Audio Equipment

Preamps

Our fieldwork has revealed that the microphone preamps in many of the recording devices described above, although very quiet, do not always offer adequate gain under certain distant birdsong recording circumstances. High quality outboard preamps are available from several manufacturers that can help solve this problem. Another option available for the digital recording devices is to utilize a good external combination preamp/A/D converter. This offers the best of both worlds by providing not only a significant signal gain improvement, but also a dramatic improvement over the stock A/D converters found in most digital devices.

Grace Design, Inc. offers the Lunatec V3 that sells for about $1,600. This state of the art device is a two-channel, ultra low-noise preamp plus a high-resolution A/D converter system. It features 48-volt phantom powering, switchable high-pass filters, built-in mid/side recording matrix, and extensive metering capabilities. On the A/D converter side it handles sample rates up to 192 kHz and bit depths of up to 24. Both professional and consumer digital formats are supported. Field power is supplied by an external 6 or 12-volt DC battery pack (not supplied).

Sound Devices, LLC offer two, high-performance, low-noise preamps. The MP-1 (single channel) and the MixPre (dual channel) sell for about $420 and $855 respectively. Both units feature switchable high-pass filters and 48-volt phantom power. Two AA batteries are required for power.

Benchmark Media Systems, Inc. offers the MicMan Jr. that sells for about $435. This preamp is a high-quality, two-channel, high gain, low noise device. It does not offer 48-volt phantom power. Field powering is accomplished via a pair of 9-volt alkaline batteries.