ART Tube MP: "OPL" or not?

[Don Shumai]

Hi,
I'm going to be getting $100 for some side work I did, and I figured why not blow it on some equipment? People in the forums have said that the Tube MPs sound good when used to record a bass, so I was thinking about picking one up for that. I was just curious if this "output protection limiter" that some of them have is worth the extra $20, or if I should just get the bottom of the line one.

I record using a Fostex VF-16. In the past I have gone from the amp line out (Acoustic 470) either directly into the Fostex, or into a Joemeek VC3. In both cases I felt the bass was a little wimpy sounding. Would the Tube MP make a difference, or just add a different flavor of ass to my recording?

Thanks,
Don Shumai

[JR#97]

you can pick up the tube mp for less than $50 off of ebay. take the extra money and put it towards a good comp.

[Wide Awake]

The OPL version is only $10 more than the Tube MP at most online stores. I don't know how well the limiter works but it's not a lot of money to find out.

[blipndub]

I have the MP without the limiter and I don't really suffer from it i think. I do sometimes run a compressor into my mixer but in general I find the tube compresses well enough on it's own. I also run the signal into a Boss GE-7 EQ pedal after the MP and that also may compress it a little.

For a bass direct it's a good sound but be prepared to boost up the high end as it get's kind of dark in there.

[esactun]

The limiter works, but you can't adjust the attack or release times. So, depending on the source's dynamics and how much gain you apply, the OPL can either do it's job or make it sound dramatically worse. If it's a matter of taming an occasional extra-loud note, it should be OK, but if you want to run really hot signals that make the OPL kick in often then you'd probably be better off with a separate compressor, as JR suggested.

For me, the Tube MP was a big upgrade to my direct-recorded bass sounds. I just plug the bass right into the MP, no amp line-outs or anything. For my stuff I seem to like the grit that driving the tube harder adds to the sound, over the lower-gain cleaner settings, but that's just me.

The OPL version also gives you a VU meter, which the cheaper models lack.