Studio Projects VTB-1 over Presonus Bluetube?

  • Thread starter Thread starter adclark
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adclark

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I'm buying this week. I would like to hear experiences from owners of both units.
 
I've owned the VTB1. My experiences are here... http://www.mojopie.com/vtb1.html

I think the current street price is $99. You'll get your money's worth at that price.

My short take on it was decent as a mic preamp (for the price ) but lacking in the DI department. YMMV.
 
And I like it better as a DI, FWIW. I changed the tube to a JJ Tesla, and with my P-Bass (w/ a reissue '61 pickup in it), the VTB is my go to bass DI. I find the preamp to be fairly forward, and maybe a little harsh in the high end but handling lower frequencies fine. It works well on snare w/ a 57. The tube drive is cool as an effect for a room mic on drums.
 
How about neither? Try a DMP-3. Unless mud is what you're going for, in which case the ART Tube-MP probably has a slight edge over the Blue Toob or the VMP-1.
 
I've had the VTB-1 for a few weeks and I think it's a good value. I haven't tried it as a DI yet, but the tube blend is pretty versatile for the mic pre. It sounds as clean as the DMP3 to my ears with the tube blend off, and when the tube blend is added in, it has sort of a compression-thickening effect that works well for some sources. My only complaints is a lack of a power switch, and its design is kind of ugly, but that's a minor quip.
 
Ozraves' review is pretty spot-on. The VTB-1 is very feature-laden (the only commonly found feature missing is a pad) which makes it incredibly versatile. It has plenty of clean gain for just about any mic. I find that I use the "toob" less and less, though dialing in just a smidge really helps many dynamic mics. I've heard that the Blue Tube is quite a bit noisier.
 
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