Being a musician is probably the most rewarding thing there is. To get to share your art with people is more satisfying than what you could possibly imagine, and it’s a chance that few people get to experience.

It is obviously easier said than done to get there, and unfortunately, talent isn’t enough for you to make it. You need to have intimate knowledge of the industry and what it takes to succeed in that world. But before you get to that, you have to understand how to record your music, because not every artist will have a million-dollar studios and experienced producers to help them out.

One of the basics of recording that you need to fully understand is a preamp.

What is a preamp?

If you’ve ever dabbled in the world of studio recording, you have probably heard the word preamp, and you might have even encountered one without knowing. But if you are serious about recording music, it is important that you understand what a preamp is and how it works, because you will be needing it.

Preamp –– short for preamplifier –– is either a dedicated external device used in studio to record vocals or instruments, or it can be a circuit of the same name within devices you are already using. So, what exactly does it do? This device or circuit is supposed to enhance the sound quality, because the microphones you are using come with a slight problem.

Your regular microphone signals produce a lower voltage than they should –– it can be anything between 20 and 80 dB less than the required output for a decent sound quality. It is important that you check a preamp guide to understand why that happens and how the device works to rectify that discrepancy you get, especially with vocals, which is why any person recording vocals needs a decent preamp.

Back to our original point, due to the fact that microphone signals are less than the optimal operating level, they basically need correction to get that extra gain so they wouldn’t sound so quiet after recording. You actually need a preamp for recording any sounds, but bass and guitars, for instance, require less gain in comparison to mics.

How does it improve sound quality?

What the preamplifier does is it boosts the microphone-level signal that needs extra gain. This microphone level signal is boosted to the line level one coming from instruments like guitars, keyboards, and others that are connected to compressors, equalizers, converters, and the rest of your recording gear.

In other words, the preamp takes the mic’s volume and raises it to be at the same level of other instruments that you are using, to avoid having discrepancies between the different sounds you’re recording. This is why it is crucial that you get one while recording music, or else you will get a very low volume from your microphones, and the overall sound quality will be pretty poor.

What makes a good preamp?

Before we get into whether or not you would need an external preamp, you should know what to look for in one. You will want a preamp with high transparency, which is how naturally it transmits the recorded input –– with no edits or change in tone, also known as coloration.

Another thing you need to consider in a preamp is whether or not you are going to be using it only for vocals –– it will have one channel only –– or for vocals as well as other instruments, which means it will have several channels. Generally speaking, it is often best if you went with preamplifiers that have only one channel, because they offer a better sound quality.

Do you need an external preamp?

We mentioned earlier that a preamp can come with your audio interface, or you can buy an external one. So, do you really need one more piece of equipment? Well, you might not, but it does come with added benefits. An external preamp offers an even improved sound quality, simply because its design is more sophisticated, which helps it improve transparency and quality.

One of the best features of external amps is the fact that they can help you add special characters to the sound, like vintage effects or something, which you will not be able to get with your average built-in preamplifier. They also come with extra features like phase reverse and pad switches.

At the end of the day, you want to record the best sound possible, and the preamp will help you do just that. Whether or not you should settle with the one you already have in your gear depends on several factors like how good you are with such gear and whether or not you’re doing this just for fun. But eventually, if you really want to record music, an external preamp is necessary.

Shift Frequency © 2020 – Preamp: What it is and
How it Improves Sound Quality