Preamp or channel strip?

[booker]

I was trying to figure out the answer to this question when I cam across this:http://www.sweetwater.com/shop/studio/p ... e.php#1Any comments about what you are using? I could use some info.

[mazz]

IMO, if a person knows what they are doing, then a channel strip is a good thing. Generally Eq'ing and to a lesser extent, compressing, on the way to "tape" is a touchy thing. Since you can't un-compress a signal (not very easily, anyway), unless one is doing peak limiting to keep from overloading (even then) less is more on the input side.With the availabilty of great plug ins, doing sonic manipulation after something has been recorded is more viable than ever.If I had a channel strip, I'd probably do very little boosting or cutting with EQ and would go very light on the compression. After I had a clean track on my hard drive, I'd run that track out through the channel strip and do some creative sculpting and record that back to a seperate track. Then you have your original signal untouched and if you need to re-do the EQ or whatever, you can just do that without harming your original track. If one is recording at 24 bits then there is negligible affect from the extra A/D step that this entails.Depending on the manufacturer, one might get more bang for the buck from a straight pre-amp. It costs more to put more things in a box and something has to give to keep it within a reasonable price point (whatever that means). Unless you can afford to spend 6K on a Massenburg channel strip. If so, more power to you, I want to hear those tracks!I use a dBx 386 stereo tube preamp with a digital output. It's not the highest end piece by any means. I liked that fact that it had A/D conversion built in and I like to do my manipulation after the track is recorded so it was good for me because it's just a straight, clean preamp. Also it was affordable for me. I don't do a whole lot of microphone recording but I do record my hardware synths through it. Mazz

[nickbatzdorf]

I bought the two Millennia channel strips that constitute my entire outboard collection because they're so versatile and because they have unbelievable mic preamps, DI, and EQ (plus an okay optical compressor). They have tube and solid-state paths in the mic preamp and EQ that you can switch between for very different sounds (since the stock tubes are replaced with exotic ones), plus a transformer you can switch in and out for yet another color.You can use the EQ and comp as outboard processors when mastering, of course.I sold everything to buy them a few years ago, and it was worth it and then some. Most stuff you buy is disposable, but I'll have these units for life.

[nickbatzdorf]

And I was so busy talking about myself that I forgot the point: most people need a good mic preamp, a good compressor, and probably a good EQ. If you find a channel strip that has all three - or in my case two out of the three - then why not.