Re: Bluegrass microphone
Originally Posted by
strengeplukk
But, I'm wondering if anyone could give me some good suggestions for a good pre-amp to use with my AT4033 that we use in my bluegrassband? We were on tour this summer and many clubs had pretty bad pa-systems that I was thinking a good pre-amp good help with. Also, it would be nice to have something like this in the home-studio to use with different mics/instruments. What pre-amp would you recommend? I can go as high as 500$.
I agree with everything Charlie said, above.
A couple more comments, though.
First, in my opinion it would be a waste of $500. Completely. It would achieve nothing. Why? Well, if the PA is "bad" then no change of preamp would ever be heard or detectable. It is hard enough to detect subtle things like preamp changes even in a first class listening situation with the very best speakers - so plugging a $500 preamp into a poor sounding PA system is effectively a waste of money.
Second, your 4033 has an extremely high output - around 25mv/Pa - this is very 'hot' indeed. Even well know super 'hot' microphones like the Blue Encore 300 don't even come close to that (around 12mV/Pa). What does this mean? One effect is that with very high output mics, the preamp matters less and less as the output of the mic increases. So, for example, with very low output mics like a ribbon mic or Shure SM7b (output here is just over 1mv/Pa), you really do need very good quality, very clean, very low noise, high gain (and usually very expensive) preamps..... however, once you get to microphones that generate voltages in the 10mV/Pa range (and above) they effectively overcome the limitations of cheaper preamps. The main failings of which (these days) are not so much in "how they sound" but in noise floor. You would hardly need much preamp gain at all with a mic pushing out 25mV/Pa! The noise floor of the preamp will be inaudible anyway. Distortion will also be extremely low (unless you overload the input!) as hardly any gain will be applied.
That's why you don't need a new preamp.
You could, though, save your $500 and spend it on something that really would make a difference.
Gibson F5 'Harvey' Fern, Gibson F5 'Derrington' Fern
Distressed Silverangel F 'Esmerelda' aka 'Maxx'
Northfield Big Mon #127
Ellis F5 Special #288
'39 & '45 D-18's, 1950 D-28.
Bookmarks