Budget Mic Pre. Fishing for your two cents...

[6stringer]

Hello Folks,

I'm an Apple tech but perilously GREEN in the recording world. I know there is some serious knowledge here in DigiLand and I'm hoping you will provide your two cents.

The scenario... if you were castaway (aka Tom Hanks) on a deserted island (with electricity!) and had only one mic pre, what would it be? The catch is that it has to be under $200. Besides your Mac, a few things washed up on shore... a Shure SM 57, a Studio Projects SB-1 and one iLife '04 package with Garageband. You're hoping for more while cursing the cheap geek who bought this crap! Does the MBox float? If you get a mic pre, you can only expect something inexpensive...what do you hope it is?

Thanks in advance! You cats are too cool!

[qbert1]

Welcome to the world of computer recording. There is a lot of information at this place...

http://homerecording.com/bbs/

This topic comes up there almost every hour it seems. But to answer your question, my favorite one is the Rane MS-1b (the "b" is important - there were previous models with out the "b" and they're not as good). It's a no frills preamp with a good clean sound. It only has +48, phase reverse, and a gain knob. Hope that helps.

[tele_player]

If you've got an Mbox, there's really no much need for another budget mic preamp.

[SimpleNatureSpirit]

Presonus TubePre
check out eBay for a further discount (new dealers)

[choodelphia]

Hi.

Tele player is right on. The mic pre in your MBox is fine.

If you dont have one, I'd spend the $200 on an inexpensive large diaghram condensor microphone.
That will make a bigger difference than another inexpensive mic pre. (for vocals, acoustic instruments,drum overhead)

Later.

[6stringer]

what I learned this weekend...

1) for the most part, you guys are probably right. There may be no mic pre under $200 that is worth owning. Apparently, many manufacturers are marketing "tube warmth" in low-end units as a marketing ploy. ART even advertises a "hand selected" tube in a sub $200 pre. I wonder of they include the name of the person whose hand selected the tube? Is there a little note that reads "this tube selected by Frank Bank's right hand"? It seems that most of these "tube" units sport radically inferior eletronics while boasting a "tube" to capture unsuspecting neophytes with empty, clandestine promises of "tube warmth"... Pahleeeese! A warm, analog tube in this cold, harsh, digital world. Don't we all need one? That reminds me... has anyone reading this used Vintage Warmer? THAT plug? looks way fine!

2) You would never draw such a conclusion after reading the often glowing, alleged "reviews" of these low-grade pres. Is there such a thing an OBJECTIVE a pro audio review site? www.mojopie.com seemed to be the most objective site I found. They actually DIDN'T like everything they reviewed. Otherwise, it seemed even the alleged "user reviews" were edited or even eliminated (as they often are on sites like zzZounds, Musician's Friend or even Amazon). It seems pseudo "reviews" are merely a new marketing tactic aimed at unsuspecting consumers.

3) Everyone has an opinion and sound can be a very subjective thing. Give it a listen and see if will glisten (for me, at least) Am I also to understand that I should not listen to the words offered by the likes of Guitar Center salespeople? Are there some good people out there? Where?

4) I was looking for that diamond in the rough. That pinnacle product of American ingenuity- the ultimate two-guys-in-a-garage product, that $12 Cabernet that blows away the $79 bottle. Maybe this pre doesn't exist, however, I believe there are some great values in mic pre's... So, here are my two candidates in the under $200 category. These are by no means "diamonds" in any rough but they could be useful gemstones...

a) The Rane MS-1B (thanks qbert!). I had read about this one and it truly seems like a useful (albiet "no frills") and worthwhile pre. I would venture to guess that this pre could well be superior to the low-end Focusrite implementation inherent to the MBox. This Rane can fall for $149. (bad pun mercilessly intended)

b) The Studio Projects VTB-1. Although this one sports a fairly useless tube-adjunct section, the solidstate section appears strong enough to be more usable than the Mbox pres. I also like the impedance switching in this unit- that could be useful with my SM57. It's made in China but their products are usually well-engineered. The VTB-1 can be had for $129.

I'd like a pre that I could use without the MBox. Any feedback here would be greatly appreciated!