At 8:33 AM -0700 6/19/09, Paul Thomas wrote:
>Has anyone used the new ART USB DualPre as a very affordable ($80)
>battery-powered preamp? Ignoring the USB component, it looks like it might
>work out perfectly for field use. (Ideally I'd buy a MixPre, but bringing
>one of those home would probably result in "camping" in my back yard for,
>say, ten years.)
>
>Is the self-noise reasonably low? Are there any issues which would
>disqualify it for hobby-level soundscape recording?
>
>Thanks!
>-Paul
Hi Paul--
You might have to be the person to "give it a spin" and reports back
to us. If you buy it from a dealer like Sweetwater, they'll allow you
to return it if doesn't meet your needs. Wise to confirm this
verbally as you make the order too.
I'm not sure that ART USB DualPre is what is called a "stand-alone"
unit -- that-- is able to work as external mic pre without being
connected to a computer. It is interesting that they are promoting it
for portable applications, but note that they say, "With the USB Dual
Pre, your laptop, and a pair of quality condenser microphones you can
do some serious remote recording."
I see that the maximum gain is 48dB which is about 10-15 dB less than
most external pres we work with for nature recording. This is would
be okay for louder natural settings like daylight activity or if you
only use a dish. 48dB gain is not so great for ambience in quiet
locations.
Assuming it is stand-alone, you'd probably end-up using a battery
sled and the external power input rather than the battery. Despite
their suggestion of getting 20 hours of operation with one nine volt
battery, I think it would be closer to 1 hour, max.
Input noise performance is something that has to be tested with
actual gear and compared to known pres to be certain about.
"Acceptable" performance depends a lot on the self-noise of the mics
used. The lower gain of the unit will also tend to make whatever
noise is generated more evident.
I'm happy with some Art products I own. The cost/feature ratio is in
the "too good to be true" range, but its definitely worth a trial.
Rob D.
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