I think a preamp boasts a low signal but I'm not sure. I've seen pre-amps in acoustic guitar EQ's and I've seen them in mixers. I've seem them in stand alone rack modules for mics.
Could someone explain what a preamp is and really does?

Thanks
Bob
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Hi Bob,
a preamp is an amp that amplifies the incoming signal at an optimized output value that can be used for further working.

In most cases you'll need them to reach clean and loud (noise reducted) signals. But in some cases you may wanna create heavier tunes so you'd like to overdrive (distort) it a little bit.

Simply all front end instruments does it use for output leveling. Even the back end system - the power amp - does use a preamp for controlling the input levels balanced to the power amp input (this gives you the ability to overdrive your power amp!).

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Greetings from Frankfurt (Germany),
Sheriff ;-)

[This message has been edited by Sheriff (edited 04-04-2005).]

If your mixing console's or keyboard's built in preamp does noise to much, an external preamp makes the sound much better.
It's available with tube or without tube (with tube could be pretty difficult, because the replacement of the tube, the availibility of tubes isn't always sure).
It's also available with all things, a voice need, as noise gate, compressor, parametric EQ, these features aren't very important using an arranger keyboard like Yamaha Tyros but good and helpful when you use a cheaper mixing console.

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Regards
RF

yes Preamp stageing of signal is essential. The sound is not yet amplified, but it is closest to the optimum point before amplification whereby it is least suseptable to pick up stray noise. this is usually a root mean square value to not exceed 2VDC and be not less than 250mV, usually having a matching load of anywhere from a still quite sensitive signal having about 40 Ohms and as high as 500 Ohms, and over 1K load at low level for shittier (sorry, I meant to say lower quality) equipment.

Just to add my 2 cents, when I switched from a regular Mackie mixer to one that had their new high end Onyx preamps, it made a HUGE impact on my sound. http://www.mackie.com/products/onyx1220/index.html