Preamps tend to be a giant question mark when it comes to people who’re just starting out in the world of production (especially with your every-day DJ or electronic  music producer). Common questions arise:

1. Do I need a preamp?
2. Which preamp should I buy?

Continue reading to see the exciting answers to these questions!

Q. What is a preamp?
A preamp is a device (circuit) that takes a low-level signal (microphone, pickup, turntable) into a line-level signal.

Q. Do I need  a preamp?
A. If you’re contemplating buying a preamp, you should ask yourself this: what will I be recording? You should also consider your role in the realm of production: are you an engineer, that is, do you plan on recording bands, singer-songwriters, or projects along those lines? Are you a DJ that needs to record mixes and MAYBE do some MC work? Are you a drum & bass/dubstep producer who plans on living in the digital audio world? Thinking about these topics will help you out, a lot.

If you plan on recording bands…yes
Yes, you WILL need a preamp. And more than just one, mind you. You’ll  need a preamp for every microphone you plan on having. For example, I’m recording a five piece indie band. Drums, bass, guitar, keys and a singer.

- For a typical drum setup, I’ll use a dynamic mic on the kick, a dynamic mic on the snare, probably a dynamic mic for each tom (rack & floor), a condenser on the hi-hat, and two condensers for the overheads.

- For bass and keys, its DI all the way.

- For guitar, I’ll use two dynamics on the amp.

- For vocals, another condenser.

For this scenario, you will need at least 13 preamps. And, aside from that, you’ll need preamps with phantom power (because dynamics don’t need phantom power but condensers do).

Your best bet is to not buy 13 separate preamps, however. Rather you should invest in an interface with built-in preamps (see list of gear below).

If you’re a DJ…no
I say this using the typical DJ scenario: you have two CDJs and a mixer; you want to record your mixes and MAYBE do some MC work. You want to do very basic recording. The reason you won’t need a preamp is because your mixer probably already has a preamp. That, and you don’t even need an interface to record your mixes. All you need is a computer with a line-in input and a Y-cable (dual RCA to 1/8″ mini).

If you’re really set on doing some mic work and your mixer doesn’t have any type of preamp, see my list of gear below for some mixers that have built-in pres.

If you’re producing original music…maybe
Again, it really depends. Most electronic music/hip-hop producers are making beats. Some more experienced hip-hop guys might record vocals, but the every day run-of-the-mill guys will probably not do this right away.

Most of your stuff will be MIDI or samples pulled from CDs, DVDs, etc. Your gear will be connected either via MIDI or thru a USB/FireWire port, so no need for a preamp there.

If you decide to record vocals, you will need a preamp (and a decent condenser). In this case, you might consider buying something like a small interface (MBox, etc). Check the list for some decent stuff.

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The Gear List! In this part, I’ll list potential gear (suiting different budgets) for the DJ, producer, or engineer. Be sure to do a little research on every piece of gear you buy, though.

For the engineers…
On a Budget: PreSonus FP10 – around $400 – FireWire, 8 pres plus 2 instrument inputs, able to daisy-chain
Little Cash to Spend: Focusrite Saffire PRO 26 – around $600 – 8 pres, 2 instrument inputs, total of 26 ins/outs, 2 headphone buses
No Budget: M-Audio ProFire 2626 – around $700 – 8 pres, total of 26 ins/outs

For the DJs…
On a Budget: Gemini PDM-02 19 – around $200 – 7 line inputs, 3 mic inputs and 2 phono/line RCAs
Little Cash to Spend: Gemini CS-02 Professional – around $350 – 10 line inputs, 3 mic inputs, 3 phono/line RCAs
No Budget: Allen & Heath Xone:02 Battle Mixer - around $500 – 4 line inputs, 2 mic inputs (its a Xone, you’re not really paying for inputs, you’re paying for the Xone brand)

For the producers…
On a Budget: M-Audio Fast Track – around $99 – XLR, RCA, and instrument input – USB
Little Cash to Spend: Digidesign Mbox 2 Mini - around $300 – XLR and line inputs – USB
No Budget: Digidesign Mbox 2 Pro – around $700 – XLR/TRS with phantom power and RCA ins

Keep in mind that the gear list should be a starting point. There is cheaper and way more expensive gear, but I tried to choose pretty moderately priced, quality gear. Do some research, and tailor-fit your gear around what you need to accomplish.