Hi there!

I am currently recording myself in my "home studio" and am interested
in upgrading my pre-amps. Currently, my sound chain is:
bass/guitar/synth/vocals - AT 4040 - Mackie 1202 VLZ PRO - Echo Mia
- Cubase SX. I have read a bit on here about how the Mackie pres
aren't that good, so I am considering upgrading my preamps. So my
question is: where do I go from here? Is there anything price-wise
between the pres on my mixer and a $400+ RNP? I have see a lot of
comments on this group talking about how the $100/pre pres aren't any
better than the ones on my Mackie. Is there anything worthwhile in
that range, or should I save up for an RNP?

PS- if I do save up the $500 for an RNP, is that what I should get?

PSS- are my pres even the weak point in my signal chain right now? Or
should I be worried more about the sound card or mic?

Thanks!

~j

wrote:

I am currently recording myself in my "home studio" and am interested
in upgrading my pre-amps. Currently, my sound chain is:
bass/guitar/synth/vocals - AT 4040 - Mackie 1202 VLZ PRO - Echo Mia
- Cubase SX. I have read a bit on here about how the Mackie pres
aren't that good, so I am considering upgrading my preamps. So my
question is: where do I go from here? Is there anything price-wise
between the pres on my mixer and a $400+ RNP? I have see a lot of
comments on this group talking about how the $100/pre pres aren't any
better than the ones on my Mackie. Is there anything worthwhile in
that range, or should I save up for an RNP?

If you're going upwardly, go far enough to make a difference. The RNP
suits that very well, though practically speaking, it might not make the
difference you're looking for.

PS- if I do save up the $500 for an RNP, is that what I should get?

PSS- are my pres even the weak point in my signal chain right now? Or
should I be worried more about the sound card or mic?

Hard to tell without hearing your stuff. The best thing to worry about
is the music because when it's all said and done, that's what people
listen to, or don't listen to. What do you feel is lacking in your
current rig? What problems do you find with what you're recording with
your present setup?

--
hank alrich * secret mountain
audio recording * music production * sound reinforcement
"If laughter is the best medicine let's take a double dose"

In article writes:

PSS- are my pres even the weak point in my signal chain right now? Or
should I be worried more about the sound card or mic?

That's really the most important question. Why do you think that
hardware might be the weak point at all? What's weak? What do you hope
to improve by getting new preamps, or mics, or a sound card? How's
your room? How's your engineering chops?

Sure there are better preamps than the Mackie, and the RNP may in
certain cases be one of them. But I doubt that it, or any other
preamp, will be the magic bullet that makes your projects suddenly
come alive. Or maybe it will be. Why don't you borrow one (not
necessarily an RNP, just anything you can borrow, rent, or buy and
return if you're not amazed) and try it?



--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )

wrote in message
om
Hi there!

I am currently recording myself in my "home studio" and am interested
in upgrading my pre-amps. Currently, my sound chain is:
bass/guitar/synth/vocals - AT 4040 - Mackie 1202 VLZ PRO - Echo Mia
- Cubase SX.

Let's go down the list of upgrades that would likely make a bigger
difference than upgrading the mic preamp you are currently using:

(1) The acoustics of the room you record in.
(2) Such eq and compression as you might chose to apply before or after
recording
(3) The mic you record with.
(4) Your singing technique.

I have read a bit on here about how the Mackie pres
aren't that good, so I am considering upgrading my preamps.

One of the known weaknesses of Mackie mic preamps relates to use with
microphones with really low output, like a SM57 being used to mic an
acoustic guitar. The AT 4040 has relatively high output.

Another area of possible sonic differences related to Mackie mic preamps
relates to how they load the transformers in some microphones. The AT 4040
is transformerless.

So my question is: where do I go from here?

You might first want to exhaust the list of items 1-4 posted above.

BTW, your sound card is fine.

This post does kinda beg the question as to whether or not there are more
microphones that cost less than the mic preamps they drive or vice-versa.

wrote in message
om...

PSS- are my pres even the weak point in my signal chain right now? Or
should I be worried more about the sound card or mic?


There has been discussion about whether or not the mic pres on the VLZ-Pros
are really as good sounding as multi-thousand dollar separates, or not. But
I've never heard them generically called 'weak'. They are not at their
best on very low out mics that need a particular impedence input (like the
SM57), but are still better than many others on that mic !

I'd be more worried about the music.

geoff