Least $ pre-amps, phantom, and connects?

jinglebelle17 wrote on 2/12/2004, 6:31 AM
I would appreciate recommendations for the least expensive way to get the following:
1. connections for 2 mics and 2 headphones (using headphone Y-splitter?)
2. basic pre-amps for inexpensive Oktava condenser mics
3. phantom power

I'm using Vegas 4, and will be recording my grand piano and Roland keyboard, then doing basic cut and paste, and volume envelope editing. All mixing, etc will be done at a pro studio.

Comments

Cold wrote on 2/12/2004, 8:39 AM
I would think about a mackie vlz console. By the way what type of sound card are you using?
You don't want to scrimp too much on the preamps as piano has a big dynamic range and a cheap pre won't deal with that. The mackie vlz is about as "bottom" as I'd go. If you don't have a good sound card, consider getting a pre with a/d converters built in.
Steve S.
jinglebelle17 wrote on 2/12/2004, 8:53 AM
Thanks for your reply. SoundMAX digital audio card, plus M-Audio duo that has the connectors, preamps, and phantom ($300). But Vegas is not working, so I'm trying to put together options. Are you talking the mackie vlz pro at $2K? I am not mixing, and want small and compact and less expensive, please. Any other thoughts?
jester700 wrote on 2/12/2004, 9:42 AM
VLZ Pro is a whole range of boards, including the "few hundred buck" 1202. They have good pres in them for the price.
Rednroll wrote on 2/12/2004, 11:09 AM
My Sound Devices USBPre works great. 24bit/96Khz. Has 2 low noise mic pres, Phantom Power, 2-Line/Direct Instrument inputs, 2-unbalanced RCA tape inputs, along with digital spdif I/O. Headphone Jack output. Price, about $500. If that's too rich for you, try some of the other external USB sound cards, with Mic pre's from M-audio.
jinglebelle17 wrote on 2/12/2004, 1:36 PM
Thanks for these suggestions, I am making a list. I previously asked for help with the interface I have, but have gotten no advice. I have M-Audio duo, but can't get it to work. Someone said there may be some basic incompatibility with vegas and the duo? So I'm looking at backup solutions. MUCH RATHER fix this with what I already bought. I don't know how to do any troubleshooting, my husband, software engineer but no audio experience, doesn't see why it's not working either. I have Cakewalk HS and that works with the duo, but not Vegas 4. Maybe it's something obvious? Please see topic #8 today and I'd love some suggestions of what to try.
drbam wrote on 2/12/2004, 8:33 PM
For the mic pres and headphone monitoring, I would suggest the Behringer UB802 (around $50 street price). 2 very decent pres- especially for the money - some folks like them better than the Mackies - and everything is balanced. I think I mentioned in your post about the Maudio, that I'd dump it and get an Echo Mia. You'd be rid of all the Maudio driver crap and have a very stable and great sounding card that will work with virturally anything.

HTH,

drbam
jinglebelle17 wrote on 2/13/2004, 10:39 AM
Don't want to dump M-Audio yet, is it likely that the individual box has faulty drivers, or just a general incompatibility? I am emailing with SonySupport and the set up options he told me to use do not exist on my Vegas screen:
Vegas/options/preferences/audio/wave or asio. My screen choices are "show all waveforms" "show in a single track" or "don't show waveforms". Any suggestions here?
It took 24 hours for this first reply, I am hoping for a little faster now that we have opened a dialog.
My engineer spend 3 hours last night and could record on SF but not on Vegas.
PeterVred wrote on 2/16/2004, 10:06 AM
i just bought a Presonus Blue Tube 2-channel mic preamp on ebay for $100.
i has 2 neutric inputs on the front panel, with gain & "tube" drive controls for each. the back has both XLR and 1/4 outputs to feed your mixer and sound card at once.

the preamps are clean and the tube drives works reasonably well for the price. it warms up vocals a bit, adding midrange presence and a slight chorusing when overdriven.

well worth the money...they are about 143. new.
Pete