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Preamps have been a hot topic in the recording world over the past few months. Are they all the same? How much do they matter? Plenty of folks have weighed in, but when it comes down to it, we know that preamps play a pivotal role in the recording process, and the one you choose can have a real impact on the final result.
Recently, we headed into the Scramble Shack to cut one song with three different kinds of preamps at the exact same time. For this test, we used the preamps from two Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 Gen 2 interfaces, along with two modern classics in the Neve 1073LB and API 512v.
For each source, we used Radial Engineering JS3 mic splitters to send the same microphone signal to all three preamps simultaneously. We also bypassed the Scarletts’ conversion and sent the output of each preamp directly into the studio’s Avid HD I/O. This way we could keep the conversion consistent across all three signal paths.
Watch our video below to hear all three mixes and performances from Olivia Dear (Vocals), Ryan McGuire (Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Bass), Bob Mervak (Piano), and Bryan Reilly (Drums). Continue on after to hear full mixes and stems from the session or download the WAV files here.
Vocals
For tracking Olivia's vocals, we used a vintage Shure SM7, which ran through a Radial JS3 splitter before being sent to the Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, Neve 1073LB, and API 512v. Each stem was treated with the same compression and Bricasti M7 reverb settings.
Acoustic Guitar
Ryan's acoustic guitar was miked with a matched pair of Soyuz 013 FET small-diaphragm condenser microphones. Each microphone was routed through a indivudal Radial JS3 splitter before being sent to the preamps.
Electric Guitar
Bryan Reilly used a Shure SM57 and Royer Labs R-121 to capture Ryan's vintage Fender guitar and amp. Both microphones were routed through individual Radial JS3 splitters before being sent to the preamps.
Bass
For the bass tracks, Ryan plugged directly into a TAB-Funkenwerk V71 DI. From there, the signal was routed through a Radial JS3 splitter and sent to all three preamps simultaneously.
Piano
For the piano tracks, Bryan used a stereo pair of Coles 4038 ribbon microphones. As with the other sources, each microphone was routed through its own Radial JS3 splitter, sending identical signals to a corresponding set of three preamps.
Drums
The microphone lineup for drums was pretty classic, with a Shure Beta 52A on kick, a Shure SM57 on snare, and a pair of Coles 4038s on overheads. From there, each microphone was routed through its own Radial JS3 splitter, sending identical signals to all three preamp types. In total, we used four JS3 splitters, four Neve 1073LBs, four API 512vs, and two Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 interfaces, each with two built-in preamps.
