Preamp for the 001 or preamp under $300?

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RockNSoul

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Hey I have been doing some research aboubt preamps for a few weeks and was gonna get two presonus tubepre's. But then I heard they sucked and wern't "real" tube pres.....So I am just wondering if its just as good to use the pres on my 001 or should I get a 2 channel pre under $300.00 (used). I would really like a tube pre but am up for new input on this subject!

If the presonus sucks then what is good? I would like to use them for synth keys stuff and rock guitar with and without lots of effects :) Maybe drums and bass as well;)

Thank you for any help!
-Chase
 
Haven't used it but I've heard that the low price "tube" pres don't really use the tube for more than appearance. I think the term is "starved plate" meaning there is not sufficient voltage to really drive the tube hard enough to get the desirable warmth you get from higher end models. I doubt you will find a new one for $300 with two channels and true "tube" operation and sound. I haven't seen any. You may find something on e-bay or other used venues. I'd be concerned about the conditions of a unit that cheap. I'd spend my money on a quiet clean solid state unit and use plug-ins if I were spending under $1000 for a tube amp. This advice is worth 2 cents...pay pal accepted. :)
 
electro harmonic i guess made a tube preamp its one channel and it is not a starved plate preamp and is cheap. But i have used a dmp3 preamp and a fmr rnc preamp. Both were decent but i am saving up for good preamps as the cheap stuff im begging to relize the diffrent in sound.... :D

for 300 i would try and swoop a fmr rnp preamp maybe a little more that 300 but look for it used!!!!
 
RockNSoul said:
Hey I have been doing some research aboubt preamps for a few weeks and was gonna get two presonus tubepre's. But then I heard they sucked and wern't "real" tube pres.....So I am just wondering if its just as good to use the pres on my 001 or should I get a 2 channel pre under $300.00 (used). I would really like a tube pre but am up for new input on this subject!

If the presonus sucks then what is good? I would like to use them for synth keys stuff and rock guitar with and without lots of effects :) Maybe drums and bass as well;)

Thank you for any help!
-Chase
Click to expand...

Dont worry about what is real tube and what is "fake tube". The bottom line is the sound. For under 300 used you can do a bunch of stuff. With that budget, i'd get the original ART tube mp (brand new), and then a used symetrix 528 (original model). Those two paired give ya versatility in sound AND function. The ART just shines on synth and bass DI, and works well with snare drums/kick. The symetrix will give you a great sounding channel strip with decent sounding eq and compression - a real workhorse and hard to beat in it's price range (about 225$). You will be able to cover a ton of ground with that stuff before the itch to upgrade bites again!
 
I didn't mean to imply that it wasn't a satisfactory pre, just wanted to try to prevent a purchase based on marketing hype. Truthfully, what stinks for me may smell like a rose to others. Taste and personal preferrence should be a primary factor in making this kind of purchase. If possible, try it before u buy, if not possible, most retailers permit returns or exchanges within a reasonable time period. Never make a purchase based solely on the "opinion" of others. I've got some really good sounding recordings on Behringer and Octava, and some not so good with Avalon and Neumann. Off key singers and inadequate talent sound bad no matter what you use to get the signal recorded. :cool:
 
RockNSoul said:
Hey I have been doing some research aboubt preamps for a few weeks and was gonna get two presonus tubepre's. But then I heard they sucked and wern't "real" tube pres.....So I am just wondering if its just as good to use the pres on my 001 or should I get a 2 channel pre under $300.00 (used). I would really like a tube pre but am up for new input on this subject!

If the presonus sucks then what is good? I would like to use them for synth keys stuff and rock guitar with and without lots of effects :) Maybe drums and bass as well;)

Thank you for any help!
-Chase
Click to expand...


...the best tube pre under $300 (single channel) is a used (plenty on Ebay these days) Groove Tubes Brick, hands down...full voltage to the tubes, ballz out tube sound for a song!...that's IMHO
 
I'll second The Brick from Groove Tubes. It is a true tube pre-amp, and is killer as a DI for bass and guitar. I picked one up about six months ago, and liked it so much that I ran out and got a second one. Not a single regret. The thing with about the brick is that all of the components in it are high quality, from the pre-amp circuitry to the power supply (which is a big issue). It is a piece of gear that you won't ever really outgrow and need to replace (you may find things that sound "different", but not overwhelmingly "better"), you'll most likely keep this baby forever.

Of course, the best advice is to listen to each one, and see what you like the sound of for yourself. For the record, I bought the Presonus TubePre and the ART TubePAC to test out. I ended up returning both of them after about a week and a half of tests, because the sound was "ok" at best, and I knew I would want to upgrade, so why pay money for something you know won't meet your needs, and just have to dish out more cash latter on? That was the week I brought the Brick home, and the difference in sound quality was significant. Smoother, clearer, fuller, with a hint of warmth without really coloring the sound. YMMV.

Off hand, I believe the pre's in your 001 are probably going to be as good or better than anything you'll find in the under $300 (new) price range anyways. So take your time with this decision.

More isn't always better, but better is often... um, better! (man, I need some sleep)

Good luck!
 
The ART Gold MP is a true tube design too.

It is also 2 CHANNELS.

It is a good sounding preamp.
 
I was a Presonus BlueTube owner for years and thought it was a pretty good pre. A few days ago I decided to try the Art MP Gold (since it went down to 299.00 at most all online retailers), expecting to hear little or no difference and send it back in a day or two. Let me tell you WAS I WRONG! It was like night and day. I would highly recommend the MPA Gold.

Also, if you sign up at FatWallet.com to their cash back program and then go to Musicians Friend to buy, you'll get 5 bucks + a 6% rebate back, which saves you even more!

Johnny Lokke
http://cdbaby.com/cd/thenewbreed2
 
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