500 series and Meris 440 Help

[JTJ]

Hey guys, I have been recording for a little while now with an Apogee one interface and Logic 9 on my Macbook. Usually with a shure sm57 mic'd cab and older style amps with no effects loop. I really want to go ahead and jump into the rack based setup and am looking at the API 500 series lunchbox and Meris 440 mic pre and a starting point but I have never had any hands on experience with any kind of rack stuff period. I have looked at a lot of threads and done some reading but am still kinda cloudy on a few things.
When connecting the Meris pre to my Macbook, do you just use a usb to xlr cable?
What amp volumes can you record with this type of setup? (Usually i have to have my amp pretty loud with the sm57 and apogee one setup, to get a strong enough signal into logic)
And for any guys that have gone from the digital to analog route, would you have done anything different off the bat, bought this before that maybe; And what else did you end up filling your rack with?

 

[jonathansuhr]

You'd essentially be running the preamp like a stompbox before it hits the Apogee. You'd want the most amount of color coming from the modular preamp rather than the Apogee.

Sometimes, I prefer recording to my DAW and then route the signal out to use the preamp as a physical insert effect.

 

[Meris]

Hey guys, I have been recording for a little while now with an Apogee one interface and Logic 9 on my Macbook. Usually with a shure sm57 mic'd cab and older style amps with no effects loop. I really want to go ahead and jump into the rack based setup and am looking at the API 500 series lunchbox and Meris 440 mic pre and a starting point but I have never had any hands on experience with any kind of rack stuff period. I have looked at a lot of threads and done some reading but am still kinda cloudy on a few things.
When connecting the Meris pre to my Macbook, do you just use a usb to xlr cable?
What amp volumes can you record with this type of setup? (Usually i have to have my amp pretty loud with the sm57 and apogee one setup, to get a strong enough signal into logic)
And for any guys that have gone from the digital to analog route, would you have done anything different off the bat, bought this before that maybe; And what else did you end up filling your rack with?

Hi JTJ,

You'll still use your apogee as the recording interface but place the 440 right before it in the signal chain. You should notice and immediate improvement in your recorded tone.
So, the signal chain will look like this: SM57 > 440 (w/ any post effect pedals in it's loop) > Apogee XLR input
Set your levels on the 440 then turn down the apogee's input level to avoid clipping during record. The 440 has a huge range so you can record soft or loud amps. If the amp is really screaming, engage the -20dB pad so you don't clip the mic pre.

Hope that helps and thanks for asking
-terry

 

[Guitarman6730]

Normally you would want to plug external mic pre's into a line input on an audio interface essentially bypassing the built in mic pre's on the interface so they don't color your sound. Now I'm not too familiar with the apogee one but I have used an Apogee quartet and if it uses the same software for controlling the interface as the duet and the quartet then you should be able to switch the input from mic level to line level within the included software.

 

[Meris]

Normally you would want to plug external mic pre's into a line input on an audio interface essentially bypassing the built in mic pre's on the interface so they don't color your sound. Now I'm not too familiar with the apogee one but I have used an Apogee quartet and if it uses the same software for controlling the interface as the duet and the quartet then you should be able to switch the input from mic level to line level within the included software.

Exactly

 

[JTJ]

Thanks guys!! That is exactly what I was wondering. I wasn't sure about the chain; And going from the Meris into the interface and how to bypass the mic pre on the apogee. Time to spend some money I guess.