affordable pre-amps

**loopy** · 10-07-2006, 08:41 PM

would you guys have any suggestions for an affordable but satisfactory pre-amp available in the Philippines for use with garageband? i'd like to use one with my strat to temper the cold lifeless quality of digital audio and add warmth. was looking at behringer's mic100 or mic200 but i'm a bit wary as most reviews complain about the hiss. as a mere hobbyist, i'd rather not break the bank... so i guess i'm looking for a cheap pre-amp that has enough quality where any noise would be tolerable or acceptable.

thanks guys.

**Sponsor** · 10-07-2006 08:41 PM

**travism** · 10-08-2006, 03:06 PM

check out the m audio gear. i think the product your intrested in is the "fast track usb" or the "jam lab"... the local dealer here is crystal audio. they have a shop in MCS.

**mistermoya** · 10-08-2006, 03:36 PM

The behringer's you mentioned are typical preamps which you can't directly connect to your computer. So what you need is as travism mentioned, either an audio interface. M-Audio's FastTrack USB or the Firewire Solo are good choices.

the built-in preamps on these babies though aren't too good so if you really want to add more warmth to your sound (especially for vocals) then maybe investing on a separate preamp to plug into your audio interface would be a good investment.

**travism** · 10-08-2006, 03:42 PM

speaking of good investments... you can check the black box from m audio. now that's a real good investment for guitarists.

**loopy** · 10-11-2006, 03:04 PM

thanks for the quick reply travism.

actually took a look at the black box before online and was considering it...couple of things holding me back (correct me if i'm wrong):

1. it's usb 1.1 (but gets away with it by processing via hardware to eliminate latency)

2. sound mix is done on the black box hardware which results in a wet track that will give limited mixing options later. of course there's an option to record dry but then, you won't have access to the black box effects after to color the sound. looking for a bit of leeway to manipulate effects post-recording...

3. limited to 44.1...but this seems to be a limitation with usb.

4. limited to one effect and amp...can't chain and mix different effects at once...

even then, i'm still tempted as most reviews have been good. i suppose since its a diy one man band where instruments are recorded one at a time, usb will suffice instead of firewire?

**loopy** · 10-11-2006, 03:15 PM

hi mistermoya. thanks for the reply!

yup, i'm going to get an audio interface as well...just not sure if it will be a firewire or usb a/d. the usb is much cheaper. is there any particular reason to get a firewire soundcard?

sorry, i wasn't clearer but i asked about the preamp because in another thread (i think the one on home studios), you mentioned (i think...hope i'm not putting words in your mouth ha ha) how a mixer or preamp would help in giving warmth to a guitar's sound. that got me curious so i started looking around for a preamp that can be used with the audio interface to supplant its built in preamp.

saw the behringers while checking out their mixers and midi controllers. was interested because of the tube but i've heard that some samples are noisy. would you have any recommendations for an affordable preamp? apple's site mentions that mic preamps (like those from ART) are ok. looking for something affordable and available in the Philippines.

don't want to get a mixer as that can be done on the software and i don't think i'll be recording several tracks simultaneously as this is really a hobby more than anything else...

some set-ups i was toying with (depending on budget):

1. guitar - preamp - interface - mac
2. guitar - mixer - interface - mac
3. guitar - interface - mac
4. guitar - preamp - to line in of mac (would this make a difference to the warmth and volume?)
5. guitar - mixer - to line in of mac (would this make a difference to the warmth and volume?)

thanks for your input!

**travism** · 10-11-2006, 04:07 PM

if you have a mac then you won't have a problem with the usb as it's hella stable. macs and m audio gear go hand in hand. but alam ko, almost all m audio stuff is usb2 already. but correct me if i'm wrong. you can check out the crystal audio store in MCS... they are the official carrier of m audio here.

**paparazzi** · 10-11-2006, 05:11 PM

Loopy, I use a Line6 Toneport UX1. The local retailer is Yamaha/Perfect Pitch but their prices are outrageous. Got it from someone who bought it in the US. Was going to get a Behringer FCA202 but to use it properly, I would've needed a DI box. The inputs on the FCA202 are line level while the Toneport has a preamp already for guitar and a gain knob for the mic input.

**loopy** · 10-11-2006, 05:55 PM

oh i knew i forgot to ask you something...is mcs makati cinema square?

yes, i'm using a mac. as is, directly connecting my guitar through line-in, i can spend hours...heck, days... playing around. very satisfying in that i don't have problems with latency and noise. but the guitar signal really needs a boost and warmth! but yes, stability is a godsend!

**loopy** · 10-11-2006, 06:01 PM

hey paparazzi! i see you're an eagle too. shame we came up short but it's all good.
DI.

thanks for bringing up the fca202. was looking up on that as well. how's the latency and noise on that unit? i inquired at behringer at galeria but they were out of stock...

was actually going to buy the toneport ux1 during the sale last october at yupangco but decided against it at the last minute to really study my options. how are your experiences with it? i'm curious as well. is the modelling like the podxt? noise? latency? plugs in to garageband/logic or separate program?

so many things available for guitarists and musicians. it's a good time now.