Pre-Amps Rec's for Instruments and Mics?

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akpasta
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Pre-Amps Rec's for Instruments and Mics?

Post by akpasta » Thu Apr 25, 2019 11:19 am

Looking for a good, reasonably priced, all-purpose pre-amp that will add some warmth to direct guitars, and other instruments as well as vocals. Will need XLR and 1/4" inputs

I plan to use it with analog gear, like a tascam 388, as well as digital, as I like to dump the analog to digital and do some final overdubs.

Thank you!

Currently there's one of these at my practice space - https://www.amazon.com/d/Microphone-Pre ... B00VPIA9UW , But it has no power supply :-( and I'm not sure what kind of replacement is needed.
Last edited by akpasta on Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Pre-Amps Rec's for Instruments and Mics?

Post by joninc » Thu Apr 25, 2019 11:52 am

Hard to know what you consider "reasonably priced" but for warm I love the UA solo 610 - a GREAT DI for bass, guitars, keys and a very rich and velvety pre for mics. I use this a lot on vocals too. Can be found used for $500 - $600 used.

BTW power supply for Golden Age is cheap: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... r_PRE.html

I'm sure that's a decent pre as well - a few buds of mine have those. There's some mods for them too if you decide you want something more hifi.
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Re: Pre-Amps Rec's for Instruments and Mics?

Post by akpasta » Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:14 pm

joninc wrote:
Thu Apr 25, 2019 11:52 am
Hard to know what you consider "reasonably priced" but for warm I love the UA solo 610 - a GREAT DI for bass, guitars, keys and a very rich and velvety pre for mics. I use this a lot on vocals too. Can be found used for $500 - $600 used.

BTW power supply for Golden Age is cheap: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... r_PRE.html

I'm sure that's a decent pre as well - a few buds of mine have those. There's some mods for them too if you decide you want something more hifi.
Hello! I'm looking for something under $200.

Also it's this one that's at my practice space, the Jr, not the MKii https://www.amazon.com/d/Microphone-Pre ... B00VPIA9UW

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Re: Pre-Amps Rec's for Instruments and Mics?

Post by permanent hearing damage » Thu Apr 25, 2019 1:54 pm

only thing i can think of worth a damn at that price point would be the electro harmonix 12AY7 pre. there are two on reverb now for $200 or less. just don't use the 1/4" output.

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Re: Pre-Amps Rec's for Instruments and Mics?

Post by Nick Sevilla » Thu Apr 25, 2019 6:01 pm

akpasta wrote:
Thu Apr 25, 2019 11:19 am
...that will add some warmth...
Well, this is just distortion. At under $200, you could buy an EHX 12AY7, but methinks this could be too much distortion.

Instead, try having something multipurpose, CLEAN sounding, and add the distortion at the source (electric guitars have been known
to be paired with "stomp boxes" of many kinds, even DId, and VST capable DAWs have cheap or free plug ins.)

I'd recommend getting a cheap small 2 mic preamp mixer, Mackie or other. This one is right above your 200 budget, but is more. And you always need more channels, trust me.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... nd-effects
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Re: Pre-Amps Rec's for Instruments and Mics?

Post by Dubmaniac » Thu Apr 25, 2019 9:32 pm

I got lucky a while back and found a Presonus M80 8 channel mic pre for $160. There are two versions of it- one with Jensen transformers and one with stock transformers. The Jensens are supposed to sound better, but they add a lot to the cost. Mine is the one with the stock transformers, and I'm okay with that. I'm running drum mics into it, then it goes into my Tascam US-2000 audio interface, then into my PC. It gives me an additional 8 channels of mic pre's, which means I can record an entire band at once, and I do. It sounds great. If you can find one, go for it. You won't be sorry. BE SURE to get the power supply with it, because it's very proprietary and won't be cheap. Good luck!
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Re: Pre-Amps Rec's for Instruments and Mics?

Post by eh91311 » Sat Apr 27, 2019 1:31 am

akpasta wrote:
Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:14 pm
joninc wrote:
Thu Apr 25, 2019 11:52 am
Hard to know what you consider "reasonably priced" but for warm I love the UA solo 610 - a GREAT DI for bass, guitars, keys and a very rich and velvety pre for mics. I use this a lot on vocals too. Can be found used for $500 - $600 used.

BTW power supply for Golden Age is cheap: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... r_PRE.html

I'm sure that's a decent pre as well - a few buds of mine have those. There's some mods for them too if you decide you want something more hifi.
Hello! I'm looking for something under $200.

Also it's this one that's at my practice space, the Jr, not the MKii https://www.amazon.com/d/Microphone-Pre ... B00VPIA9UW
Your best bet is to buy the replacement power supply for the Pre73 Jr & try it. This 24V AC power supply is universal for basically all of the Golden Age gear. Zenproaudio.com also has the replacement power supply as well.

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Re: Pre-Amps Rec's for Instruments and Mics?

Post by markjazzbassist » Sat Apr 27, 2019 9:24 am

Shure M67 gives vintage warmth and wool. 25-50 bucks on ebay. buy an xlr cable to chop up to make the pigtail for the Line Out. Use the rest of the 200 to buy a DI to go into the SHure. I love my M67's.

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Re: Pre-Amps Rec's for Instruments and Mics?

Post by vvv » Sat Apr 27, 2019 10:21 am

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But go about US$300 and you might could find a totally respectable Eureka.
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Re: Pre-Amps Rec's for Instruments and Mics?

Post by I'm Painting Again » Sat Apr 27, 2019 11:20 am

when I record to machines like 388 or a3440 etc. - I'd usually want the opposite pre of warm/slow/syrupy

something fast and snappy in the API style is my favorite as it compliments the characteristics of the format providing a good balance

to digital is another story then I might reach for warm/slow/syrupy and use a ribbon mic

my fav DI for guitar is a Neve channel strip but obvi $$ a used JHS Colourbox pedal gets a similar tone for cheaper

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Re: Pre-Amps Rec's for Instruments and Mics?

Post by kslight » Sat Apr 27, 2019 11:53 am

I'm Painting Again wrote:
Sat Apr 27, 2019 11:20 am
when I record to machines like 388 or a3440 etc. - I'd usually want the opposite pre of warm/slow/syrupy

something fast and snappy in the API style is my favorite as it compliments the characteristics of the format providing a good balance

to digital is another story then I might reach for warm/slow/syrupy and use a ribbon mic

my fav DI for guitar is a Neve channel strip but obvi $$ a used JHS Colourbox pedal gets a similar tone for cheaper
This is exactly my thoughts...going to 388 I really wouldn't concern myself with a warm/slurry/whatever pre, too much of a good thing and all that.

I have some "junk" pres I use into the 388 (when I need phantom power) which do a decent job of not bringing in any undesired character. I have a Roland MMP-2 (which also serves as a functional and compact 2 channel strip...) that I picked up for maybe $50, and I have an ART ""Auto Tune" Version of their tube mp...lol... I don't really recommend the ART, but it works. The Roland is a good value on the cheap. I don't know how well the mic modeling works...but I just disable it. I do use the pre, EQ, comp, gate...

For higher end stuff API and Chandler into 388 is NOICE...I've had good results with this.

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Re: Pre-Amps Rec's for Instruments and Mics?

Post by I'm Painting Again » Sat Apr 27, 2019 12:49 pm

mhmm

detail and preserving transients type pres and mics is what will be most versatile being that you can always eq and shave off the transients if it's too much

that said - no rules - if you get a dope sound with a warm/slow/syrupy pre to a budget 1/4" - great - have a ball

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