Newbie needs help, plz! at DVinfo.net

Jonas Hansen · April 30th, 2004, 12:59 PM

Hi,

Im a newbie, going to get my first mic -- be gentle!

Going to purchase sennheiser 416 and a mackie mixer. What is a preamp, and do I need one? If I need one, could you recommend a reliable, cheap one? (I know you get what you pay for!)

Thanks for your time!

Jay Massengill · April 30th, 2004, 01:18 PM

What kind of recording work are you trying to do? That mic and mixer is a bit of an odd combination because the 416 is generally for portable outdoor recording and Mackie mixers are almost always used in a fixed location with AC power.
A preamp is necessary to bring a mic-level signal up to line-level.
Cameras with mic inputs have this built in. Mixers have it built into their mic inputs.
A separate preamp is a specialized device just for pre-amplifying a mic signal before sending it to a device that uses line-level signals.

Allen Nash · May 5th, 2004, 10:26 PM

A mixer is a pre-amp with mixing abilities, so no you don't need a pre-amp because you'll already have one built in. Make sure you research your mixers and get one for DV audio, not a DJ-type mixer. They are different.

April 30th, 2004, 12:59 PM	#1
Jonas Hansen New Boot Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Posts: 17	Newbie needs help, plz! Hi, Im a newbie, going to get my first mic -- be gentle! Going to purchase sennheiser 416 and a mackie mixer. What is a preamp, and do I need one? If I need one, could you recommend a reliable, cheap one? (I know you get what you pay for!) Thanks for your time!

April 30th, 2004, 01:18 PM	#2
Jay Massengill Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Burlington Posts: 1,976	What kind of recording work are you trying to do? That mic and mixer is a bit of an odd combination because the 416 is generally for portable outdoor recording and Mackie mixers are almost always used in a fixed location with AC power. A preamp is necessary to bring a mic-level signal up to line-level. Cameras with mic inputs have this built in. Mixers have it built into their mic inputs. A separate preamp is a specialized device just for pre-amplifying a mic signal before sending it to a device that uses line-level signals.

May 5th, 2004, 10:26 PM	#3
Allen Nash Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: S.F., California Posts: 61	A mixer is a pre-amp with mixing abilities, so no you don't need a pre-amp because you'll already have one built in. Make sure you research your mixers and get one for DV audio, not a DJ-type mixer. They are different.