digi 003 digimax fs at4050 professional quality sound?

[Enzo Polotso]

Do you need 8 more preamp channels? I like 4050 a lot, and you can definitely get great results, but if you don't need 8 channels, you can get something like a UA Solo or Grace 101 preamp, depending on your flavor.

[jbuehler]

Don't waste money on an 8pre box unless you need every one.

An 8 pre box for 800$ is 100$ per pre.

If you spend 800$ on a single pre it would sound fantastic.

The stock pres in the 003 are good for a lot of things so don't forget about them if recording with an SM57 on guitar amp or something.

Like you found out though, they aren't so hot on vocals.

I would get something with tubes and a compressor. Most people like their vocals once they get something like that.

[blazinbk]

i agree on that i should probably buy a UA solo or so but the only thing is i can the the digimax for only 300 bucks and the at4050 for 275 am i wasting my mony on the digimax? anyone have any experience with these?

[Spookym15]

The Pre's are not awful on it. On the Digimax FS the word clock is actually pretty good. You will notice an overall sound quality improvement if you let the Digimax clock the 003. At-least it worked with my 002. The pre's on them sound clean, they get pretty gritty when you get near to pushing them. I got mine pretty cheap and I use it as a clock. I dont use the pre's really ever unless it is Idea time and I dont care how something sounds.

[psycho_monkey]

Originally Posted by blazinbk

digi 003 digimax fs pre amp to at4050 or trion 8000 professional quality sound?
Is this a good enough setup to get professional sounding vocals? Right now i have 003 and am not very pleased with stock pre amp with it...i also have a at3060 which seems very brittle and harsh at times i also have a tubepre from presonus which i actually think i like better then the stock pre on the 003...i'm looking to buy new equipment that will eventually sound very professional...i was looking into getting a neumann tlm 103 mic for the price of the digimax fs pre amp and at4050 mic put together....only thing is i do'nt think i would have enough money to get a decent pre amp if i get the tlm 103 which do you think will get me better results? any thoughts or help??

If you can't get a good sound from the 003, it's likely to be technique/source sound rather than the pres themselves. They're not estoric or anything, but certainly useable.

I've recorded things on my 002 which have been on released albums - as have many many others. A "professional" sound is largely down to the engineer - even the shonkiest gear has a sound, which can be used to get good results.

The 103 isn't the best value for money at all. Yes it's Neumann....but it's not an 87 by any stretch of the imagination, and has been responsible for some of the worst vocal sounds I've personally ever heard (again though - that could have been down to the engineer!). There are much better choices for the money. AT is a good choice - their mics are good value for money, but if you're not happy with the sound of the one you own (I think they are quite bright) I'd make sure you try before you buy. Oktava make some great mics for the price - I bought one of their cheapest condensers on a whim, and it sounds great - and can be modded too, which apparently improves the sound further.

I can't recommend a preamp in your price range, but again it's wise to try before you buy if you can. In these days of 24bit recording, I'd be more inclined to buy a stand-alone pre rather than a channel strip - you'll get a better quality pre for your money, and you can add a good quality compressor when you have the cash.