Tube mic preamps

[dmbfan1981]

can anyone recommend from experience, the best and cheapest mic tube preamp (even if i have to change out the tube to achieve best value). I know ART and berhinger make two models that are in the $50-$100 range. I would also prefer one with atleast some sort of limitor/compressor built in.

So far my current debate is between the behringer and Art. Thanks

 

[ozraves]

http://www.mojopie.com/vtb1.html

See the VTB1 review above. It's now just under $100. I'd take it over anything you're considering.

 

[peopleperson]

For the money, I have nothing but good stuff to say about the ART tube MP. The Behringer is shit.

 

[mikey@thecave]

a CHANGE OF TUBE CAN GIVE A LITTLE CHANGE in tone but won't change the size of the audio image can't believe i just came up with that buy yourself something nice like a Sebatron its worth savin your cash;;;;;;;;the four channel unit is killer alot for the money and the Thorax unit has the compressor + other controls so depending on what you need

 

[treymonfauntre]

please tell me you didn't just tell the guy to get a sebatron when hes looking at a little $50 preamp

 

[daryle_ackerman]

please tell me you didn't just tell the guy to get a sebatron when hes looking at a little $50 preamp

He didn't just tell the guy to get a sebatron when he's looking at a little $50 preamp

 

[Chico]

I have a Behringer MIC200 and I say: for a simple homestudio, it's just enough!

 

[mikey@thecave]

i'm just trying to save him from buying something he'll want to sell next year cause it wont help his sound that much

 

[FALKEN]

duuuude....

for the same money you could get a presonus bluetube. or a bellari RP220.

 

[ozraves]

Here's some info on one of the Bellari units:

http://mojopie.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=875

 

[Farview]

With that mod, it might be cool. I really hate the bellari preamps. They just break up too easily and they don't do it nicely.

 

[scrubs]

Another vote for the VTB-1.

 

[teainthesahara]

i'm just trying to save him from buying something he'll want to sell next year cause it wont help his sound that much

True enough,but it depends on the sound, doesnt it? I've yet to find
something that cheap (the old school ART mp) that does DI Bass and synth's pretty damn good, and a respectable job with condensor mics...

I like the VTB-1 better for getting a cleaner/crisper sound when using dynamics although...

 

[Ronan]

This may or may not be helpful, but I would say to make sure you really need or want a tube mic pre. There are many great solid state options out there and there is really not a "tube sound" when it comes to mic pres. There is a lot of sales hype around tube mic pres, (and many great tube mic pres) but many of the pres most sought after for wamth and fatness etc are solid state (Neve, API, Trident etc) and many tube pres are actually quite clean and transparent (Manley etc).

See if you can demo any of these. A lot of the really cheap mic pres are really not much better than those in a Mackie 1202

 

[dmbfan1981]

thanks for all of the input guys. i guess i should have told you what i plan on recording as well. I MOSTLY want it to warm up my condensor mic ( marshall MXL990) but would also use it probably for acoustic guitars as well. (possibly just mic'd but maybe as a DI as well) the main thing is to warm up the vocals a little. i am not opposed to solid state...just looking for the best bang for the buck.thanks again

 

[mjau]

Another vote for the VTB-1. Swap out the tube, and you've got yourself something respectable that can be either clean or not so clean. I use them as a DI all the time for my p-bass.

 

[Farview]

thanks for all of the input guys. i guess i should have told you what i plan on recording as well. I MOSTLY want it to warm up my condensor mic ( marshall MXL990) but would also use it probably for acoustic guitars as well. (possibly just mic'd but maybe as a DI as well) the main thing is to warm up the vocals a little. i am not opposed to solid state...just looking for the best bang for the buck.thanks again

Re-read Ronans post.

Sub-$500 tube mic preamps are not 'warm' for the most part. They are muddy or distorted. You are falling for hype. You can get a better quality 'warmer' sounding solid state preamp for a lot cheaper than any legitimate tube preamp that has any quality.

 

[mikey@thecave]

Sub-$500 tube mic preamps are not 'warm' for the most part. They are muddy or distorted. You are falling for hype. You can get a better quality 'warmer' sounding solid state preamp for a lot cheaper than any legitimate tube preamp that has any quality.
__________________
Jason Walsh
thats what i was saying!!!!

 

[Robert D]

i'm just trying to save him from buying something he'll want to sell next year cause it wont help his sound that much

I've never wanted to sell my MP. I own much nicer pres, but the MP is a great little box for a lot of uses. It costs so little that it's not a big detour on the way to owning a "real" preamp up the road, and then can be used for a second or third pre for recording multiple tracks at once, as well as being a very cool DI.

-RD

 

[Farview]

I've never wanted to sell my MP. I own much nicer pres, but the MP is a great little box for a lot of uses. It costs so little that it's not a big detour on the way to owning a "real" preamp up the road, and then can be used for a second or third pre for recording multiple tracks at once, as well as being a very cool DI.

-RD

I wasn't saying that it wasn't any good. I was just pointing out that the tube=warm thing is a bunch of crap and that he would probably be able to find a higher quality SS preamp for the same money. Real tube gear is more expensive because of the types of parts needed to run the tube. SS doesn't suffer from that sort of overhead.