Mic Preamps

It's very important to record the best possible signal, and it's the microphone 'pre amplifier' that is the first piece of electronics after the microphone itself.

The preamp has to amplify the tiny signals from a mic, to a level that normal electronics can easily deal with - and do it with as little hiss, hum, or distortion as possible. So you get the most faithful version of a microphone's output as possible. This is where the Mackie Onyx preamps come in handy, keeping the signal very clean and realistic.

There are some preamps that 'colour' the sound in a (hopefully) good way. The marketing hype (usually involving valves) pushes this subtle beneficial distortion as almost essential. It's not essential, but there is a bit of truth in this, in some situations, and, as it happens, I have eight transformer-based preamps, which add an airy, open feel, especially to vocals and basses, if needed. Many argue tat it is the transformers associated with valves that provide the warm feel.

If any valve or classic analogue signal-processing needs to be added, it's now easy to emulate in the digital domain, with high quality plug-ins, or the hiring-in EQ or compressers can be arranged.