Pro Sound Web: Few topics stir up more debate than microphone preamplifiers. With dozens, if not hundreds of different brands, models, shapes, sizes, variations, and configurations to choose from, it’s no wonder mic preamps are among the most misunderstood pieces of the audio signal chain.
Even low-cost interfaces offer built-in mic preamps, some of which sound pretty decent. So why would anyone want to spend money on an external preamp, let alone several?
4 comments:
Mic preamps are a great example of the many smaller details that go into live sound and recording. Many people associate mixing as just changing volume levels, and maybe some eq’ing, but there’s so much that goes into a professional mix. Whether they are effects for artistic purposes, or just to make a mix sound clean, there are a lot of details that one may consider and this is one of the things that really interest me about working with sound. I know that many professionals have certain equipment that they prefer to achieve certain sounds (as the article describes in a couple places). Most professionals have spent enough time working with enough different gear that they are able to develop these associations between equipment and the resulting sound, and it’s the keeping tracking of this all that can be so mind boggling for me to consider. Because sound can in many ways be very abstract and subjective to opinion, a big part of developing the necessary know-how is just hearing things for yourself and being able to develop your own assessment of the different sound qualities.
I read news articles regularly not on the site, I find it hard some weeks to to find 5 posted articles that i could actually write anything about. I know this may not be ideal, but I have no idea about and nothing to say reading though the many rigging/sound and technological articles that get posted here. It may not be the best thing, but I mostly work with machines that were created in the 1900's and aside from some new stitches and power have pretty much stayed the same. This dose mean I do not know about many of the more technological aspects the theatrical world. Frankly, reading these articles do not help, they do not make me understand anything any more, I just end up feeling lost. I have to read though the articles and hope I can find 5 that I have any sort of knowledge or at least finish reading and don't stare at my screen confused. Hence this 150 words on why I think the articles should become actually more diverse, not just technological advancements that I need some sort of base knowledge to understand what i’m reading.
I worked in a theatre space for four year with a set up that almost anyone would frown upon. Getting a decent sound system was never in the budget, and sadly neither was a pre amp. For years, the audience was forced to hear feedback and hissing from the audio system because of the cheap equipment we rented. It still got the job done and from the audiences’ perspective, they probably didn’t even notice. But for me I would sit back in the booth and cringe when I could hear the hissing begin. That was the case up until my senior year when my town built a brand new school, which came with a new sound system in the auditorium! The first thing I looked for was a descent pre amp and sure enough it was there --the iLive Allen and Heath pre amp. Some sound engineers might disagree when I say it is a good pre amp, but I have zero complaints with it, especially considering what I had before.
I think that sound is one of the most complex parts of theater. At its base, sound can be broken down into multiple discreet disciplines, each requiring a unique set of skills and understanding. Creating sound effects is just one part of sound. Recording and mixing live sound are also completely different disciplines within the realm of audio used in theater. Having comparatively little knowledge of audio, I’m not sure exactly what a mic preamp does, even after reading this article. What I do know is that choosing the right one can make all the difference in mixing and recording audio. Deciding on equipment like this can be difficult. Working with scenery, choosing one type of fastener over another or which tool to use won’t make a difference in the final product (so long as the fasteners can handle the load). Also, people will notice bad sound. They won’t notice what type of fasteners are used in the set.
Post a Comment