Xenyx 802 vs MIC100

[jaypeecee]

Hi Folks,

Although the Xenyx 802 is very attractively priced, I can't help but feel that it's a bit excessive just to use as a single channel microphone preamp. The Xenyx 802 is, after all, an eight-channel mixer. However, I see that Behringer produces a single channel vacuum tube preamp - the MIC100. Would it be OK to use the Behringer ECM8000 with the MIC100?

JPC

[brucek]

Well, if you look at the specs it reads:

It features a carefully selected 12AX7 vacuum tube with UTC technology for exceptional warmth and lowest noise. Thus, the MIC100 can be used to eliminate the "dull" sound of standard digital recorders and sound cards. Also, it perfectly complements studio-grade condenser microphones. Dedicated Low Cut filter eliminates unwanted noise, e.g. floor rumble. .

All this verbiage really means is that it has anything but a flat response that you would require for a piece of test equipment to measure a room using REW. The HPF looks undefeatable, so your bottom end would be cut off; which may render it uncompensatable if attempting to include the preamp in the soundcard cal file.

You'd be better off with a solid state preamp that enjoys a flat response...

brucek

[jaypeecee]

Bruce,

Many thanks for your reply and I take your point entirely.

JPC

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Any reason REW couldn't create a calibration file for this thing?

Regards,
Wayne

[brucek]

Well, it depends on the severity of the HPF. As I mentioned above The HPF looks undefeatable, so your bottom end would be cut off; which may render it uncompensatable if attempting to include the preamp in the soundcard cal file..
If it's cut into the noise, you can't compensate.

brucek

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Hmm... I don't see any mention of a HPF at Behringer's site, or in the specs. Frequency response is shown as 10 Hz - 43 kHz +/-3 dB at the mic input. Kinda peculiar they specify FR at the input - kinda makes you wonder if something's going on with the output they don't want us to know about...

Regards,
Wayne

[brucek]

Hmm... I don't see any mention of a HPF

Yeah, interesting. I simply copied my answer from a similar question from some time ago and the quote below came from the manual at the time, but I don't see the dedicated low cut sentence there any more - maybe they removed it. Now they only talk about 'removing the dull sound'........ whatever that means. So, who knows maybe it's OK. I'm not too interested in tube distortion, but others like it. I don't think it's really the best way to go with a measurement tool though..

It features a carefully selected 12AX7 vacuum tube with UTC technology for exceptional warmth and lowest noise. Thus, the MIC100 can be used to eliminate the "dull" sound of standard digital recorders and sound cards. Also, it perfectly complements studio-grade condenser microphones. Dedicated Low Cut filter eliminates unwanted noise, e.g. floor rumble.

brucek