[Martin Haverland]

muzician21 schrieb:
If you were to side by side compare an expensive mic pre with my
Studio Projects VTB-1 - a generally well regarded budget pre - using
a decent mic that would plug in to either, what differences would you
expect to hear? I'm not unhappy with the results I get but I've never
used a high-end pre. Are there any such examples online where once can
hear a comparison of budget gear vs pro gear?

Thanks.

Well, it de4pends...
Lets think of it like a guitar amp - it is all about what sound you
expect to get and what you feed in.
A pretty clear and usable micpre can be made of essentially one
integrated IC like SSM2019 / SSM2017 (or more modern counterparts) like
it's done in many standard consoles. If your mic is e.g. a good standard
dynamic, like a 421 or 441 you will get a well known sound...
If you also have ribbon mics or some good condenser, you might need
completely other levels of gain. (Means, the condensers need less gain
normally, a ribbon could even need up to ~70-80dB sometimes!)
So here it's up to the amps topology, some have more noise at lower
gains, some at higher gains, etc....and then there are different
impedances at mic outputs and pre inputs that lead to different
behaviour. Some good pres even have switchable input impedances to
better find the 'sweet spot'.
Tube gear and discrete frontend circuits can achieve a higher headroom
than any IC...but lookout for circuits that is advertised with 'tube',
like the VTB-1 which, as far as I know utilizes the tube just as a
distortion effect, there will not be more headroom in these...
When it comes to transformers, noise may go down on transformerless mics
due to perfect balancing. But you really have to check if you like the
transformers 'flavour'. There are quite some differences in sound, name
the typical colors, Neve/Marinair/Carnhill, API, or the Sowter
replacements, and the more neutral Lundahls and the german ones like
Pikatron and Hauffe...
It is easy to spent more than a few thousand bucks for a Mic/Pre
combination that does NOT satisfy your needs. On the other hands, today
it's possible to get a really good combination below 1000. (Sounds like
much money, but on the other hand I am talking about a vocal chain.
Would you get e.g. a good basx guitar + amp for that?)
My best bet would be to look out for a studio that has a good selection
of mic pre's, take your mics and ask them for one or a few 'special
price' hours at times when they are not booked out.
You get a good impression of what you will get for your money.
In my opinion this would be money well spent before buying something wrong.

Kind regards,
Martin