THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT PREAMPS
Hi,
Just thought some of you may be interested:
What is a preamp?
In general, the function of a preamp is to amplify a low level signal to line-level.
A list of common sources would include a pickup, microphone, turntable or other transducer. Equalization and tone control may also be applied.
EXAMPLES OF PREAMPS:
the integrated preamplifier in a foil electret microphone.
the first stages of an instrument amplifier.
a stand-alone unit for use in live music and recording studio applications.
as part of a stand-alone channel strip or channel strip built into an audio mixing desk.
a masthead amplifier used with television receiver antenna or a satellite receiver dish.
The circuit inside of a hard drive connected to the magnetic heads or the circuit inside of CD/DVD drive which connects to the photodiodes.
Why is this important?
In a guitar amplifier, the preamp usually includes tone controls, gain, (for distortion) and sometimes an effects loop. It does the same thing for Vocal
preamps, and can include mic modeling as well. On a mixer, the mic inputs include a mic preamp to raise a microphones input level. Line inputs on
a mixer do not have a preamp in them.
Things to consider:
If you are using an external microphone preamp or guitar preamp, and going into an amplifier or mixer, you want to go into a LINE input, not a MIC input on the mixer
With a guitar amplifier, if you are using an external preamp, you'd want to run into a line input or into an FX return, to bypass the guitar amps preamp.
Why?
When you run a preamped signal into another preamp, you are essentially running gain into gain, creating more noise than is necessary, which can cause
feedback or distortion. So, when using Digitech Preamp processors, keep this in mind when you go to add it to your rig.
Just thought some of you may be interested:
What is a preamp?
In general, the function of a preamp is to amplify a low level signal to line-level.
A list of common sources would include a pickup, microphone, turntable or other transducer. Equalization and tone control may also be applied.
EXAMPLES OF PREAMPS:
the integrated preamplifier in a foil electret microphone.
the first stages of an instrument amplifier.
a stand-alone unit for use in live music and recording studio applications.
as part of a stand-alone channel strip or channel strip built into an audio mixing desk.
a masthead amplifier used with television receiver antenna or a satellite receiver dish.
The circuit inside of a hard drive connected to the magnetic heads or the circuit inside of CD/DVD drive which connects to the photodiodes.
Why is this important?
In a guitar amplifier, the preamp usually includes tone controls, gain, (for distortion) and sometimes an effects loop. It does the same thing for Vocal
preamps, and can include mic modeling as well. On a mixer, the mic inputs include a mic preamp to raise a microphones input level. Line inputs on
a mixer do not have a preamp in them.
Things to consider:
If you are using an external microphone preamp or guitar preamp, and going into an amplifier or mixer, you want to go into a LINE input, not a MIC input on the mixer
With a guitar amplifier, if you are using an external preamp, you'd want to run into a line input or into an FX return, to bypass the guitar amps preamp.
Why?
When you run a preamped signal into another preamp, you are essentially running gain into gain, creating more noise than is necessary, which can cause
feedback or distortion. So, when using Digitech Preamp processors, keep this in mind when you go to add it to your rig.