SomeAudioGuy - Mini Review of the FMR Audio RNP8380 Microphone Preamp

Recording engineers will fight constantly over which preamps are their faves, and FMR Audio isn't making the debate any easier with their RNP8380.

Is the "Really Nice Preamp" on your list of mid-range preamps?

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• recording
• audio
• voice over
• review
• equipment
• preamp
• microphone
• SomeAudioGuy

[san5a89]

can you distort the signal with this one?

[SomeAudioGuy]

@san5a89 Well you can crank it too loud, but I find distortion like that to be unpleasant. You're better off with some other method of hardware distort or doing it in post.

[san5a89]

@SomeAudioGuy well I know Mattew Bellamy(The Muse) distorts his voice with a valve preamp...the very very expensive avalon! Do you think I can get that kind of present voice and distorted with a preamp like that?

[SomeAudioGuy]

@san5a89 AH! I see what you mean. Well if you want that "warmed" sound with a solid state preamp like this or the Grace M101, then you'd probably want to use a really good tube mic to generate some of that harmonic distortion we find so pleasant. Either way it'll take a little $ to get that exact sound...

[san5a89]

@SomeAudioGuy So you say the whole circuit needs a valve to get a boost and present voice..It's so weird you can't get that sound with a solid state equipment...Very good guitar solid state amps are as nice as the valvestate ones..

[SomeAudioGuy]

@san5a89 Well I wouldn't say "needs". I don't appreciate an overly warmed sound at point of recording. Depending on what I'm producing, if a voice is overly effected, it can make it really difficult for me to add to a mix. I prefer a full, present, accurate sound, and if I want to "dirty" it in post, I can.

One thing to like about solid state pres, they get out of the way of the mic. Want a "valve" sound? Get a tube mic. An Avalon is a clean pre, but will ALWAYS have a tube sound.

[peterjordan12]

utterly useless video, all you said can be found in any instruction manual, on youtube it would be nice to hear what it actually sounds like.

[jomokariuki]

@san5a89 Valve equipment when overdriven produce even harmonics, which sound 'good'.

Solid State equipment when overdriven produce odd harmonics, which sound terrible..

And you are better off producing the sound you want post tracking than during tracking because you would then be stuck with an 'effected' sound which you will probably want to mess with at some point, or might not like anymore, but can't because it was recorded with that effect already on it..

[san5a89]

@SomeAudioGuy Oh I see..Well I'll try it! But there is an other preamp that I can add it to the list of my possible cheap equipment. It's the Behringer Mic100. An unbelieveble cheap preamp! 30 bucks for a TUBE preamp! I can't believe it..Do you think a pre like that can give me the beautiful present chunchy voice I need?

(I'm looking for a warmed sound also because it allows you to "compress" the signal in some kinda way..you know I'd need a preamp/compressor but they are toooo muuch expensive!)

[SomeAudioGuy]

@YourADrag Psssst... I just bought a second for the exact same reason...

[SomeAudioGuy]

@san5a89 That's right. It's JUST for signal boosting. I'm one of those engineers that likes to separate my outboard gear. Compressor, Limiter, EQ, distortion, reverb, preamp, I like to keep them all in individual boxes. :-)