Re: Microphone preamp advice

jon.mithe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <jon.mithe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Aug 14, 4:15 pm, walki...@xxxxxx (hank alrich) wrote:
jon.mi...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <jon.mi...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi,

I'm a home hobbiest guitarist that for the past few years has been get
interested in studio engineering / home recording, posted here a
couple times over the years and its been a great help. But I'm stuck
again!

Due to my circumstances (apartment) I record direct from the amp head
speaker out using a Radial JDX and a THD hotplate to act as a load ->
can record my amp silently (well, get the best approximation to it
without speaker / mic / noise). I take that mic level signal the JDX
produces and stick into a Behringer tube ultragain preamp and the
output of that into my Echo audio Layla 3G soundcard.

The behringer is a nice unit, especially for the price, however, I'm
having a problem with the output levels since I bought the Layla 3G.

The layla 3G has db modifers for the channel -10db and +4db I think.
One is very quite and I presume is the more professional standard /
level, the other one seems to take the signal it gets and amp it up a
bit to the correct level.

Problem is the proper level is just too quite, if I adjust the gain up
on my behringer it starts to clip / distort / hit a ceiling and my VU
meter in the echo console get just over half way.

If I put the ~4db switch on I think it is (cant remeber which way
round it was) I get more noise and my preamp overloads the soundcard
when its set on a normal level. So what I have to do is turn the
gain down on my preamp, so that its peaks at ~1/2 way on the preamp vu
meter but then the soundcard levels are spot on (The extra noise is
partly I think the noise of my amp which is unaudible on the -10db
setting suddenly becomes audible).

I dont know much about this, but the proper setting is obviously not
usable as its too quite and if I add gain in my DAW I might get it
loud enough but to my understanding the sound will loose alot of its
dynamics (the sound levels I record is slashed in half) and noise
becomes an issue as the signal volume : noise volume ratio is worse.
If I use the +4db switch, I'm introducing a second pre amp stage which
will add noise, amplify existing noise and is also like above
effectively going to squash my dynamics and make noise more
prevalent. Also, I image my/any preamp will have a "sweet spot", and
its going to be towards 3/4->full vu / normal recording level, not
half way.

Can anyone help me know if this makes sense? I'm thinking the
solution is to buy a better pre amp, one that can hit the full /
normal level of the sound card without the db boost / amp step. Which
is alright, I kind of wanted to upgrade my preamp because its almost
an entry level preamp and is the cheapest link in my setup, which I'm
guessing is bad, because it seems to be doing a very important job.
Does that sound good? Dont really want to start asking for advice on
what thing to buy etc becuase I realise thats annoying, but I was
thinking of just getting a good quality mid level 1 or 2 channel
preamp. I dont know how much these things cost, but I'm expecting
something in the £500 region - probably no point in spending more?

Thanks for any help, I find its always helpful to get advice from
people before speaking to sales people.
Jon.

Two routes here: accept that leaving a lot of headroom going into a 24
bit system really strikes no sonic compromise given the SNR of the
source.

Or buy an RNP (Really Nice Preamp) from FMR Audio, which will fit both
your budget and your present and fufure needs, even if you eventually
need something upscale from there. The RNP will remain a useful part of
your kit.

--
ha
shut up and play your guitar

Ah, glad you brought that up, that was one of the ones that caught my
eye (2 channels and simple). It leads onto a question I was going to
ask sometime, and that's about compressors. I was thinking about
buying a rack compressor to sit somewhere before my soundcard, but I
suppose recording with a little more headroom and compressing in the
DAW may be more versatile (i.e. record with too much compression =
fail). Hmmm, need to think about this one some more, but basically I
read the RNP pairs with the real nice compressor (RNC) quite well.

Thanks for the help :)

The RNC and RNP go together like peanut butter and jelly. using the RNC
via the RNP's inserts allows precise outlevel control ia the RNC instead
of only the 6dB increments of the swtiched input sensitivty control for
the RNP.

It's a silly good combination, and nto only for what it costs.

--
ha
shut up and play your guitar
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Microphone preamp advice
    ... Due to my circumstances I record direct from the amp head ... without speaker / mic / noise). ... round it was) I get more noise and my preamp overloads the soundcard ... loud enough but to my understanding the sound will loose alot of its ...
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  • Microphone preamp advice
    ... Due to my circumstances I record direct from the amp head ... without speaker / mic / noise). ... round it was) I get more noise and my preamp overloads the soundcard ... loud enough but to my understanding the sound will loose alot of its ...
    (rec.audio.pro)
  • Re: Microphone preamp advice
    ... can record my amp silently (well, get the best approximation to it ... without speaker / mic / noise). ... round it was) I get more noise and my preamp overloads the soundcard ... read the  RNP pairs with the real nice compressor quite well. ...
    (rec.audio.pro)
  • Re: Microphone preamp advice
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    ... defeating the purpose of using a compressor. ... If the amp or preamp doesn't ... between the guitar and the preamp. ... If you have your bass guitar volume control wide open, ...
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