Topic: Buying My First Pre-Amp...

[toowylde]

Ok.  I've been taping for over 10 years, and have never purchased a pre-amp.  I never seemed to need one with what I was running, and I was way too busy enjoying the shows (and the tapes always sounded great) to learn everything I needed to learn.  When my taper friends were all talking about Sonosax and a/d converters I was just... well, paying attention to other things.   

In any event, I recently purchased a JB3 since my trusty D-7 was injured in a moving accident, and the D10 is too big to stealth with.  Little did I realize that I would wind up with almost no levels!  A problem I never had with any type of DAT, no matter what type of mic I was running.

My current mics are as follows: AKG-391 with active cables.  I have no idea what the model # etc of the phantom power supplies are -- they were also made by AKG, each one takes a 9v and has a belt clip and takes 1 XLR in and 1 XLR out. 

I haven't tried to use the AKGs with the JB3 yet.  I've been using a Sony ECM-719 stereo mic powered by a tiny battery (looks like a hearing aid battery) and I also have a Sony ECM 909 powered by a single AA battery, both of which I use for stealth shows.  I don't have the money to buy new mics right now (though I am jealous of all these tiny stealth mics with great sound - wow!) so I'm looking to get a reasonably priced pre-amp that I can use with the Sony mics particularly.  It's not always feasible to bring a hat I can use the AKGs in to a show -- for example I planning on taping the opera tomorrow night and a baseball cap or Kangol just... would be suspicious.  The Sony mics both have a single 1/8" stereo line-out.

I've been reading the posts in this forum, but frankly a lot of it is just beyond my understanding at this point.  It's a little embarassing to have been taping for as long as I have, and to have taped literally hundreds of shows, including a large # and variety of excellent stealth recording, and to have no idea how a pre-amp works or if I need one or how an a/d converter works or why I need one.

I'd love to get whatever advice you can offer.

Thanks.
Beth

[leegeddy]

Sound Devices MP-2 are very nice, sounds great and small. ideal for stealthing, imo.

http://www.sounddevices.com/products/mp2master.htm

there are TWO for sale in the Yard Sale forum. it's rare that you see two for sale at the same time.

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=48868.0

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=48835.0

or you could go with a Deneke AD-20, which is a preamp/A>D with optical out (for your jb3).

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=48835.0

+t for stealthing!

marc

[willndmb]

i had a ad-20 and loved it
the plus side to stealthing is it has a belt clip
the plus side to jb3 is it has optical out
the downside is that it will not help you with levels

on the flipside if levels are all you are really in need of then you could get a svu-1/2
although that will nothelp you running the akg because you will need to convert from the xlr > 1/8

so what i am saying is that the ad-20 prob isn't good for you in a stealth sitiuation because you would still need a svu to have levels and so another box would work better for you imo

[Professor chaos]

I would have to agree, The MP-2 is a great sounding pre that is small and inexpensive.

[Chuck]

I have a Mini-Me for sale that would sound good with those mics

[F.O.Bean]

390>mp2>jb3/dat sounds great IMO

in fact, brian costigan taped phish in worcester at the centrum in 2003 and ran 393>mp2>d7 and it SMOKES

IMO, the a/d is the weakest part of the link, the mics and the preamps are the biggest changes in sound IMO of course, YMMV

id go 390>mp2>jb3/dat and be done w/ it, preferably the jb3 to save time/money on blanks/transfers!

[spyder9]

i had a ad-20 and loved it
the plus side to stealthing is it has a belt clip
the plus side to jb3 is it has optical out
the downside is that it will not help you with levels

on the flipside if levels are all you are really in need of then you could get a svu-1/2
although that will nothelp you running the akg because you will need to convert from the xlr > 1/8

so what i am saying is that the ad-20 prob isn't good for you in a stealth sitiuation because you would still need a svu to have levels and so another box would work better for you imo

I disagree.  Playing with levels is how you get caught when you stealth.  I have my levels preset between 3-4 o'clock and their taped down.  I've been up close for loud shows and never clipped.  For far back or real quiet shows, set at 6 o'clock and tape down.

Once I hit record, I don't look at anything in my bag.  I just kick back and enjoy the show.  The AD20 is tank and very reliable piece of hardware.