Home Recording Studio Guru » true systems

Microphone Preamp Question For Big Al

Big Al — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:00:40 +0000

I received an e-mail from Mike today with a great question…

“Would you have any suggestions on a good pre amp in the 500 dollar range? I use a Shure SM-57 and a Korg D3200, mic all my guitars and bass. I just can’t afford the computer and software setup just now.”

With all the preamps I’ve gone through in this price range, I think the hands-down winner is the True Systems P-Solo, no question.

The True Systems P-Solo Ribbon Mic Pre

It sounds as good as preamps costing many times more. There are two models, the P-Solo and the P-Solo Ribbon. Since you’re using a dynamic microphone I would have to recommend the P-Solo Ribbon, as it has the extra gain that you’ll need for your Shure SM-57. If you later want to use a microphone that requires phantom power it’s easy and inexpensive ($30-$40) to add an external box that can do that for you.

I personally have this model and I love it, it’s great. If you’d like to read what I’ve written on it before, click here to see my review.

Microphone Preamp Question For Big Al is a post from: Home Recording Studio Guru

Three Mic Pres Under $500: Black Lion Audio, True Systems and FMR Audio

Big Al — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:02:35 +0000

I included this video as part of another post some time ago. I was reviewing the information again today and thought it really deserved a post of its own.

This comes from Ronan C. Murphy over at Ronan’s Recording Show. Here are some notes on this video from Ronan:

This episode I look at the FMR Audio “RNP”, Black Lion Audio “Auteur” and True Systems “P-Solo” in my quest to find a great mic pre under $500 bucks. It’s pretty long winded but has tips and perspective aimed at beginner recording engineers and home studio recordists about testing gear and avoiding latency in native DAWs.

When I tested the pres almost all the big stores had the P-Solo under $500, but they seemed to have raised the prices when I posted this episode. I found at least one dealer that still sells it under $500 - Zen Pro Audio.

Three Mic Pres Under $500: Black Lion Audio, True Systems and FMR Audio is a post from: Home Recording Studio Guru

True Systems P-Solo Microphone Pre Shoot Out Part II

Big Al — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 09:15:42 +0000

A few days ago I did the first shootout between the P-Solo pre and the built-in pre on the Digidesign 002.

It was a test with my speaking voice. The differences were certainly there, but I wanted to find something else that showed how different it really is, something that comes across even with MP3 compression.

What I found was the in-studio Stratocaster.

I just got to thinking, how would the P-Solo perform in its role as a direct box? The answer is, very well! Not only that, the difference between it and the Digidesign 002 pre was nothing short of astounding.

So here you go — two short audio clips, one with the guitar plugged straight into the P-Solo and one with the guitar plugged straight into the Digidesign 002.

Now, I’m no guitar player and I’m about to prove it.

Guitar Direct - 002

Guitar Direct - P-Solo

I believe you’ll find the difference between the two more than obvious.

In the coming weeks I hope to do more tests with acoustic guitar, other vocals and perhaps even some percussion.

True Systems P-Solo Microphone Pre Shoot Out Part II is a post from: Home Recording Studio Guru

The True Systems P-Solo Ribbon Mic Pre Review

Big Al — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:23:03 +0000

Yes! It’s finally here, and it works!

For those of you that have been following my saga, Sweetwater shipped me a replacement unit the same day that I shipped back the defective one. Not only that, they express shipped it so that it arrived before the holiday. Yay!

So, how is it? The answer: It’s great! My favorite part is the little light that actually comes on when you turn it on.

The P-Solo Ribbon has very few bells and whistles. It does one thing and it does it really well. It amplifies your microphone signal, clean and clear. It also has plenty of gain, perfect for dynamic and ribbon microphones (hence the name).

Since it was designed for dynamics and ribbons it doesn’t have phantom power. However, you can add external phantom power for less than $50. That will be my next purchase so that I can run all of my condenser mics through this as well.

My first reaction to the sound of this unit was how natural and full it sounded. There’s that extra little bit of smooth presence that you get in a really nice quality pre.

The other thing I noticed was that a signal recorded through it responded very favorably to EQ. It didn’t take much to add a little warmth and a little sparkle. And when boosting the high-end there wasn’t any grittiness that I’ve heard with lesser units.

I had a couple of requests to do a shoot out between the P-Solo and the stock pres on my Digidesign 002. So I did.

Shure SM7 - P-Solo
Here I am reading a couple of sentences recorded with my Shure SM7 into the P-Solo.

Shure SM7 - 002 Stock Pre
Here I am reading the same copy with my Shure SM7 directly into one of the stock mic pres on the Digidesign 002.

Comparison
For instant comparison purposes, here I am reading the same short snippet of copy four times. The first time is the P-Solo, the second time is the Digidesign 002, the third time is the P-Solo again and the fourth time is the Digidesign 002 again.

Comparison with EQ
Here are those same four comparisons, this time with added EQ set identically for each pass.

Some of the subtleties are not as apparent due to the MP3 compression used in the files above. However, I think you can still hear some difference including when EQ is applied.

Also, this quick shootout was just one source, my voice. After what I’ve heard in just this small test I can tell that I’m going to be pleasantly surprised with a variety of different sources. Even when the difference is small, it’s these type of differences that add up when you put one source on top of another…and another…within a mix.

At around $500 the true systems P-Solo Ribbon is quite a value indeed. The rule of thumb for the cost of a high quality mic pre is often pegged somewhere about $1,000 per channel. Now, for that same money you can have two very nice mic pres!

I should mention that the P-Solo is also available in a model with phantom power. There’s also an eight channel version that comes in a one space rack and a one-channel 500 series module.

Thanks again to Sweetwater for a great prize and great customer service, even for a freebie!

Click here to visit the official True Systems site

Click here to visit Sweetwater’s site

The True Systems P-Solo Ribbon Mic Pre Review is a post from: Home Recording Studio Guru

UPDATE: Saga Of The Busted Pre – Part II

Big Al — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:51:10 +0000

Well, Sweetwater has impressed me again.

I received an e-mail at 6 AM this morning with details on how to print a pre-paid return shipping label for FedEx. Yes, 6 AM on a Saturday morning!

As soon as I slap this label on this box, ship it off and e-mail them the tracking number, they will immediately ship me a new replacement unit.

Having electronic gear arrive DOA is nothing new. I just hate it when it happens to me! LOL

This is also the reason I “test burn” all the gear that I get. I take it out of the package, plug it in, and leave it on till the cows come home. If it’s going to fail it’s going to fail in the first couple of weeks, at least that’s my experience.

So, it looks like I won’t have to wait long after all to get my new pre. Congrats to Sweetwater on their excellent customer service. Once again, they haven’t let me down.

UPDATE: Saga Of The Busted Pre – Part II is a post from: Home Recording Studio Guru

The True Systems P-Solo Ribbon Mic Pre Is In The House . . . Oh Wait . . .

Big Al — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:07:35 +0000

As you may (or may not) know Sweetwater Sound ran a Twitter contest and I won! Yay me! I’ve never won anything in my life, so this is a great first for me.

The prize? A True Systems P-Solo Ribbon mic pre, retail value $535.00! I about soiled myself when I won.

I had just seen Ronan Murphy review this unit in a shootout he did over on Ronan’s Recording Show.

Against a Black Lion Autere and a FMP RNP, the P-Solo stomped them according to Ronan. He also compared it to a few of his very high end mic pres and it fared very nicely. After I saw that I said to myself, “Self, I think you’re going to have to get one of those some day soon!” Little did I know.

The Sweetwater engineer handling this contest is John Grabowski, Director of Purchasing. After I won he contacted me right away and had the unit shipped out the very same day. Yeah, go John!

So, as I eagerly waited for the FedEx truck I tracked the progress across the US from Sweetwater’s location in Fort Wayne, Indiana using the tracking area of their web site.

Today the big day came and I took delivery of my prize. Time for a small victory dance!

I took it out of the box. Looks good…real good. Nice all metal case; feels solid. I can’t wait to try it out with my Shure SM7.

Next, I clean off a space on the top of my rack for it and get it all set into it’s new home. I pulled all the cords from my current pre and wired up the P-Solo. Cool, all ready to give it the first test.

I hit the power switch . . . NOTHIN’!

Check the voltage switch on the back, it looks good. I try the switch a couple of more times . . . still NOTHIN’! DOH!

Ah! Maybe there’s an outlet problem. I try it in an outlet across the room. Nothin’. Different circuit maybe? I try an outlet in the hallway…the kitchen…the living room…ARGHHHHHH!

Oh! Wouldn’t it be funny if this was just a case of a bad power cord? Of course, it’s always the simple things. I plug in a fresh cord…GAHHH!

Oh, the manual says it has fuses, that must be it! They probably got all wonkers in shipping and just need to be reseated. I pull out the fuse tray, reseat the fuses, push the tray back in, plugin it in. Nope. I must’ve missed something so I do it again. And again. And again.

DOUBLE DOH!

It’s time to face the music (or the lack of it) . . . it’s DOA, Dead On Arrival. Well, at least it looks good, as you can see by the picture below.

The True Systems P-Solo Ribbon Mic Pre

And now it’s the weekend and Sweetwater won’t be open again until Monday. By the time all is said and done it’s going to another week or two until I get a working unit. Blerg. I sent out an e-mail to John explaining what happened. This way he’ll get it first thing Monday morning

But, I was about to get a surprise. John e-mailed me back, on a Saturday! Here’s a little of what he said after issuing instructions to the service department on my behalf:

“Allen, looks like you’ll get to experience our tech support / service department firsthand. We’ll get you taken care of right away.”

Short and sweet and just what I needed to hear. Sweetwater has never let me down in the customer service department and it looks like that tradition continues.

Oh well, I’ll just sit here and stare at it and imagine what it might sound like.

I’ll keep you posted as the Saga Of The Busted Pre continues to unfold.

Meanwhile, here’s the episode of Ronan’s Recording Show featuring a working P-Solo:

The True Systems P-Solo Ribbon Mic Pre Is In The House . . . Oh Wait . . . is a post from: Home Recording Studio Guru