ART TPS II Peramp

P

ProgMetalGuy

Rock Star wanna be
Hey guys just picked up a ART TPS II Preamp it seems pretty cool. What do you guys think of this unit?

Thanks
Larry
 
I'm going to answer your question with a couple questions...hope you won't mind.

First, what do you think of it? Have you tried it out yet? How's it working for you? Also, what other mic pre's do you have or have tried to compare the TPS against?
 
Havn't tried it as of yet, but wanted a two channel preamp that fit in 2 spaces in a rack. This was the only one I saw in the price range that I liked $100-$200

I plan on trying it this week. I'll let you guys know
 
I picked it as the "best buy" for a tube preamp under $500. Indeed it does perform like a pro. Super quiet (make sure you set up your gain stages on all your equipment correctly), has super tone with lots of adjustments possible, such as the variable valve voicing and the variable impedance (a MUST with different mic types). All in all it is well made and a bargain as a pro tool.
 
I think it's pretty fantastic for the price. The valve voicing thing is great cause it gives you room to experiment. I've found that the presets tend to work pretty good actually. One thing I tried on it that worked out great was to take out the 12AX7 tube that comes in it, and replace it with a 12AU7. Sounds better, and seems to have more gain before distortion. Maybe someone else with better tube knowledge than I can attest to this.
 
Paj said:
I have a DPS-II (same unit with Digital I/O) and get great use out of it BUT:

YOU NEED TO READ THIS REVIEW REGARDING A PHANTOM POWER ISSUE ON THE REAR INPUTS:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Oct04/articles/artdps.htm

Paj
8^)
Click to expand...

I just got the DPS last week. I also read that article and took note. I pretty much got this unit because of the SPDIF out. I wanted to get two more inputs into my Firebox and this thing worked perfectly the minute I turned it on. I haven't used it on voice yet, only drums. The great thing about this for me is that now I also have a way to reverse the phase on mics.
I can't give it an honest review yet but as soon as I mess around with recording vocals I will.
Anyone have any favorite setting for vocal?
 
I've had mine for over year now and find it effective on slap-bass and hammond B3 organ patches! great for rhythm git work also.
 
Sorry to dredge up such an old thread...I know only a month and a half old, lol.

Anyway, my wife gave me a DPS II for my birthday along with a MXL V69ME, and I got to use them last night. Oh and the DPS came with a V63M from MF, which I haven't used yet. As far as the DPS goes, its on par with my VTB-1s maybe better maybe worse, just recorded some vocals with it so far, and nothing stuck out as bad. Which of course is good. And something that I didn't know about it, you can use it as a A/D converter for external sources. So even if the pre sections of it don't live up to the rest of my collection as the years go by I could always use it as an A/D converter. Now I just want a real pre someday, like a john hardy or neve or api...then I will probably think that the DPS and VTB-1s suck, but till then, I am not complaining.
 
a distortion box decent flavoring as guitar DI
for vocals that will sit better in the mix, look elsewhere

keep it as it's from ur trusted ones with memories but if u can return it and get something else you will more likely to have bigger smiles later during recording sessions
and you will perhaps get better result by using a non tubed pre with ur 69, as its already warm sounding, why add more dirty flavoing?
 
http://mysite.verizon.net/resq6asf/

Does the first song ("I don't want to go") on there, sound dirty? That is not sarcasam, I am thinking its not but would like to hear others opinions on it, since I still haven't formed my own opinion of the DPS, yet...

Compare it to the second song on there, which should be the same song as the first but recorded with 2 VTB-1s (second one for extra gain) and a ribbon mic.

Recording chain is listed for all songs posted. Its my wife singing.
 
Apart from the song having no hook, the vocal sounds crisp and clean. Your wife should sing in a lower key which might help her with pitch problems in the higher register. Good overall vocal sound.
 
good music!

norally start with the highest Impedance setting (if your unit have that choice) to record vocal would be more practical, and if you need you vocal sound thick and with a harder sounding image than lower the Impedance, however most of the time, a softer more transparent 3D sounding vocals will be much easier to mix than a big fat hard sounding voval ball in the middle.
tried the behringer IMP preamps? if you like super hard sounding stuff, use it!
but if your music have many quite passages, hard sounding vocal is not recommanded

i think your intending to let the vocal to sound as up front as possible, but IMO more compression and a little bit of short reverb is needed to push the vocal into the music also some low mid and high bass needed to be adjested in the vocal

you can still achive good sound if you singer knows how to sing on the "that" condenser mic really will with lots dyamic and bass(proximity control) in a decent sounding room.
or else get a better preamp with decnet mic ( some mic/pre conbination will sound great with some , not with some)
and if u have more cash, get a better DA converter
and of coz, the mixing skill in vocal automation/compression/EQ with a good reverb is just as essential~

dont think to much with want i said~ this might just be one of the trillions BS in this WWW in this hour ~ haha
so keep going with smiles and passion!
 
Art Dps Ii

I've had mine for a short time and really don't like it as well as my VTB.
It seems to add an unnatural fuzziness to vocals on the voice presets.
My AT4040 sounds like a $30 mic through it. The MXL 63 that came with it actually sounds better than the AT through this pre amp.
But I guess it might come in handy for digital conversion someday.

I think my next attempt at a poor mans pre amp will be a focusrite TT.
 
The limiter on this thing is a piece of crap. Don't use it. Period. The V3 voicings are equally crap. They sound horrible. It sounds best in the neutral setting. The only useful part is the gain boost and the impedance setting. If you're careful you may be able to make the limiter work for you but as it is, everything I've tried with it engaged sounds like garbage. The 12AU7 is a good suggestion. Less distortion. Though, it probably negates the whole purpose of the tube in this unit altogether.
 
Hi!! I just acquired an ART TPS-II!! More reviews on this gear please! Or any tips or good practice? Thanks! ;)
 
Tips?

  1. keep the output gain low(9 o'clock) and drive it with the input stage. This will drive the tube and give you some nice saturation.
  2. Don't trust the presets. Try different ones out. "Valve" voicing is useful. The others are questionable.
  3. Play with the impedance. The higher the impedance, the "tighter" it's going to sound. That's not necessarily good. Lower impedance can sound nice and open.
  4. Don't expect it to make up for a bad mic or mic placement. If you carefully place your mic, you should be able to get decent sound. Don't rush with this. Take your time, do some trial runs, listen.
 
dxl said:
normally start with the highest Impedance setting (if your unit have that choice) to record vocal would be more practical, and if you need you vocal sound thick and with a harder sounding image than lower the Impedance
Click to expand...

This is exactly opposite of the way it works.

The other stuff is uh. I don't know man. The internet is full of "experts". I like a high pass filter on vox so, if that's what you mean about adjusting the bass, mid and highs(which is almost like saying, you need to make it sound "better") then, ok. I can agree with that. Only adjust what needs to be adjusted. Try to get it to sound good from the start. The less eq, the better.
 
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