Hey!
 
At the moment I connect my Epiphone Black Beauty (modified with Gibson mics) directly to my Roland Quad Capture card. Is it worth investing in a separate preamp? What would you recommend for a guy who need to spend every penny wisely. Is there anywhere where I can listen to some sound examples of the same guitar recorded directly with built in preamp of soundcard compared to the same recordning with different preamps? I know of one site but they charged for a CD with examples. Not interested in that. ;)
 
And no. I cant spend any huge amounts on a preamp. Around 300 bucks perhaps.
 
/M
 
 

I have a Roland VS-100 that I believe have the same preamps in it as does the Quad Capture.

I plug my LP, SG, Carvin (with active pups), two Fender Squires, and an Ibanez bad through the VS-100 and have had good results.

I'm thinking what you have may do unless you really are looking for some pristine uncolored sound. But then that may cost more than you want to spend to get better than what you already have.

What don't you like about the sound your getting now?

Sound on the Quad is ok. I was just wondering if I in any way would gain from getting a separate preamp.
 
Guess I focus on other areas then. :)
 
/M

A good transformer-based preamp can have all kinds of beneficial sonic impact - around the edges.  My standard set up (and 3rd choice here at home if I'm using the other preamps) is a warm audio WA12.  It is a good, basic professional preamp, API design.  Custom wound transformers.  And I DI the bass through it and mic the guitar amp (which is pretty standard).  Advantages over a bog standard interface DI:  the transformers round off the sound a little bit more so it is smoother, which, counterintuitively, allows you to drive a sound harder and still sound good, not spikey.  And in the digital medium a good analog front-end translates better - more like the big studios who use wholesome analog.  And if you use the Warm preamp w/ a mic, all these advantages are compounded.  Plus more gain w/o crapping out, which let's you use different mic techniques and place the source farther from the mic, giving more air in your recordings (something else the big studios use).  There is no reason not to use a good front end except for cost.
 
And there is the rub.  That $400-500 might be better spent on whatever that makes your recording life better.  A better computer or mic might further your music making more than a preamp, which only affects the last  5- 10% of the sound and, like everything else, needs to be learned how to use it best.  So your money might be better spent today on something else.  On the other hand, a good preamp can be a lifetime investment and, if you are into recording for the long haul, the subtle difference can really add up, esp. as you learn to take advantage of it for a couple of dollars a month.  And if you are worried about that last bit of sound quality, there ain't no cheap alternative.
 
One other thing - ART makes a little preamp/DI box for about $50 w/ a tube in it.  It is useful in its own right as a splitter, etc., the tube is a starved plate thing, and the preamp is no differently designed than the one you have in the Roland (the Roland might even be a tad better), but plug in a bass and add a little of the tube (output, if I recall) and you can achieve a nice fluffy bass sound.  Not for metal etc., but useful in some styles and different than what you have.  And it is a great piece for your live bag, if nothing else.  I still use it to split live bass, sending one output to the amp and the other to the house or FOH or wherever.
 
@

All less than what you list for price, sometimes way less depending on what you get.
 
I don't know where you can listen, but you can buy a modeling amp and use the headphones out (although it may not be exactly quiet) where they simulate the amp cabinet and also with all the effects to record with for way less that the amount you gave.
Which amp though, may be a question though?
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Mustang2V2/
I have the 100 watt version and have not tried it actually to record, but found it is noisy. I used digitech unit before, and I think a Boss unit will be better that have outs to go either to a mixer or an amp and of course you use it like going to a mixer to record with and those, well, can be quiet, or with amp simulations - maybe noisy a bit like an regular amp).
 
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/VT40Plus/
 
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RP255/
 
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ME25/
 
Just examples because there are other places online-and local stores where those can be bought.
All of those I suppose especially the amps would all be pre-amps, ya, probably all of those in that sense.
I just find I need a volume pedal for the amps (something I have to get) because I like volume pedals to adjust during the song (use to that on keyboards) although it may throw out the back a little standing up, which to me is better than sitting down while playing.
 
Otherwise??
 
a DI box perhaps but I never have used one so..................................can't say much.
 
Just have to find a local store and try things out, but the new amps you can use the headphone out to record with.
Oh, forgot one amp that probably will sell a lot of:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SupChampX2/
 

• Voicing knob with 16 different amp types (Tweed, Blackface™, British, Metal, etc.)
• 15 effects; TAP tempo control for delay time/modulation rate adjustments
• One 10" Fender Special Design speaker, external speaker out, 1/4" line out
• USB output for speaker-emulated digital recording

Oh, no headphone jack - well USB recording to me, lacks in sample rate adjustments for different rates.
But since it is tube mainly I suppose people will buy it.
???
Then again, all you can do is try anything out and see from there where it may lead.
 
Then again you can also ask here after signing up or look around there:
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/
 
 

W

You can look at these also and hear them (and obviously instead of headphones record from it probably also).
http://www.voxamps.com/us/amplug/
http://www.voxamps.com/us/support/demos/#amplugnighttrain
 
??
 
 

Hey!
 
Thanks for all the replies. But this more or less confirms my suspicions. I record the guitar DI and after that I do all kinds of processing amp sim, comp, Waves NLS, tape sim etc... So I dont need a preamp for coloring the sound. I do all of that in post.
 
/M
 
 

Coloring is kind of a misnomer when talking about preamps/DI.  It can help give a tone, but in my experience one DI ain't that different from another, but more a matter of getting a solid impression.  And yes, that can help when you start adding effects, esp. amp sims.
 
The exception to this is preamps with both gain and output control.  I know that the Gap preamp does this, tho I haven't really mucked around with it.  It is in that price range tho.  I do have the Warm Tonebeast, and the saturation and even distortion you can wring out it is great sounding - better than many sims and most crappy amps.  If one is in a situation that requires using a DI (say, an apt. dweller) you can get great sounds using the TB for the (analog) distortion and a basic sim to add cabinet, air, etc.  The TB's distortion also works nicely being played into - the real-time response of analog seems nicer to me than digital - just like a good compressor.
 
But again spending the $600 to be able to use a preamp for only one of its capabilities is not silly or a waste, but is probably not the best use of limited money.  Good analog does make a subtle but real difference, but one you probably can't hear and use on $200 speakers from the corner of a square room.  And when people do spend that money, they either hear the placebo effect or none at all and curse their purchase and anyone who told them it would be a difference maker.  Their song still sucks ;-)
 
@

Nope! Need a pre-amp for many a reason and effects. I also use a channel strip also.
The whole ball of wax!

The trick is that it is your song, you do it how you want to or have the means to do the sound, critics notwithstanding.
What is one person's music is another person's blah, or pain.