replacing an m-audio mobile pre.

[doulos30]

I was told...

you were lied to

[nomad9]

Originally Posted by doulos30

you were lied to

Can you please elaborate? Is it not a good setup? Is it atleast better then my m-audio usb mobilepre 1st gen?

[CPhoenix]

Originally Posted by nomad9

will i hear a better sounding recording with this setup? Im using a sterling st77

my budget is 150 (i know im broke)

In a word.... no.

You're essentially switching a low budget setup with a low budget setup of the same quality. I wouldn't expect you to hear much difference. MAYBE if you switch the tube in the Art Tube with a higher quality one. There are people who really like the sound of ghe Art when it's been upgraded.... but for all intensive purposes, it won't sound much better.

In regards to preamps... you'll only really get that "ah-ha" moment when you know your mic clear sounds better when you get into the $500 range. All you can do w/ your $150 budget is get a better overall interface.

I'm familiar withthe MobilePre... I had one (unfortunately lol). Yes... the interface does suck. You don't really notice it unless you've compared it to a clearly better one. The biggest downside to it was the drivers on my system. Lots of pops and clicks when working with sizeable projects. Maybe a strong computer will help this.. since mine was only a single core 1.4Ghz celeron M. But on that same system... an MAudio Firewire 410 gave better performance. (Side note: fast forward and my Echo Audiofire4 poops on the FW410).


If I were in this $150 price range.... I would be looking at a Focusrite Scarlit 2i2. It's right at your budget. Should have better drivers and much better preamps. You should notice a good overall improvement.

[nomad9]

Originally Posted by CPhoenix

In a word.... no.

You're essentially switching a low budget setup with a low budget setup of the same quality. I wouldn't expect you to hear much difference. MAYBE if you switch the tube in the Art Tube with a higher quality one. There are people who really like the sound of ghe Art when it's been upgraded.... but for all intensive purposes, it won't sound much better.

In regards to preamps... you'll only really get that "ah-ha" moment when you know your mic clear sounds better when you get into the $500 range. All you can do w/ your $150 budget is get a better overall interface.

I'm familiar withthe MobilePre... I had one (unfortunately lol). Yes... the interface does suck. You don't really notice it unless you've compared it to a clearly better one. The biggest downside to it was the drivers on my system. Lots of pops and clicks when working with sizeable projects. Maybe a strong computer will help this.. since mine was only a single core 1.4Ghz celeron M. But on that same system... an MAudio Firewire 410 gave better performance. (Side note: fast forward and my Echo Audiofire4 poops on the FW410).


If I were in this $150 price range.... I would be looking at a Focusrite Scarlit 2i2. It's right at your budget. Should have better drivers and much better preamps. You should notice a good overall improvement.

Thanks for the feedback.''
The guy at guitar center said that the reason the usb preamps arent as good is because they have to force fit a usb interface AND a preamp in the same box , and that if i got them seperately its better because its one item made for that specific purpose or something like that... It made since in theory ... but from my experience guitar center workers usually only know about as much, or less then me, but think they know everything.

[alexevans917]

Originally Posted by nomad9

Thanks for the feedback.''
The guy at guitar center said that the reason the usb preamps arent as good is because they have to force fit a usb interface AND a preamp in the same box , and that if i got them seperately its better because its one item made for that specific purpose or something like that... It made since in theory ... but from my experience guitar center workers usually only know about as much, or less then me, but think they know everything.

I mean to some extent what he's saying is true. In a high end studio you would have separate converters and pres, but at your budget, self contained options are by far your best bet.

[Bater]

I can tell you, as one with experience with the mobile pre, that you will get much better results using an external preamp. I was amazed at the difference I saw when I used an external pre plugged into the mobile pre. Unfortunately I had a new interface by the time I tried the external pre with the mobile pre. The mobile pre isnt a terrible box. From what I can remember it had solid drivers and the line in sounded good either from a guitar or from an external pre. It was just the onboard pres that sucked the life out of everything. Like you I decided to go with the Tube MP as my first outboard pre. I would not suggest that option for you though. If you have $150 to spend on a pre I would suggest a Studio Projects VTB1 which could be had for under $100 used the last time I looked, but actually my first suggestion would be a DMP3. I havent used the DMP3, but there are enough good reviews to make it worth putting on the short list.

[nomad9]

Originally Posted by Bater

I can tell you, as one with experience with the mobile pre, that you will get much better results using an external preamp. I was amazed at the difference I saw when I used an external pre plugged into the mobile pre. Unfortunately I had a new interface by the time I tried the external pre with the mobile pre. The mobile pre isnt a terrible box. From what I can remember it had solid drivers and the line in sounded good either from a guitar or from an external pre. It was just the onboard pres that sucked the life out of everything. Like you I decided to go with the Tube MP as my first outboard pre. I would not suggest that option for you though. If you have $150 to spend on a pre I would suggest a Studio Projects VTB1 which could be had for under $100 used the last time I looked, but actually my first suggestion would be a DMP3. I havent used the DMP3, but there are enough good reviews to make it worth putting on the short list.

How do you hook up an external preamp to the mobilepre? i was told the line in on the mobilepre was garbage and that i needed something that connected by somethin other then a 1/8th headphone jack.... thats the only way i can think of too hook it up to the pre.

[mequaz]

yea the focusrite 2i2 is your best bet. i have a warm audio pre and i love it. and yea u wont see a diff in pres untill u spend at least 300. The GAP 73 is great as well. The pres in some of the newer usb interfaces actually are not bad. i recorded an entire mixtape with no pre, so im speaking from experience.

[doulos30]

u wont see a diff in pres untill u spend at least 300. The GAP 73 is great as well. The pres in some of the newer usb interfaces actually are not bad. i recorded an entire mixtape with no pre, so im speaking from experience.

Good God what garbage price does not and never will = quality of preamp design. A preamp doesn't know if it cost 10 bucks or 1,000 the topology dictates how it will sound.

by your own thought process a trident s20 should sound amazing cause it cost 1,000 but the preamp it self is only about 5 bucks in parts the rest is all hype marketing and general fluff.

more and more gearlsutz ignornce is spewing the same exact garbage. We as an industry are getting just as bad as the audiophile fools.

you can measure the output of your interface I measured a focusrite scarlett 2i2 and the output of the line signal is flat from 20hz to 20khz by +/-0.3db a flat line thd was pretty low and noise floor was around -120db from 20hz up. 10hz an lower had a larger bump around -98db but thats normal for the topology.

go find a rane ms b1 they cost about $100- 120 on ebay new it's a that1512 design that is hard to beat as a general clean pre

[mequaz]

Originally Posted by doulos30

Good God what garbage price does not and never will = quality of preamp design. A preamp doesn't know if it cost 10 bucks or 1,000 the topology dictates how it will sound.

by your own thought process a trident s20 should sound amazing cause it cost 1,000 but the preamp it self is only about 5 bucks in parts the rest is all hype marketing and general fluff.

more and more gearlsutz ignornce is spewing the same exact garbage. We as an industry are getting just as bad as the audiophile fools.

you can measure the output of your interface I measured a focusrite scarlett 2i2 and the output of the line signal is flat from 20hz to 20khz by +/-0.3db a flat line thd was pretty low and noise floor was around -120db from 20hz up. 10hz an lower had a larger bump around -98db but thats normal for the topology.

go find a rane ms b1 they cost about $100- 120 on ebay new it's a that1512 design that is hard to beat as a general clean pre

yea a rane ms b1 sounds no better than the pre in some of the newer interfaces. Pre's dont know price true, but there is a threshold of quality vs a price coraltion. I have tried the rane when i first got into recording. Def worth saving your money and getting something that will actually be a step up........not a step sideways. ITs not bad but when you buy a pre you expect to hear a diff. May not be huge but everyone expects to hear a diff. But hey what do i know? Ignorance right? LOL! comon dude the OP was asking about replacing a interface not measuring the output of the line signal. Recording into the interface with the levels set properly will be just fine. Assuming the room is somewhat treated, and that he is using a decent mic he should get decent and very usable results. Save the 100 bucks on a rane. Youll eventually buy something else after that. I say dont buy twice. BIggest think i learned in this world of gear lust. Start basic, learn how to make great sounding recording on basic equipment then step up the gear. Perhaps you should give an opinon, not insult those who clearly know. I currently own the Warm Audio WA12 but i recorded with a whole mixtape with the pre in my interface.

[mrsound]

The Focusrite 2i4 is announced today, and the iTrack Solo also. Maybe the put the 2i2 to lower pricing, then they're dominating the low range i think.

[nomad9]

thanks for the feedback everone. one more question...

Is this a good interface to hook up the preamp to my pc: http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UCA2...usb+sound+card ?

or do i need something more expensive?

[CPhoenix]

I thought we already answered.. its a sidegrade.. if not a downgrade

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