Low Budget Mic Pre Suggestions Requested

[hazineju]

Hi Everyone. Frodo, who is mixing and mastering some of my tunes for me, has convinced me that my Art Tube MP Studio that i use for vocals isn't cutting it and that i need to upgrade. problem is i don't have much of a budget to upgrade. i was enviously reading Jeff Greenleaf's post about a $1000 preamp budget. Mine is $200 max. Frodo has already suggested a couple, can anyone offer opinions on these or others under $200? I need it to have a USB connection and would prefer it to be light/portable. Tascam US 122Lhttp://www.zzounds.com/productreview--TASUS122LM-Audio Mobile Prehttp://www.zzounds.com/item--MDOMOBILEPRE E-MU 0202http://www.zzounds.com/item--EMU0202

[hazineju]

Thanks Anne, i am a sucker for a great deal but portable is pretty important right now. thanks for the info about the 122. i am trying to eliminate as much hissing/room noise as possible, so it's good to know that was an issue for you. i'll see if i can find how the 122L compares to the 122. BTW i am from Albuquerque myself!

[jh]

IMHO Wait until you can afford something "way better", trust me, you save in the long run.Apogee Duet would be perfect, but it doesn´t have USB...Quote:My question is, if you've got a $750 mic and very good cables, how much improvement do you get with a comparable preamp?It depends, but the improvement can be substantial. Sometimes you can´t believe it´s the same mic - JH

[jh]

Quote:a first generation Joe Meek pre-amp compressor that I bought over 10 yrs. ago That was EXACTLY what I meant by "you save in the long run". - JH