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 | | | | Jan31 Written by:Rip Rowan
Monday, January 31, 2000 6:00 PM If 1998 was the year of the large-diaphragm condenser mic, then 1999 was the year of the multi-function mic preamp. Companies are bundling tons of features into these new units, vying for the premium position in your gear rack.
But do these units perform? Is there really any benefit to be gained by these units, often costing as much as a small studio mixing console with 8 or more mic preamps? How important is it to have tons of features in a unit designed to facilitate tracking? And, more importantly, is it really possible to pack all those features into a $600 unit?
I set out to answer these questions and arrived at some interesting conclusions.
I reviewed five mic preamps in the under-$1000 price range. To be considered for this review, the units had to have at least a mic preamp, a compressor, and some kind of EQ circuit. Three of ths units I reviewed were solid-state units: the Focusrite VoiceMaster Platinum, the PreSonus VXP, and the Joemeek VC6Q. The other two units, the Bellari RP533 and the ART Pro Channel are tube units.
Our editorial staff thinks highly of most of these preamps. Two of the units, the VC6Q and the Pro Channel, were nominated this month for a ProRec Reader's Choice Award. Another Reader's Choice nominee, the PreSonus MP20 dual mic preamp, is identical to the preamp section of the multi-function VXP unit we reviewed.
It was clear that each unit "does its own thing." Each one was audibly different from the other. Some were neutral, some were "open", others were "grungy." Each one is designed to solve particular problems or add a particular sonic stamp. But the question remains: does it make sense to invest in one of these front-end units? Or, is your money better spent on a versatile mic preamp, new mic, or software plug-in?
The answer is that, for the most part, these units do offer sonic benfits that are difficult if not impossible to achieve with other tools. A couple of them were able to achieve transparency and / or openness that is unavailable in the average console preamp. Others were able to impart a unique coloration that is indigenous to only that breed of preamp.
In general I found strengths and weaknesses in each of these units. I declined, therefore, to avoid direct comparisons between the units, and instead focus on each units pros and cons. In doing this I hope to enable the reader to judge whether a preamp is a good investment. Whether you need a sound that is more clean, transparent, and uncolored; or a sound that is tougher, grungier, and intense; there is a preamp covered in this review that can get you there.
So read the reviews, and learn more!
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