AMcB
Why you gotta be so mean?
Has anyone ever changed the tube on one on the Presonus TubePre. There is a little LED red light under it?????? Does anyone know what is up with that? Does the tube even matter?
Somnium7
Noise Criminal
The LED serves no purpose but to make the tube show through when looking in the top vents.
From a technical standpoint the tube doesn't matter as it isn't being used properly for producing gain.
I have experimented with changing tubes on mine. Different tubes will give a different level of tubish exaggeration with the drive cranked up. I usually keep a Groove Tubes AX7 in mine because it isn't as dirty and nasty as the factory tube.
I use the TubePre as an effect mostly and it gives an interesting color to certain sources. I especially like it on my wifes cheap Jackson Acoustic with piezo pickups. Despite the noise it does help beef up the thin sound of that instrument.
S
Soundmind??
New member
The tube is barely functional. Tubes are designed to operate at 200+ volts on the plate. The low cost "tube" pres use a low voltage, known as starved plate operation. While the tube is actually in the circuit, it is mostly for show, and to get away with calling it a "tube" pre. The above post is correct, the LED just makes the tube appear to glow. Nice effect, but it is a visual one, not an audio one.