KVR Audio

ohm · Post by **ohm** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 11:10 am

I just purchased a cheap, but ok sounding guitar (a Rickenbacker 330 copy) for my hobbyist recording purposes. I'm using amp sim VST's and speaker IR's, and getting close enough to emulating the sound of an old fender tweed amp.

Using my cheap mixer as a preamp is not really working out though, so I'll be needing some kind of preamp / DI box - my main concern is low noise. Would be great if the same unit could double as a mic. preamp too.

Initially I looked at the cheap ART tube pre's, but then I read that they are not really tube preamps, but cheap preamps with tube added for decoration - are they really that bad?

If so what would be the best way to get cheap, low noise amplification of a Hi-Z instrument signal? At a price below 200$ that is.

I stumbled across this little thing: TERRATEC
Hi-JACK at thomann.de

anyone tried it?

C00kie · Post by **C00kie** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 12:20 pm

The M-Audio AudioBuddy seems decent enough...
NB: most of the background noise might be coming from the elements themselves, so a preamp might not be the cure that.

kevvvvv · Post by **kevvvvv** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 12:26 pm

Audio Buddy will work fine, but for the same money you can get a Zoom G2 FX pedal which will do the DI job - and so much more.

Here's a link I grabbed off Google.

www.imuso.co.uk/ProductDetail.asp?StockCode=EG00803

Unkie Al · Post by **Unkie Al** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 12:27 pm

U handy with a soldering iron?

http://www.till.com/articles/GuitarPreamp/

No distortion, no tube fuzziness or low-level clipping. It just converts the impedance so a brighter and cleaner signal hits your mixer.

Ian B · Post by **Ian B** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 12:42 pm

I bought a Audiobuddy at the same time I got a Vox AD15VT amp. The Audiobuddy was intended for use with my Richwood electro acoustic, but the XLR mic inputs have come in very handy as using my electric guitars thro' the line out on the AD15VT 'loses something' soundwise imo. It might be worth getting a Audiobuddy if you're going to use a mic for any reason.

spindlebox · Post by **spindlebox** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 10:19 pm

I was just here a couple of weeks ago. My initial lean was towards the Audio Buddy, but everyone I talked to and reviews I read had coined the nickname "Audio Cruddy". I then was going to buy the Art Tube Preamp route, but an engineer pointed me to the Soundcraft Compact 4. New it's $99 on zZounds and Musician's friend. It's a sweet deal. It records string instruments and mics (has phantom power for condensers) and I can't detect any noise. I got my off e-bay for $84 with shipping and insurance and I couldn't be happier. My advice would be to get a mixer of that magnitude. Here's a great link that discusses mixers and audio workstation applications:

http://www.tweakheadz.com/choosing_a_mi ... tudio.html

Again, my advice is highly towards the Soundcraft Compact 4. You won't be sorry.

Scott

tetraplan · Post by **tetraplan** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 9:35 am

I use a Behringer UltraDI. Cheap, does the job, built like a tank, not particularly noisy either.

Groet, Erik

ohm · Post by **ohm** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 9:40 am

Thanks a lot for all the recommendations - it's been very helpful.

I'll go the DIY route, just for the fun of it

I already managed a big improvement by using my old boss multieffect (built for bass, but works ok). There's still some noise though - not coming from the pickups, but the preamp itself. The best solution would be a DI box that would output a line level signal so I can skip the mixer completely and plug it directly into the soundcard.
I'll let you know how that preamp sounds if / when I manage to find all the parts and build the thing.

nobody tried the Terratec HI-JACK ? I can get it pretty cheap from a local webshop

offthewall · Post by **offthewall** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 9:40 am

I have a Behringer Eurorack UB1002.
Great little mixer/preamp for both mic's and guitars. And cheap!

vonRed · Post by **vonRed** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:52 pm

I have the Terratec thingie. It's a nice little preamp, does exactly what it says on the tin -- the sound you put in on one side comes out louder on the other side. It's very quiet, the lack of knobbage is an asset, and the only problem is it's tiny and weighs nothing, so you have to be careful with the guitar cable.

EdnaBucket · Post by **EdnaBucket** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 3:44 pm

Hi,
I was wondering the same thing as the OP. I've got a DMP3 which I put through and RME to record vocals, and I was wondering if there would be any real advantage in getting a purpose built guitar pre-amp instead of one that's intended for mics?

Also going a bit o.t. - Is there a huge improvement using active pickups such as EMGs for this type of recording (i.e. guitar - pre - amp. sim.)?

TIA,
Edna

C00kie · Post by **C00kie** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 3:57 pm

EdnaBucket wrote:I've got a DMP3 which I put through and RME to record vocals, and I was wondering if there would be any real advantage in getting a purpose built guitar pre-amp instead of one that's intended for mics?

The DMP3 has a purpose-built instrument high-impedance (that's guitar etc) preamp. So I see no benefit at all.

If you're not satisfied about the sound, just swapping the preamp doesn't make that much difference. The used amp sims etc however do!

EdnaBucket wrote:Is there a huge improvement using active pickups such as EMGs for this type of recording (i.e. guitar - pre - amp. sim.)?

All pickups sound different. You can't make any general statement on actives or passives, since too many other factors contibute to the final sound.

Some people are used to a specific tone of a real amp, and are on the quest for the Holy Grail to get that exact sound out of an amp sim. Not going to happen... Better concentrate on getting the best possible sound you like from the sim instead of a weak copy of what it is not in the first place.

So for this reason (amp sims aren't really there yet) many people prefer to use a real amp and record that with a mic. Better guarantee for satisfaction...

jplanet · Post by **jplanet** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 4:05 pm

The Studio Projects VTB-1 is less than $100, and has been favorably compared to high-end preamps costing substantially more. I've even tracked vocals for commercial releases using it, it's that good. It might be $20 or $30 more than what you could get away with for electric guitar, but once you start recording acoustic or vocals, you'll already be prepared.

vonRed · Post by **vonRed** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 4:08 pm

EdnaBucket wrote:Hi,
I was wondering the same thing as the OP. I've got a DMP3 which I put through and RME to record vocals, and I was wondering if there would be any real advantage in getting a purpose built guitar pre-amp instead of one that's intended for mics?

It depends on what you need from the preamp. The DMP3 is a fine preamp that doesn't colour the sound. If that's what you want, then there's no reason to get anything else.

Also going a bit o.t. - Is there a huge improvement using active pickups such as EMGs for this type of recording (i.e. guitar - pre - amp. sim.)?

No, there isn't. If your current pickups are too noisy, then yes, installing noise-free active pickups will help, but the hi-z input on your preamp should handle passive pickups perfectly well.

Sickle · Post by **Sickle** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 4:18 pm

Get an old BOSS GL-100.

recommendations for a cheap guitar preamp / DI box please