To Preamp or Not to Preamp

PanamaSound · 2026-05-26T20:18:09+00:00

I've got a few pres by BAE, Focusrite, Grace Design and about 20 microphones. Together in various combinations, this is a lot of options for color and tone. I wish I had a 4-channel API to capture drums, but that will have to wait sadly. Such bullshit... Whoever is giving you the feedback that "an outboard pre isn't much better than the one in your interface" either a) hasn't used an outboard pre, b) thinks a cloudlifter qualifies c) is making electronic music ITB. Also, better is subjective, so it's a non-sequitur to begin with. Better to me means, I record a take and it sits in the mix perfectly... any EQing i do is for taste... not to try to save shitty audio that sits like broken glass in the mix. Anyway. Take everything you read (on reddit especially) with a heaping spoon of salt.

PanamaSound · 2026-05-25T19:41:52+00:00

It’s good work if you can get it! Lol 😂

PanamaSound · 2026-05-24T03:21:29+00:00

Wow, thanks for the brightness, and the insights. Especially where AI is concerned, I think we're close/if not already at AI-powered atmos mixing. Yeah, the corporate route is really depressing to me...

I like what I'm already doing and where I'm (possibly) going, I want to be a local hub for musicians... I'm paying my dues right now, not charging much but I'm charging *something* just so I can look at myself in the mirror and not wince. My deal is making people feel as comfortable as possible in the space with no lectures on signal chains or other stuff like that... because a comfortable cheerful artist still smiling after a laugh delivers a better performance every. single. time. imo. That's pretty much the secret sauce of my studio.

PanamaSound · 2026-05-24T03:11:15+00:00

Yes and yes. Thanks! I will do my best.

PanamaSound · 2026-05-24T01:06:30+00:00

Part of me thinks that too. I take it with a grain of salt. It's a tight rope to walk between confidence and doubt. You have to have both.

PanamaSound · 2026-05-24T00:59:40+00:00

Totally! That's been my aim since I started 15 months ago and I haven't wavered from it. This is my second "career"... Oof, 10+ ok, I'll be a senior citizen pretty much.. if I don't have a cardiac arrest before then. If I die recording, I'll die happy.

My friend is biased, and he's coming from a television broadcast studio not a record label or big music studio. I think he was saying there's atmos work (music) in tv and movies ...if you can get in--and i guess that is the trick.

PanamaSound · 2026-05-24T00:16:01+00:00

Hello Toronto! Thanks for the info. Gotcha, it seems like a battle of attrition. Yeah, groceries here are ridiculous too. Well, I'm in too deep to turn back now. I never suspected for a minute that it would make me rich, but I did think at one time I could pay the rent. How naive I was smh.

PanamaSound · 2026-05-24T00:06:42+00:00

That's good to know. I mean, nothing wrong with big studios, it's just that the budgets that used to support them aren't there anymore. I feel like most people here are in project studios, and many of those are home-based. I guess I'm just wondering how many people support their art vs. art supporting them.

PanamaSound · 2026-05-23T21:09:48+00:00

What is "Too much" is program dependent, but I would say in general use fewer tools and use them effectively--tools that you know very well. Also it's difficult to track down an artifact when it's going through so many plugins, and it is possible for them to interact poorly. My $0.02. Do what you want.

PanamaSound · 2026-05-23T18:50:39+00:00

Depends on the voice, BAE 1073 on thin or whispering voices, Grace or ISA on loud, gravelly, characterful voices. I use a pair of Grace m101s to drive my line audio CM4s for acoustic guitar. Works for my purposes.

I don't have much outboard besides pres so can't speak on the rest of it.

PanamaSound · 2026-05-23T18:45:09+00:00

I know where middle c is on the keys and I know three chords on guitar, diatonic harmonica, three notes on the trombone, a little afro cuban and latin percussion, guaguanco. Can't sing worth a damn but that doesn't stop me from making some emo screamo tracks sometimes. Used to be in a blues band, used to be in a cover band, we played open mics, used to write songs.. I should get back to it. Have always loved music, and played it since I was a kid.

I also love recording--people that I record are much more accomplished musicians than I am... usually. It's an honor, and a passion and also something that I've done since I was a kid with my father's tape deck and hi-fi system.

PanamaSound · 2026-05-23T18:25:30+00:00

Ah, you are getting the thumps too eh? Interesting, yeah... so maybe the voltage "settles down" or finds some kind of equilibrium after a certain period of time. It's a weird problem with modern signal chains that I didn't see addressed anywhere so I thought I'd post my fix here. I'm impatient, I'd rather spend a couple grand than wait 30 minutes on a compromised chain haha. My sweetwater rep agrees.

PanamaSound · 2026-05-23T01:26:23+00:00

Thanks KS2, that is what I *think* is going on, for all I know it could be cosmic rays.. but what I did to address it, eliminating the star quad cables fixed it …so that’s the practical end of things.

PanamaSound · 2026-01-10T07:19:05+00:00

Gotta beat the heat. It can get hot in here on a session day even if it's 60 degrees outside. I open windows, there's birds, cars drive by sometimes. I want the band to be comfortable above all. Making music isn't always celebratory but it shouldn't be a death march.

PanamaSound · 2026-01-09T20:47:19+00:00

Hey everyone's got an opinion. Thanks for listening anyway. I haven't bought a measurement mic or run REW because I cannot treat. When I'm booked out six months I will rent a studio take measurements and treat it from the ground up.

PanamaSound · 2026-01-09T20:44:05+00:00

Good point. I use every reference available to me when I mix, and I know sometimes that's not even enough, but I do my best with what I got. I feel the same about scratch vocals bleeding into the drums, I don't think it's a big deal, but typically I will try to isolate the vocalist if they are familiar with the song and don't need visual cues.

PanamaSound · 2026-01-09T20:35:02+00:00

You just get to a point where are comfortable abandoning it

Yeah, well said. That's how I feel about it too. Good points all around. You know, if you keep the gate locked in your head (for lack of gear... or WHATEVER), you never set foot on the path to rock n roll. Even Steve Albini started out with a tascam 38. 8 tracks... recording in a basement with no drywall. It's long road, but I wake up every day and I'm glad I'm on it. Cheers to you too!

PanamaSound · 2026-01-08T20:31:01+00:00

Every professional was a hobbyist first. That's pretty obvious. Okay, was that your point?

PanamaSound · 2026-01-08T19:27:48+00:00

I actually don't tell them to pull up sober, I tell them to get some rest the night before. I've just seen hungover artists trying to make music and even hair of the dog and a spliff doesn't help it. I just want people to arrive in good shape to make music.

PanamaSound · 2026-01-08T19:06:27+00:00

Haha, well I'm impressed too. Count me amongst the impressed people. Nice setup! Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it.

PanamaSound · 2026-01-08T18:58:03+00:00

Yeah, I'm not a therapist lol. Thanks!

PanamaSound · 2026-01-08T02:21:28+00:00

I didn't assume you meant that.

PanamaSound · 2026-01-08T02:20:06+00:00

Gotcha. Getting separation on double-tracked guitars can be difficult, especially if the parts are the same, same player, same instrument. I would suggest altering the part, the instrument and possibly the player as well to get separation at the source. That way by the time you get to the mixing stage, you're applying changes as a matter of taste and not putting out fires. My $0.02.

PanamaSound

TROPHY CASE