Should you buy an expensive mic or mic pre? Home Studio Tour Bonus

Garry giving his humble opinion about a great mic and mic pre vs using an inexpensive one. If you have the money and are debating I think I answer lots of questions.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Mic
• preamp
• Mic preamp
• akg c414
• mackie d8b
• UA LA610 MK2
• vocal booth
• protools
• samson c15
• focusrite voicemaster
• mackie mr5
• profire lightbridge
• keystation pro 88

[timyogym]

If you had $500 to spend on a preamp what one would you buy?

[blackjesus1026]

@timyogym For $500, i would buy the focusrite isa 1or $570 for grace design m101. I prefer ua 610 but it's like $1000. It also depends on what you're recording but Im assuming you mean for vocals.

[bingodomingo]

You never got back around to talking about the Focusrite. How much better than your onboard pres is that unit?

[blackjesus1026]

@bingodomingo The focusrite pre is a 5/10. The Mackie on board pre's is a 4/10 (for recording purposes) because turn the gain to high up and you get a horrible sounding distortion. The UA is a solid 9/10 because I haven't heard all the preamps in the world... I'm sure there is one better but I haven't come across it.

[jimschulze]

This video is great. If you want some straight talk about recording, start at 7:20 and listen through to 12:37. This guy has done the work and knows what works.

[blackjesus1026]

@jimschulze thanks for the support

[TheShackStudio]

Great Video Bro. I learned a lot. I'm still learning, but having the time of my life doing it. I have the Blue Baby Bottle for my main vocal mic. I'm considering buying the ART Pro Channel or PreSonus Studio Channel. Which do you recommend? Check out some of my videos of my studio if you have time.

[Ryanincambonia]

i just bought a presonus bluetube tube preamp to try to get a better signal chain rite. but it isnt to amazing or really that much better then when i dont use it(plus it was only like 190 and i got it on sale) but for me it wouldnt make sense to buy an amazing condenser mic because more than half of my mixes our recorded through sm57s. btw i record alternative rock music. do you think i should just go buy an amazing preamp?

[ipodminisilver]

Cheers buddy, really helpful :-)

[ccole42690]

@blackjesus1026

The Onyx Pre's are over 60. Plenty of headroom. For 150$ best interface in its class.

I have the blackbird and the blackjack. I really dig the Pre's and the AD/DA converters.

Plus has an optical out.

If you don't know how to gain stage, you get bad recordings.

keep this in mind.

in analog you want to hit zero for your master.

in digital when you hit 0 its clipping. your mix in analog would not be.

try the onyx. with a recording level of -12 to -8 and see how it sound

[jawsrock1]

Finally an intelligent video with actual facts backed by experience! Good insight.

[bingodomingo]

Thanks for the info!