QuestionI'm actually using them to mix hip hop tracks. Do you still believe that I need a subwoofer? I head that mixing with a subwoofer can make the mix sound like it needs more bass than it actually does.
I'm using these monitors for near mixing.
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Using Dynaudio BM5As. About $1000 for the pair.
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No I'm using very expensive monitors...I just wanted to "warm things up." Perhaps that's just not needed though. Anyhoo, I do need a mic pre anyway.
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I'm using a Korg OASYS...which is the top of the line keyboard on the market...period. It's like $8500. Again, I don't really have a budget so I'm just trying to make the sound warmer (a bit altered)...but maybe I'm going a little overkill.
But honestly, what do you like more, tube or solid-state? Specific models?
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I'm using a Korg OASYS keyboard and I want to warm up the sound a bit...so I'm considering buying a high-end preamp (2 channels). What do you recommend?
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Explain to me a little more what you have in mind. Are you just looking for more gain in order to get a louder output or are you looking to alter the sound quality?
If the latter, maybe you need an eq in the line or a fuzz box of some kind; not a preamp.
Any standard, high quality control amp will give you more gain and drive to a power amp.
Korg is good stuff; I wonder why you would want to "warm" it up?
The Triton Extreme 88 is known as being a good unit to warm up the sound, but it is a valve/tube unit with a pretty high price tag.
There are many to choose from; my experience is this is a very subjective business and the musician must audition several units and pick one that is going to get the sound looked for in the system that is at hand.
I won't go into my dissertation on tube vs transistor sound, but in my opinion a transistor unit can be designed to sound as good or better than tube units. The tube unit has the advantage of being transformer coupled; when they are driven hard they produce lots of even harmonic distortion; many people like this sound, but it is not realistic.
Oh well; back to the subjective approach!
Cleggsan
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What I like may not be what you like. I am a transistor person, but I know most musician types perfer tube.
I don't have any specific recommendations; it has been some time since fooling around with them. Past years I have been fond of Peavy and Gibson stuff, but they are not suitable for keyboard augmentation.
I like the Korg keyboards. They are good stuff; do they really need to be improved upon? For a warmer sound, maybe you need to look at the monitor speakers you are using; there is a much greater difference among speakers than among amplifiers - by a factor of 10!
Cleggsan
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http://www.samash.com/catalog/search.asp?Method=2&SearchPhrase=mic+preamp&ovchn=
Sam Ash has a pretty good line up of stuff in your category.
I am curious to know what monitor speakers you are hanging on your Korg board?
Cleggsan
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Lots of chat in the forums on these speakers.
They are two way and used for studio monitor - which is for up close listening and with them "pointed" at the board operator. Therefore, if you are using them at a more distant configuration and in a large room they surely do need "warming up".
Also, if you are using them for playback and practice, you need subwoofer augmentation as the low end on these rascals is only about 55 Hz. Adding a sub will extend the bass experience that the Korg is so good at. I don't know if that will improve the "warmth" to you, but it would to me.
Good Luck,
Cleggsan
AnswerWhat? Quite the contrary. Lack of bass during the mix will tend to make you think you need more bass. Hip and rock need good solid earth shaking bass in the original recording.
Therefore, as an old recording engineer I recommend you have the fullest, best and greatest wide-band sound reproduction possible during the mixing and editing and any work in the studio.
There are many mic preamps around and I hope you find one that is satisfactory. Keep in mind that many microphones have recommendations as to the preamps you should use with it. So, check it out carefully as you investigate.
If you are located in the Florida area I can heartily recommend a course or two at the university of Miami which has a recording technology program that is tops in the world. They teach all about these kinds of things.
http://mue.music.miami.edu/index.php
Is there web page and Ken Pohlmann, a friend of mine, is the director of the program. There is none better for all music categories.
Have a great day,
Cleggsan
