Re-preamping techniques..

HenriKay · 29th July 2008, 05:58 PM

Some of you gearslutz are using “re-amping” techniques when recording electric guitars. As I understand it these DI splitters let you change amps and sonics in a post-recording phase if necessary… Now, someone wrote that recording is about choice of pres and mixing about using your pres again all over. I’m not sure I fully agree to that statement but it made me think. Are there any known microphone line splitters, and/or clean pre-amps that you could use in a sort of analogy to guitar re-amping, allowing you to change just the mic pre-amp in a mix situation? For instance, let’s say that you after a test recording session decides to go with a mic and pre-amp set-up for a certain vocalist, but later when mixing mr producer regrets this decision and would like flip to a less colourful preamp… See what I’m looking for?
Any advice out there on this sort of mic "re-preamping" technique most welcomed, Thanks

danbronson · 29th July 2008, 06:06 PM

I'm not really sure what you mean. Are you just asking about a Y splitter so that you could plug your mic into two different preamps and a/b them?

You could get a passive splitter, which will cause some signal loss, or an active splitter, which will maintain signal strength but color the signal slightly since it is amplifying it. I'd go active personally.

BLUElightCory · 29th July 2008, 06:15 PM

I think you are confusing this with "RE-amping."

A re-amping device allows you to take a pre-recorded track (usually a naked DI track that was split off and recorded separately during the original guitar/bass performance) and run it back though a different signal chain at a later time if need be. The re-amping device changes the impedance and level of the recorded DI-track BACK to its original high-impedance, instrument level state, which the guitar amp/pedal/whatever is used to seeing from the guitar.

So, for example, if you recorded a guitar part with a crappy Peavey practice amp and later borrowed a Bogner, you could run DI of the original performance back into the Bogner, re-mic it, and record the original performance again with a much better guitar tone.

More details here:
Re-amp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Unfortunately, this sort of thing does NOT work with vocals. Although you COULD technically run a vocal part back through another signal chain, you'd simply be adding the characteristics of the new chain to the original recording, and you'd run a very good chance of degrading the sound quality of your recording.

danbronson · 29th July 2008, 06:24 PM

On that note, I've been meaning to try reamping drums into a guitar amp, distortion optional. I gotta get a reamp box soon!

HenriKay · 29th July 2008, 06:25 PM

Hi Cory, thanks for your input. Yes, me stupid. Of course I meant "re-amping", so I edited the thread.

Jack Ruston · 29th July 2008, 07:51 PM

So what you're saying is...can you record a mic level signal to a DAW and then send it back out to a preamp at a later stage to impose the sound of that pre onto the recording.

Well the answer is not really...because the signal would be so low that the noise floor would be unacceptable when you then re-micamp'd it.

What you CAN do is to record a signal with a very neutral pre, and then use a Line to mic converter to change the line level signal back down to mic level, adjust to a suitable impedance and then run through the mic pre back to line level. Try that.

J

joeq · 29th July 2008, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Ruston

What you CAN do is to record a signal with a very neutral pre, and then use a Line to mic converter to change the line level signal back down to mic level, adjust to a suitable impedance and then run through the mic pre back to line level. Try that.

the DW Fearn Line Pad is made for this

BTW the Fearn is a great preamp for re-preamping.

Also good for pre-reamping.

HenriKay · 29th July 2008, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeq

the DW Fearn Line Pad is made for this

BTW the Fearn is a great preamp for re-preamping.

Also good for pre-reamping.

Kool, that box looks very useful. Do you think it will work with any (decently) "clean" preamp?

84K · 29th July 2008, 10:41 PM

we have the fearn pre amp and it is a great distortion tool for vocals. I like it for that task more than anything else, which is funny considering how much it costs.

joeq · 29th July 2008, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HenriKay

Kool, that box looks very useful. Do you think it will work with any (decently) "clean" preamp?

I have used it with the Fearn, but also with a Pendulum, and a couple of cheap channel strips as well.

I can't think of any reason why it wouldn't work on any preamp- clean or not clean.

The principle of re-preamping is just getting that line level back down to mic level so you can run it around into the front of the box again. That is just electronics. The color of the first preamp and the color of the 2nd preamp is just "taste".

(Though obviously repreamping a dirty pre through a clean one will not "subtract" color. As a practical matter, for maximum flexibility, you should probably stick to using the clean preamp first, and saving the colored preamp for the "re". )

Anyway, cleanness is in the ear of the beholder. (The belistener?)

beebay007 · 30th July 2008, 01:04 AM

re-preamping? What is the world coming to? Maybe this is a joke thread. Can't you just decide on a preamp and record it?

joeq · 30th July 2008, 05:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beebay007

re-preamping? What is the world coming to? Maybe this is a joke thread. Can't you just decide on a preamp and record it?

a lot of times I am mixing stuff that I did not record.

often a track needs a little "something" from an analog insert and while I have some nice tube EQs and comps, sometimes that's too much something.

Often I run through the EQs on bypass, but re-preamping has a similar result- a bit more subtle.

I would compare it to using a saturation plug-in. (I mostly use the tube preamps) A little "something".

Jack Ruston · 30th July 2008, 09:15 AM

You could do double Neve...Get a pair of 1073's mic into one, output to Line-Mic converter, into the second to the AD.

:)

J

beebay007 · 30th July 2008, 09:45 AM

i dunno, I think its a bit dumb. I don't have any neve preamps though..

BLUElightCory · 30th July 2008, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beebay007

i dunno, I think its a bit dumb. I don't have any neve preamps though..

That's what I thought until I ended up mixing a record through a pair of Chandler Germanium preamps. Sometimes it just works.

HenriKay · 1st September 2008, 10:49 PM

Thank you very much for your input, guys! Excellent advice I must say. I'm surprised this is not part of a common everyday workflow.. This is flexibility.

29th July 2008, 05:58 PM	#1
HenriKay Gear interested Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Stockholm, SE Posts: 18	Re-preamping techniques.. Some of you gearslutz are using “re-amping” techniques when recording electric guitars. As I understand it these DI splitters let you change amps and sonics in a post-recording phase if necessary… Now, someone wrote that recording is about choice of pres and mixing about using your pres again all over. I’m not sure I fully agree to that statement but it made me think. Are there any known microphone line splitters, and/or clean pre-amps that you could use in a sort of analogy to guitar re-amping, allowing you to change just the mic pre-amp in a mix situation? For instance, let’s say that you after a test recording session decides to go with a mic and pre-amp set-up for a certain vocalist, but later when mixing mr producer regrets this decision and would like flip to a less colourful preamp… See what I’m looking for? Any advice out there on this sort of mic "re-preamping" technique most welcomed, Thanks

29th July 2008, 06:15 PM	#3
BLUElightCory Lives for gear Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,314	I think you are confusing this with "RE-amping." A re-amping device allows you to take a pre-recorded track (usually a naked DI track that was split off and recorded separately during the original guitar/bass performance) and run it back though a different signal chain at a later time if need be. The re-amping device changes the impedance and level of the recorded DI-track BACK to its original high-impedance, instrument level state, which the guitar amp/pedal/whatever is used to seeing from the guitar. So, for example, if you recorded a guitar part with a crappy Peavey practice amp and later borrowed a Bogner, you could run DI of the original performance back into the Bogner, re-mic it, and record the original performance again with a much better guitar tone. More details here: Re-amp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Unfortunately, this sort of thing does NOT work with vocals. Although you COULD technically run a vocal part back through another signal chain, you'd simply be adding the characteristics of the new chain to the original recording, and you'd run a very good chance of degrading the sound quality of your recording. __________________ Cory Spotts / BLUElight Audio\|Media bluelightaudio@cox.net http://www.myspace.com/bluelightaudiomedia

1st September 2008, 10:49 PM	#16
HenriKay Gear interested Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Stockholm, SE Posts: 18	Excellent Thank you very much for your input, guys! Excellent advice I must say. I'm surprised this is not part of a common everyday workflow.. This is flexibility.

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29th July 2008, 06:06 PM	#2
danbronson Lives for gear Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Calgary, Alberta Posts: 814	I'm not really sure what you mean. Are you just asking about a Y splitter so that you could plug your mic into two different preamps and a/b them? You could get a passive splitter, which will cause some signal loss, or an active splitter, which will maintain signal strength but color the signal slightly since it is amplifying it. I'd go active personally.

29th July 2008, 06:24 PM	#4
danbronson Lives for gear Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Calgary, Alberta Posts: 814	On that note, I've been meaning to try reamping drums into a guitar amp, distortion optional. I gotta get a reamp box soon!

29th July 2008, 06:25 PM	#5
HenriKay Gear interested Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Stockholm, SE Posts: 18	Hi Cory, thanks for your input. Yes, me stupid. Of course I meant "re-amping", so I edited the thread.

29th July 2008, 07:51 PM	#6
Jack Ruston Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Wimbledon Posts: 905	So what you're saying is...can you record a mic level signal to a DAW and then send it back out to a preamp at a later stage to impose the sound of that pre onto the recording. Well the answer is not really...because the signal would be so low that the noise floor would be unacceptable when you then re-micamp'd it. What you CAN do is to record a signal with a very neutral pre, and then use a Line to mic converter to change the line level signal back down to mic level, adjust to a suitable impedance and then run through the mic pre back to line level. Try that. J

29th July 2008, 10:41 PM	#9
84K Lives for gear Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: right coast Posts: 3,859	we have the fearn pre amp and it is a great distortion tool for vocals. I like it for that task more than anything else, which is funny considering how much it costs.

30th July 2008, 01:04 AM	#11
beebay007 Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: somewhere in Australia Posts: 629	re-preamping? What is the world coming to? Maybe this is a joke thread. Can't you just decide on a preamp and record it?

30th July 2008, 09:15 AM	#13
Jack Ruston Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Wimbledon Posts: 905	You could do double Neve...Get a pair of 1073's mic into one, output to Line-Mic converter, into the second to the AD. :) J

30th July 2008, 09:45 AM	#14
beebay007 Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: somewhere in Australia Posts: 629	i dunno, I think its a bit dumb. I don't have any neve preamps though..