MCG Says DMP3 Great for TV

When Jonathan Wolff founded the Music Consultants Group (MCG) in 1986, his dream was to create the ideal studio environment for quickly composing sound for television. While they can certainly afford gear with higher price tags, MCG relies solely on the very affordable M-Audio DMP3 preamps in all their rooms.

Part of Wolff's strategy includes employing top-notch musicians who can take advantage of the most sophisticated technology available. ''MCG is fanatical concerning new technology,'' Wolff says, ''and each employee strives to discover the latest innovations. After MCG guitarist/composer Christopher Lee got turned on to M-Audio's Oxygen 8, he began to explore the rest of M-Audio's distinctive product line.

''At MCG, it's all about speed,'' Lee says. ''We're dealing with the TV format; we're not trying to do records. We'll get a call in the morning and need to have something by noon, so we'll do it in a couple of hours. That's why we love the DMP3. It's the first outboard preamp we've used here because it's so easy. The VU meter is really visible and operation is quick and clear.''

MCG also chose the DMP3 for its superior sound quality. ''We like to record everything as cleanly as possible, '' Lee explains. ''We often return to material later and want to remix it. If we used a lot of compression, we might not be able to recall the compression. So if we can get a clean recording to begin with, we don't have to call artists back in. The most important thing for us is getting an unaffected signal.''

The combination of ease-of-use, clarity and portability make the DMP3 ideal for MCG's dynamic environment. ''MCG studio technicians use the DMP3 for evertything,'' Lee attests. ''For Reba McEntire's show, the main title was sung through the DMP3. For 'According to Jim,' almost all the guitars were done through it. 'Less than Perfect' is a big guitar show, using very romantic style guitars, and everything goes through the DMP3 directly into the recorder.'' The DMP3 has also been used to record music for television shows including NBC's 'Will & Grace,' WB's 'What I Like About You,' and NBC's 'Good Morning Miami.'

For a limited time, M-Audio is offering the DMP3 preamp ($249.95 MSRP) bundled with the new Groove Tubes 1B-FET microphone for an estimated street price of only $399.