The last purchase... a preamp! (choose your own adventure)

[recording123]

Allright, good people. So I need some advice on what to do here. I'm recording in Protool LE with a Mbox. Using 2 Rode NT5s. Basically tracking some quiet acoustic tunes. I need to get a preamp for around 200. 2 channels so I can record in stereo. Some recommendations:
M-Audio DMP3
or
get one of the following and switch out the tubes...
ART TPS II
PreSonus BlueTubeDP

any thoughts?
many thanks...

 

[SRR]

A pair of SP VTB-1's, I have four of them, wouldn't give them up unless I had the dough to spend $700-$800 a channel to replace them.......NO I am not saying they are worth $700, I am just saying the less then $100 it takes to buy one would need a pretty good jump in price before there would be a huge difference. With that said, if you want clean for $200 the DMP-3 or the Rane MS-1B might be better, but I wouldn't know that first hand so take that for what it is worth.

 

[SonicAlbert]

The mBox has two preamps built in. Have you tried those and don't like them?

 

[Soundmind??]

If $200 for 2 channels is your limit, I doubt any new pre will out perform the M-box pres, and they arent that good. I'd stick with the m-box and save for at least a FMR RNP, a great value for $400 bucks or so used, a little more new. Don't get sucked in to the $200 tube pre deals everywhere.