Quote:
|
Originally Posted by brownmouse in that budget i would look at the fmr audio rnp. i would personally skip the art and focusrite stuff. as far as tube vs. solid state... don't buy the 'type' , buy a preamp that is quality (no matter whats under the hood). there are excellent tube designs and excellent solid state designs and there are a plethora of crappy ones in both camps.
good luck,
joshua |
Agreed. When I started recording ~15 years ago, I just used the pres in my Tascam board, then a Mackie board after that. Of course they weren't great, but they did what I needed for my purposes. I learned, then gear lust set in.
For the sake of variety, I branched out and tried various low-end gear, including ART and Focusrite among others. Let me say this:
1) ART DualMP -- a cheap, dark pre that can be fun in limited doses when driven lightly, but it makes an *excellent* stereo DI / flavor box for sterile synths, loops, etc. Buy a cheap used one for fun, but don't buy one for a pre-amp.
2) Focurite VoiceMaster Pro -- ok, here's the thing on this one: I don't particularly like the sound of the pre (kind of boxy and unexciting), but the rest of the box is great fun (save the EQ that's merely OK). Truthfully, I often use another pre, then patch into the Focusrite for the compressor, simluated tube drive circuit, harmonic circuit and de-esser. Honestly, the Focusrite is like my secret weapon for recording electric guitar! It's a truly creative sound sculpting box, but please don't buy it for the pre alone.
About a year ago, I wanted a good middle of the road pre-amp that A) wouldn't cost me an arm and a leg, B) didn't lean too much toward any specific flavor and c) that was good enough that I wouldn't blame my crappy pre-amp for a bad recording. I picked up an RNP and I've been very pleased. The metering is lacking and the input can only be adjusted in 6dB steps, but the sound quality is fantastic and the value is off the charts. I really never understood the appeal of an SM57 until I plugged it into the RNP. I also use it with an AT4047 and I think they make a great match. The 4047 provides the character and the RNP provides smooth, clean gain with great openness.
As others have mentioned on other threads, you can really hear the difference between cheaper pres and better pres as the track count grows. When I recorded a tune with 5 or 6 tracks of vocal harmonies usign the RNP, I was really pleased with the clarity and definition that remained even with a dense set of vocals. Layering didn't result in mud like it did when I used to track on the Mackie.
Unless you really care about asthetics or want a bragging piece, don't discount the RNP for less than $250/channel. It's not pretty, but it gets the job done and you probably won't grow out of it even when you add other more expensive gear.
-Synth80s