Tube Preamps

[dru]

I'm looking at either buying or building one of these to explore a (hopefully) better sound to my digital setup, mainly as a passthrough for bouncing the audio to give it some sort of analog warmth. I've read on here that a few use this method but just wondering what sort of preamp I should be looking at, etc.

I was originally looking at the PreSonus BlueTube, but what other tube pre's can be had around this price range? Should I really be avoiding Behringer? Other brands?

Cheers!

[Winterpark]

buy local!

http://www.sebatron.com/

[dru]

..bit out of price range.

Just did some reading and there are 'real' tube pre's as well as fake ones that only do solid state amplification and use the tube for effect or something along those lines. As read here: http://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=78181

Hmm..

[fishmonkey]

buy local!

http://www.sebatron.com/

mmm...

p.s. bad link in your sig...

[scott nathaniel]

..bit out of price range.

Just did some reading and there are 'real' tube pre's as well as fake ones that only do solid state amplification and use the tube for effect or something along those lines. As read here: http://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=78181

Hmm..

The presonus might be fine, but it won't be because of the tube. In this price range the "tube" is about as meaningful as the food term "natural." I'm no engineer but I doubt the tube aspect of these lower end preamps will function in the same manner as quality highend preamps like Avalon, etc. Mostly they just fire up and look purdy. My 2 cents are that if you want true tube warmth, you're going to be looking at a lot more than 2 bills.

[dru]

Yeah that's what I've been reading too. Anyone ever built their own?

As from here:

http://diyaudioprojects.com/Tubes/tubes.htm

Which of those would be good for this type of applcation?

[Winterpark]

buy local!

http://www.sebatron.com/

mmm...

p.s. bad link in your sig...

thanks for the headsup.

link fixed.

ps... that sebatron stuff is awesome.

got a vmp4000, and it's really sweet sounding.. a bit on the expensive side, in that it is a bit of money... but cheap in that it's probably comparable to stuff that's twice as expensive.

[roach808]

I've just been diving into the subject of moding out tube preamps myself. I've starting with a boring old Art tube pre, and i'm adding in some nice Groove Tube Tubes into it. If it goes well i make pick up one of those slick presonus channel strips and swap the tubes out with some nice Telefunken tubes.

[porfiry]

I have had good luck with these over the past oh, 13 years. They're very trailer, they're not like some Australian boutique pre, extremely unglamorous...but they very nicely warm a vocal, have phantom power, both 1/4 and XLRs, and the tube is very crankable...you can go way beyond "warm" with them. They'll make a set of drums sound like they're sitting in the biggest, jankiest garage on your continent.

Behold, all this for $29.99. http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/pr ... sku=180581

Save your thousand dollars and buy a nice Sherman Filterbank or something. Preamps are a dime a dozen. Some of the greatest music has been recorded through some of the shittiest channel strips, on to some of the most hideously terrible media.

[mihai]

http://www.fmraudio.com

not tube but some nice gear, better than a lot of things in their price range.

[porfiry]

And yes, like roach said. Funk it up with some crazy chinese 12AX7 or something. You need one in there that can light your whole room up.

[33tetragammon]

I'm looking at either buying or building one of these to explore a (hopefully) better sound to my digital setup, mainly as a passthrough for bouncing the audio to give it some sort of analog warmth. I've read on here that a few use this method but just wondering what sort of preamp I should be looking at, etc.

I was originally looking at the PreSonus BlueTube, but what other tube pre's can be had around this price range? Should I really be avoiding Behringer? Other brands?

Cheers!

korg TP-2.i had it a few years ago,really good sound with those tubes and the compressor in it is good,provided you don't push it too hard.
plus it looks really sexy on your desk!