external tube preamps for RTR recording

W

Wardo

New member
I have gotten it into my head that I want to add a couple good sounding (vintage?) tube preamps to my 8 track TEAC 80-8 recording set up. I want bypass the little channel strip preamps on my old mixing board, going direct from microphone to preamp to recorder, and also need to be able to come into the preamp from a DI box. I would need phantom power for the mike. The preamps would need to be XLR in to 1/4 in out. I see lots of stuff on ebay, but I do not know where to start.

Wardo
 
What is your budget? And you talking true valve amp or solid state with a tube filter for color?

I have some thoughts right off the bat but without a budget range defined its a field from $200 to $2,000 and beyond for a pair of standalone mic pres.
 
Perhaps I'm wrong but isn't it more the trend to use tube pre-amps to warm up otherwise "sterile" digital recorders as apposed to an analog reel to reel like the 80-8 which already adds a good bit of warmth all on its own?

Cheers! :)
 
I wouldn't get too caught up in the 'tube' thing ...

I've used this little ART thing with the 80-8 and it sounds good:

ART Tube MP Studio Mic Preamp | Musician's Friend

... just plug the out directly into the inputs on the 80-8.

But for a vintage-type sound, an old Shure M67 (also cheap) solid-state (with transformers) mic mixer gives a better sound in my opinion. Just use any old direct box with it, or plug your mics right in. You can use the headphone 1/4" out to the 80-8 input with an RCA to 1/4" cable or adapter.

You'll need a phantom power unit (which you can also find online) for condenser mics with these things.

The 80-8 is not a super hi-fi kind of machine, so I wouldn't bother going all hi-end with it. Just find some old funky stuff and experiment.

If you are looking to go high-end, a Universal Audio LA-610 channel strip will give you a tight sound on any source.

Big Question: What is it that you are looking for that you're not getting from your current setup?
 
Keep in mind that most of the modern valve stuff is low-voltage, known as a "starved plate" design.
This can give some interesting effects and I have used them myself with no real issues, but the actual vintage designs and anything which is designed 'properly' should drive the valves at at least 100v - 200-300v is considered optimal.

The ART preamp lonewhitefly showed is probably running at about 12v, though I believe the ART MPA preamp is can be switched to use high or low plate voltages.
TL Audio might be worth considering, though their stuff seems to be mercilessly thrashed on Gearslutz - then again I think that happens with anything less than $5000 on that site. I have a couple of their compressors (a 5050 for bass, a 5021 in the mixdown chain and a FAT-1 elsewhere) and I have no complaints.
 
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