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Gear / Technical Help => Battery Boxes, Preamps, Mixers, ADCs, and Processors => Topic started by: lsd2525 on December 27, 2013, 03:05:58 PM
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Anyone ever used one of these for concert recording? Thoughts?
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The coloration added by this type of preamp depends on the level and spectral content of the signals you feed into it, as well as the level settings on the preamp itself. That's a lot of variables! You could get some nice results sometimes, but to get optimal-sounding results time after time under varying, real-world conditions you'd have to be very, very lucky, or else have adequate test/rehearsal/setup time. So I don't see how this type of preamp makes good sense for most location recording (except maybe fixed installations, with an operator who gets to become very familiar with the setup).
Peavy used to make a line-level outboard device called the "Tube Sweetener" which could be used when post-processing a stereo recording. I bought one on eBay a few years ago, and some day I swear I'll get around to playing with it. That approach would let you compare the original recording with the altered result, choose optimal settings, and make realistic choices about what sounds best. You could probably use these preamps that way (padding down their inputs if necessary). But the universe doesn't allow a box to be built that will ALWAYS give you back better sounding signals than what you feed into it. The more something alters the sonic character of the signals, the more it needs to be controlled carefully and not just slathered on.
--best regards