Valuable lesson Learned

by **foofightingjohn** on Tue Jan 02, 2007 2:54 pm

Until recently all my recording has been done with budget preamps from ART Tube MPs, Studio Projects VTB1 and PResonus Eureka...
Recently I bought the FMR RNP, and was blown away by the 'pro sound' you get from the thing. But the most important thing, my mixing is made so much easier. Im amazed at how much less tweaking I have to do to the tracks in the sequencer. To anyone who doubts the value of high end pres and wonders why they cant get that professional sound they hear on all their favorite records, ITS THE PREAMP. (I guess Im addressing the newcomers and younger ppl with this one since the pros know this already).
But no amount of plugins or EQing can give you what a great preamp does, so that should always be the first and most important purchase in a project/home studio. ALot of people ask what magic do they use and how do you get that pro sound.....its all the preamp, everything else from that point on is an art.

So everyone do themselves a favor and get a great preamp.

by **owel** on Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:03 pm

Congrats on the purchase.

As I said in another thread, you can't substitute a plugin for a preamp. Or use a plugin to turn a crappy preamp into a good one.

by **jonnyc** on Tue Jan 02, 2007 4:03 pm

IMHO there are several other factors far more important than the preamp. For one if your room sucks no preamp on earth is going to make it sound good. Second, if your conversion sucks it's only going to degrade the sound of your preamp. Third, if your monitors suck...well revert back to reason one, if you can't hear it properly you're screwed. Preamps are important but they absolutely will not give you a professional sound by themselves, many other factors come into play in a studio.

by **Louis** on Tue Jan 02, 2007 4:37 pm

Foo - congrats on the purchase. I'd be interested in hearing any a/b tests you could do between the RNP and any of the cheaper pres you have.

by **MASSIVE Mastering** on Tue Jan 02, 2007 4:45 pm

There are a lot of "chicken or the egg" scenarios (as jonnyc mentioned). But no doubt, it's great that you "took off the training wheels" on the preamp side of things.

It's not exactly subtle, is it...

by **jonnyc** on Tue Jan 02, 2007 5:59 pm

I do want to mention that I agree about cheap vs. expensive pre's. I just recently upgraded to a True Systems Precision 8 and the difference between it and my cheap pre's really is night and day.

by **adhesive** on Wed Jan 03, 2007 4:32 pm

Yup.

From AudioBuddy to RNP. "It's a miracle--praise Jesus!"

by **foofightingjohn** on Thu Jan 04, 2007 11:13 am

Agreed about the room and monitors. I use KRK RP5s in a small 10x12 room, with auralex foam pads set up and self made bass traps in the corners made from that green Roxul Insulation. But even after treating the room and upgrading to KRKs from Maudio desktops, I found only a marginal improvement, whereas after swapping the Presonus Eureka for the RNP, there was a 'whoa man, now I definitely hear the difference' moment. And another thing I like about the RNP, its so freakin compact! it fits anywhere in my small room. And it looks like something out of star wars, grey, dull, ugly, but fully functional. Like the millenium falcon.

by **jason** on Thu Jan 04, 2007 9:14 pm

foofightingjohn wrote: And it looks like something out of star wars, grey, dull, ugly, but fully functional. Like the millenium falcon.

How could someone "not" want one, with a description like that. :lol:

by **Norkamus** on Sat Jan 06, 2007 1:12 pm

I have to second (or third, or fourth...) the praise on the RNP (or a great preamp) making a world of difference. Here here.

Lot's of discussion on the RNP lately... Poor ILLmatic.

Norkamus

by **Blueraven** on Sat Jan 06, 2007 2:47 pm

I read this recently in a studio review article:

People think nothing of spending thousands of dollars on the new DAW-in-a-box. Two years from now it won't be worth 25% of that. But if you invest in a high-end pre, it will still be worth nearly as much as you paid in five or even 10 years — and some of them will actually appreciate in value. Keeping that in mind makes a quality mic preamp not so expensive after all.

Sample rates are switching and rising a mile a minute. 96K today and 192K tomorrow. Hang on to your recording medium — whatever you use. Jumping to the next great DAW will not improve your sound nearly as much as a serious mic pre will add to your front-end and to your overall tool kit.

by **admin** on Sat Jan 06, 2007 6:55 pm

Ah, those are some very true words.

by **Yacithane** on Wed Nov 28, 2007 12:28 am

jason wrote:
foofightingjohn wrote: And it looks like something out of star wars, grey, dull, ugly, but fully functional. Like the millenium falcon.

How could someone "not" want one, with a description like that.

i was thinking the exact same thing when i read that

by **ecc83** on Wed Nov 28, 2007 3:54 am

To be fair to the pre amp, having recently watched two of the Star Wars episodes, the Millenium Falcon spent most of its time NOT working!

I hope you don't have to house a Wookie to smack it with a hyper-wrench.

Thanks for that still, small voice Loue. .Wavs please, no MP3 ***t!

Dave.

by **Verse** on Wed Nov 28, 2007 5:03 am

ecc83 wrote:To be fair to the pre amp, having recently watched two of the Star Wars episodes, the Millenium Falcon spent most of its time NOT working!

I hope you don't have to house a Wookie to smack it with a hyper-wrench.

Thanks for that still, small voice Loue. .Wavs please, no MP3 ***t!

Dave.

roflmao

Valuable lesson Learned

Valuable lesson Learned

Pre amp FYI

RNP

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