, and a good amount of vsts.

And no, I'm not into the gospel side of music, but I do know some people and if you are looking to network, I can probably forward you some contact info and put you in contact with some people.
 
Mic pre connects to the MKII just with the mic input with the gain turned to nominal. Usually all the way down or indicated by a dot beside the knob. The m-box has a dot. I think the Fasttrack is all the way down.

You may like the sound of a condenser more but you will have a harder time getting a professional sound. The SM7b is hard to make sound bad. It just always performs well. Once you become a pro with the SM7b pick up a Bluebird and really get into when to use which mic.
 
Joey Gunz [OBM] said:
Definitely can respect your vision and where you're trying to go my dude, I wish you all the best in the future and in putting all that together.

Right now, I just got too much going on to justify spending that much money so early on. Being as how my wife is currently in school, my income is the only thing thats holding us down, which isn't a bad thing, but there isn't too much cushion to go crazy with after all the expenses are taken care of.

Once I pay down some credit cards and this loan I have, I hope to have a nice chunk of money to play with around income tax time. I hopefully am going to try to get an AT4050, a GAP Pre73 with the full mod, and some better monitors as well as NI maschine. I already have a computer built from the ground up as well as my recording software, producing software, and a good amount of vsts.

And no, I'm not into the gospel side of music, but I do know some people and if you are looking to network, I can probably forward you some contact info and put you in contact with some people.
Click to expand...

yeah tax season is where I'm going to be able to purchase large purchases two kids get you some serious return here in Nebraska.. last year got about 4,200 just federal ... 2011 I should get about 6k and then I add state on top of that..... some of this is going to buy a nice dslr camera... too
 
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