Tube Preamp for Recording acoustic guitar....or Solid State?

Use a tube preamp to record acoustic guitar and you'll probably be glad you did.  Use a solid state mic preamp for acoustic guitar, and you'll probably also be glad.... We could call this Tube vs. Solid state, but I'd call SS AND Tube.  Or just: Get a good sound.

This is a demonstration of 2 different microphone preamplifiers.  One is a tube only preamp, and one is a solid state preamp mixer.

TUBE PREAMP:

The first is an all tube Mic preamp, featuring a 12AX7 and an EF86 (and tube rectifier - 6X4)
         This is a modified AKAI M8 Two channel preamp.  This was formerly a tape recorder preamp, and they are exceptionally quiet and well built.

PROS:
  When the gain levels are properly adjusted, this unit sounds great.
  Warm, smooth, round (but not dull) tube sound.
  Distortion options, if you want the source overdriven nicely.
  Great presence, and gentle compression effects

CONS:
  The units can be expensive if you don't modify a tape recorder yourself($600 for pre-made units).
  Searching for a donor unit can be a timely process.  Modding is also a time consuming process (between 8 and 16 hours, depending on skill level)
  Gain levels can be tricky to set at first- (but you rely more on your ears, which may be a good thing.
  This unit has no EQ
  No onboard phantom power.

SOLID STATE:
The second is a modern Solid State preamp which is available new at a street price of around $200 U.S.  It's a Mackie 802VLZ3, which has 3 very dynamic yet quiet mic preamps.
PROS:
  Somewhat inexpensive($200 street price for 3 solid mic preamp channels)
  Gain levels are easy to set with the onboard solo meter.
  Sound is great- clean and professional.
  Nice EQ section.  Good for nailing down a sound as it's going to tape.
  They are easy to find and use on the same day (vs. modding a used tape deck unit)
  Onboard phantom power.

CONS:
  The transients can be peaky, so you may need compressor software or an outboard compressor/Limiter
  People are generally skeptical of mass produced- compact units, so it may take time to convince artists of their crediblity.
Distortion appears as "Clipping" which is not a pleasant sound.
  Wall wart style power supply is annoying to carry around.


Common Factors:
The guitar is a Yamaha FG160 dreadnaught acoustic.
The microphone is an SM57, a very popular dynamic mic designed for miking instruments.
The mic cable is a hand made star-quad cable- canare brand(I think it's the best and it's my personal favorite!).

This is a very short, quiet signal chain, so It's easy to get professional results!

The sound card is an Emu 24bit/96k AD converter, recording at 24/96k.

The individual files were recorded at 96khz, 24bit and rendered to 16bit/44.1k to be inserted into the proper points of the video.

While this isn't really a shoot out, it should give you some idea of the sonic differences of each of these two mic preamplifiers.  Consider this more of a comparison.

Also, you get a pretty good idea of what a Yamaha dreadnaught FG160 sounds like miked with an sm57 pointed directly at the 12th fret, about 4 inches away. (hint: an sm58 will sound pretty much the same way...)

For each take, I was careful to play the same chords, in the same style and volume- with some arpeggios near the end of the pattern.  I was also careful about holding the guitar at the same distance/position from the mic.

It's true, there's a lot to consider when thinking about purchasing each of these mic preamps, but I hope this comparison has give you some insight about which might be better for your project!

At home or in the studio, the best gear to record your music is the usually the gear you know how to use the best.  That said, if you're looking for a new piece of gear and you are weighing your options about which way to go- either tube or solid state, I hope this entry helps you out.

Enjoy!