Routing the output of one mic pre into another...

[AdamWathan]

Is this safe? It doesn't make sense to me how it couldn't be but I figured I'd ask. I'm going to pick up an SM7b soon and wanted to make sure I had a solution in case I didn't have enough gain. I was thinking I could route one of my preamps directly to one of my outputs in my Onyx 1200F and then plug that output into another preamp and run that one into the DAW, effectively giving me +120db of gain...

 

[Metaltastic]

Haha, I can't imagine why that'd be a problem, seeing as how if you were to plug an external preamp into the line input on, say, your Onyx, you'd still be running it through that channel's Onyx preamp (though it should be at the lowest possible setting) - however, the only difference is that your running the output of one preamp into another on the same unit, but it hardly seems dangerous enough to not warrant giving it a try!

 

[evolutions_end]

similar example, say you used a top end pre amp at the start of the chain (just after the mic) and ran it through a crappier preamp later in the chain, the quality would degrade right?

ie, the chain is only as strong as its weakest link?

 

[Metaltastic]

I think you'd be good as long as you kept the gain as low as possible on the crappier one, evolutions - still, I can't imagine running an API through an MBOX2 would sound as good as an API through a Fireface (and I'm not even talking about conversion here)

 

[AdamWathan]

Yeah, I figure if I turn the first preamp up as loud as I can get it before it gets noisy and then use the second one just to take it up that little extra to the level I need, I should be alright! Now I just need to get a damn DB25 cable for my interface.

 

[Trevoire520]

you could try getting a rode powerplug, its an in-line preamp for dynamic mic's that uses phantom power, iirc it gives it about 20db gain, so you'd only need one preamp after that. think it comes in at about $50. seems a perfect partner to a purchase of an sm7.