Is a New Pre-Amp Really Worth It?

Got this question from a reader, it might interest you:

I have a little home studio. I first bought a Focusrite interface 8 inputs
and I’m at the point to buy good individual mic preamp to build up a little bit. I’m looking for warm mic preamp for vocal around 600$
Do you think it’s a good idea to proceed like this ????

Well, yes and no.

When is a Pre-Amp Worth It?

When everything else in the chain is of stellar quality then a pre-amp is definitely going to help. But if you’re running your signal through a really cheap microphone then you might not get the boom you are looking for.

Sure, you might get a different sound. You might get a slightly warmer tone from your vocals but the sound quality will be bottle-necked by the quality of your microphone.

In that case, spend the money on a nicer microphone because those Focusrite’s are pretty good on their own.

When to Up Your Pre-Amp?

If you’re already rocking a nice sounding condenser, a warm and smooth pre-amp will only enhance your quality gear. If all your other gear is nicer and better sounding than the interface you’re using then by all means, grab the pre-amp that sounds good to you.

But What About Skillz?

But let’s not forget, if all you’re doing is buying gear without investing in the knowledge needed to use it, the pre-amp doesn’t matter. If you don’t know how to use the gear, then a pre-amp won’t make your recordings sound any better.

If you’ve been reading for a while, then you know how the drill goes. Invest in the minimal amount to set up your home studio, then spend the rest of your time(and/or money) on learning how to use your gear. Once you can get great recordings out of cheap gear, then you can only improve from there.

Where should you go to get practical and easy production tips to help you make the most out of your recordings and mixes?

Glad you asked. Click the link to check out the Recording and Mixing Strategies bundle below:

www.audio-issues.com/strategies

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tim_uk/7919579682/sizes/z/in/photostream/

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About Audio Issues and Björgvin Benediktsson

We help musicians transform their recordings into radio-ready and release-worthy records they’re proud to release.

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