External Premaps?

[Foggy Dawg]

Hey guys, do you use external preamps before hitting the Tascam deck?

I have a Golden Project Pre 73 MK II, and a Fishman ToneDEQ

 

[Foggy Dawg]

No replies…. So allow me to expand my question. I am trying to capture high-end quality raw tracks and allow a professional studio to do the mixing and mastering.

I am at the crossroad of making some major purchases on quality studio microphones. My biggest question or concern is quality preamps. I have been researching and listening to the Great River MP-2NV and the Universal Audio A710D and have been very impressed with these units.

Assuming I use quality microphones, and they are placed correctly would the above mentioned preamps enhance the overall quality of the recording, or is quality $2,000.00 outboard preamps a moot-point because I am limited to the quality of the preamps in the Tascam DP-24SD?

Has anyone tried using external preamps to improve the quality of their recordings?

 

[Foggy Dawg]

I step into this adventure with a known limitation, my hearing. Professionally, I’ve been in aircraft maintenance, and didn’t protect my ears early on. So I know I will never be the guy to EQ, mix or master. But I do believe I can achieve technical competency relative to the techniques required to secure quality raw tracks.

Due to my self-induced handicap I have to rely on others who have the ears to hear the difference. Thanks, buddy e.

 

[Matt B]

It seems my hearing is pretty good. I hear a lot of stuff in music that other people (non-pros) miss. Usual mid-50s guy high-end roll off.

I think it is true that whatever preamp you use, it will still be going through the DP-24 preamps. I personally don't hear a lot of difference between preamps - I have been told the preamps on my old Korg D3200 were very good. I can hear a BIG difference between microphones. Were I in a big-ass studio with big bucks gear, it might be different. Anyway, we compress the smack out of music and listen to it on a computer.

It seems that much of the marketing of preamps, and recording equipment in general, is not for clean accuracy, but for coloration that reproduces or at least evokes old vintage stuff.

 

[Caveman]

Line out of preamp to line in of dp. Been my experience line in does not pass thru micpre. I almost always used external micpres to avoid the boards pres always went to line in or directly to tape depending on situation.

I think money is better spent on mics first, then pres. 2 cents.

 

[Matt B]

I have been eyeing the Golden Age Pre-73 recently. My voice needs lots of help! Seriously, it sounds better with coloration and slight distortion.

I am currently using a SE Electronics Z5600a (a tube mic with a soft and warm replacement tube) run into a hot-rodded DBX 160A, and then into the DP. This setup was recommended by a pro producer after hearing my live voice and recordings. His idea made a huge difference - the Rode and AT mics I was using were just too harsh! The input for the DBX is line level, so I run the mic output through a super-cheap Behringer mixer to get it to line level for the DBX input. That is where I think the Pre-73 will be a big benefit.

Not displeased with the current sound, but I would like more depth and maybe a little less definition of the high end. (Does that make sense? These qualitative words are so vague.) I would like softer and opener!

I would agree with mics before pres, but the mic subject is so, well... subjective. Great stuff has been done with a 57.

From the block diagram for my DP24-SD, it looks like the 1/4" and XLR both are routed through the same preamp. We can turn it down, but any coloration it imparts is gonna be there. Fact is, most preamps are promoted for their coloration and not accuracy.

Did prior DP units have direct inputs?

Matt B

 

[David Porter]

It seems that much of the marketing of preamps, and recording equipment in general, is not for clean accuracy, but for coloration that reproduces or at least evokes old vintage stuff.

Yep.

I'm still in the testing and evaluation phase... but I purchased a Warm Audio TB12 ToneBeast preamp earlier this year and have had excellent results so far. In particular... my P-bass sounds *killer* through it. As you can switch between op amps, capacitors, and transformers with the TB12 - I'm looking forward to much more experimentation.

 

[BikerDude]

Good quality is another language for me. I admit that I go it on the cheap.
I've been really happy with a cheap berringer tube preamp. A friend who has a lot of good equipment has said that he is amazed at how good it sounds.
https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-MIC100-BEHRINGER-TUBE-ULTRAGAIN/dp/B000CZ0RME/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515422931&sr=8-1&keywords=behringer tube preamp

I also have an ART preamp.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000G1E59...J3JN5JAC0W6&pd_rd_w=Y0Met&smid=A2LXBKOLL3J3K6
I like the Berringer better.

 

[isoneedacoffee]

I'm just reviving this thread because I purchased an external pre - the GAP Pre-73. For those of you who have used an external preamp, particularly @David Porter, I would like to know how you set the Tascam preamp on the way in? I assume you're using a line in, right and not the xlr connection? My idea would be to try to minimize the effect of the Tascam preamp, for it to allow the external preamp signal to come in as transparently as possible. If I leave it at minimum, is this not attenuating the signal - thus potentially altering it?

When I look at the gain structure in the manual, the line level's "nominal" value seems to lie above the 50% mark on the dial. Or am I misunderstanding that?

If I want transparency from the Tascam preamp should I have the preamp down as much as possible, or be aiming for the nominal value? I'm quite new at this.

 

[-mjk-]

@isoneedacoffee you have to use the line input. A preamplified microphone signal is no longer at microphone level.

 

[isoneedacoffee]

Yup. @-mjk- That's what I've been doing. My question had to do with achieving maximum transparency by considering the nominal level vs minimum gain (attenuation?) on the tascam preamp.

 

[-mjk-]

attenuation of the signal for proper level is the proper way to achieve transparency.