Can I Just Use My Interface's Onboard Pre's or Would a Stand-alone Pre really matter?

[Hell Atlantic]

Yes I know the high-end Pres actually make a world of difference. But if i'm in the market for like a M-Audio Fast Track Pro or an Edirol UA25, and my pre amp options i'm looking at right now are the Presonus Bluetube or the M-Audio DMP3. are those pre's going to make a noticeable difference over the built-in pres in these interfaces? keep in mind i'd be buying the pres off ebay so it's not like i'm paying top dollar for a new-in-box item. i'd be getting either used for a minimal investment.

and this might be a silly question, but if i'm connecting a pre to an interface how does the interface use the quality of the connected pre or how does it know i don't want the interface to use its pres and that i want the higher quality preamp to do the work? is it just a matter of shutting off phantom power on the interface? thanks!

[jagcmos]

The outputs of the standalone preamp are a line level signal and you would not want to connect this to the mic input of the interface.

The outputs of preamp should only be connected to a line level input on the interface.

[String7th]

To start, the DMP3 will sound exactly like the interface preamps. And the Bluetube pre will sound different, but not really "better". You will be able to drive the tube for a distorted sound, or just add some color at mid settings. I own it and don;t use it on very many things. Rock vocals, snare, some guitar amps but that's about it.

Also, if your interface has balanced line-in 1/4" inputs, it's designed to bypass the preamp and drop to line level, avoiding added gain or color. But I've noticed when I plug my Bluetube to the line-ins of my Firestudio, I still have to drive the line gain to about halfway, which I'm sure adds color.

[bozmillar]

Keep in mind that running into the line input on either of those interfaces just pads the line input to a mic level and runs through the preamp anyways, so in the end, you are limited by the quality of the preamp in the unit.

Unless the outboard preamp you are buying is changing the sound as it amplifies, then it won't make any difference other than adding another piece of gear to your signal chain that isn't really doing anything.

[Hell Atlantic]

thanks - so essentially the quality or caliber of the audio interface's i have will be able to provide about the same "quality" as the caliber of those 2 preamps i'm looking at. so i guess i can save on preamps since i certainly dont have enough to buy even a used green river or anything. the music i make is for my own listening pleasure, maybe i show it to a few other people but i don't have any delusions of grandeur so i don't want to spend money on something if it doesnt provide noticeable quality.

[Hell Atlantic]

Originally Posted by bozmillar

Unless the outboard preamp you are buying is changing the sound as it amplifies, then it won't make any difference other than adding another piece of gear to your signal chain that isn't really doing anything.

this actually begs the question - which outboard preamps actually change the sound? and by that i assume you mean "increase the quality of the sound for the better".

[garageband]

i don't want to spend money on something if it doesnt provide noticeable quality.

On that note: Buy yourself cool microphones. This is something you and people listening to your music will notice right away.

[bozmillar]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

this actually begs the question - which outboard preamps actually change the sound? and by that i assume you mean "increase the quality of the sound for the better".

I wouldn't say "increase the quality of sound for the better." If a preamp is changing your sound in any way, theoretically speaking, it's less good. I'll call it sound degradation (again, technically speaking).

Musically speaking some people like the degradation, be it distortion or change in frequency response. What sounds good depends on what style of music you are recording, what microphone you have, what instrument you are playing, personal taste, blah blah blah, etc.

I'd say choose a preamp the same way you would choose a guitar amp. Some people like marshall, some people like mesaboogie, some like fender, etc. Each has it's own characteristic sound and some people like some and hate the others. To say that a mesa boogie "increase the quality of sound for the better" is 100% personal preference. You probably wouldn't ever hear a violinist mention how great their violin sounds through a guitar amp.

Moral of the story, if you hear someone say "try <instert expensive preamp here>. It sounds awesome on everything," it's all personal preference.

[Hell Atlantic]

thanks for the analogy. i guess i always viewed preamps like the way i view HDTVs. hi-def tvs give you as close a realistic picture as can be attained, but it's not like looking in a window. my 1080p plasma makes things look even better than they would in real life. that's what i'm looking for. i'm not looking for the musical equivalent of a window - that is, no coloration or altering the sound. proper micing and placement and clever use of effects (eqing, reverb, compression, etc) are meant to enhance the original source. i'm looking for items - be it mics or preamps - that will pick up tonal frequencies and aspects that regular equipment fails to capture. of course i'm sure thousand dollar equipment makes things easier but for home recordists that's more pipe dream than anything. so that gist of the original question seems to be answered - pre amps in the caliber of the ones i listed are not likely to provide much of a difference maker than what the in-board preamps of the interfaces i'm looking at can provide. or else it becomes like what one poster said - if it doesn't add anything to the sound its just another piece of equipment that takes up space.

i think i'll roll with one of the interfaces first and pick up a higher quality condenser mic and see how satisfied i am with the sound i can get. then i'll look for preamps if i think i need it. thanks for all the input here.

[Husky Band]

You might consider something like a RME Fireface. From what I hear, they are about as good as it gets for an all in one preamp-ADA setup. You probably wouldn't have anymore money tied up with this than a FireStudio + out board preamp.