How Can Microphone Preamp Help In Recording Vocals
What is a preamp? Basically it is an amplifier that takes the microphone level signal and amplifies it to line level, the standard used in recording systems. Also, it is often used to provide power to the microphones that require it. A good preamp is important in maintaining and enhancing the sound of your mics. When the preamp amplifies the sound, it can add or subtract subtle shades in the character of the sound. That’s why it’s important to use high quality preamps. You don’t want them affecting the sound in a negative way. The procedure for comparing mic preamps is much the same as for the mic comparison. If you have the resources to split the mic signal and send it through several preamps at once, great. In lieu of that, however, you’ll have to record a separate pass for each preamp.
This also means that the singer will have to match his tracks one to another. Again, use each preamp in its flat state, with no pads, filters, phase reverse switches, or dynamics processing activated. You can play with that stuff later, once you’ve selected the preamp. Again, be sure to match the levels as closely as possible. If one track is recorded hotter than the rest, you can compensate for the difference by using the faders during playback. The differences between preamps can be very subtle, so listen carefully. It’s often helpful to pan the tracks hard left or right, so you can listen through one speaker only. Things to listen for include openness, airiness, body, clarity, coloration, and detail.
Many engineers favor an open, transparent, uncolored sound with good detail hard, clean edges rather than soft, smeary ones and full body plenty of lows and not thin sounding. Of course, sometimes coloration is what you’re after for example, when matching a solid state mic with a tube mic pre in hopes of “warming up” the signal. If you’re looking for more coloration from a tube mic pre, try a lower priced unit rather than a high end one.