Author Topic: To pre or not to pre, that is the question

February 10, 2024, 08:59:04 AM
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AcdNrg

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So I´ve completed my first API box with a nice collection of stereo compressors, ie 5176, 502, 554 and 4500. And I have to admit I´m totally hooked. So what´s next?

- I don´t do any microphone work, no vocals, no acoustic instruments (for now)
- Electronic music 99% with attention to sound and timbre
- I like to color my signals and normally record first, then send signals through the compressors, often with a touch of saturation.

I wonder if preamps make context in that sense. Or if their color originates mainly from the transformers, which I already have in the compressors. How close is running line signals through a comp (not doing much compression) to what I would get from running them through one of the pres?

I assume (no clue synth guy here) that dialing in saturation may be somewhat easier and better controllable on a pre? Finer level control? Can only compare to an elysia skulpter through which I played a synth once: it seemed that from "clean" to "fat saturation" could be dialed in over a much wider path of the pot. Would that be similar with 528, 512 etc?

And could you order the different models by "intensity of color"? Can´t build all of them at once, so I´m looking for the more obvious ones to go first and save the subtle ones for later. From a video I´d put the TS more into the subtle category in comparison.

Or should I go for some of the EQs and push them?







February 10, 2024, 04:02:02 PM
Reply #1

JPK

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For drums, an obvious choice would be the MP573 followed by a pad500 in order to be able to drive it into saturation while controlling the output.
The tube MP566 is also interresting for the tube saturation.

How close is running line signals through a comp
A compressor is designed for line input signals, therefore very difficult to saturate.
JPK