Tube Pres

Colin Campbell · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 18:48 (GMT) Post subject: Tube Pres

Any advice on tube pres? Is the little $100 Presonus any good? Anything else in the sub $500 range any good. Sure I'd love an Avalon, but at $1600, it's out of my league.

Joe J Thomas · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 19:07 (GMT) Post subject:

Hey Colin,

I've got the PreSonus TubePre - it's a good little unit for what it does. Has Phantom power, balanced/unbalanced, Drive, Gain, plus some other bells and whistles...

Not bad for $100 - adds a nice warmth to my voice.

Your mileage may vary, but you can probably find a local shop that'll let you test drive one.

Cheers,
Joe J Thomas
www.JoeActor.com

Colin Campbell · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 19:11 (GMT) Post subject:

Joe, I've heard that the cheapy tube pres are no good, that's why I ask. Did you ever get behind a pricier one for comparison?

George Karnes · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 19:39 (GMT) Post subject:

Hey, my wife tells me I am a good little unit for what I do...

Allen Scofield · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 19:45 (GMT) Post subject: tube pre

Colin, I use a Studio Projects VTB-1 mic pre. I replaced the stock chinese cheapo tube with a 1958 vintage Mullard 12ax7 (acquired on eBay). Made a very nice difference. This unit is very sturdily built with phantom power, high pass filter, phase reverse and mic/line button as well as DI jack on the front for instruments. It has the usual knobs, one for input gain, one for tube drive and one for output plus ALL pots are detented (nice touch).

As far as the sound, the unit is extremely quiet. It gives a nice smooth warmth to my voice that I like very much! I can go from solid state with NO tube to as much tube as I want. I prefer to keep it around 12:30 on the dial. That seems to be the sweet spot for my voice.

I thought about the Presonus unit but decided to go with Studio Projects in the end. I am very satisfied with it. From what I've read in various places, the VTB-1 is the best tube pre in it's price range (and beyond).

Colin Campbell · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 19:51 (GMT) Post subject:

Replacing with vintage tube! Neat idea. You wouldn't think it would make much difference. Do they all use a 12ax7? (Brings me back to my TV repair days some 30 years ago... always in the audio amp stage unless it was one of those stinkin' Admiral sets that put the filaments in series where the tube numbers started with weird digits like "17" for 17 volts.) Sorry for the nostalgo-tech.

Joe J Thomas · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 20:13 (GMT) Post subject:

Allen Scofield · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 22:03 (GMT) Post subject:

Colin Campbell · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 22:21 (GMT) Post subject:

I'm not sure why a different make of tube would make a difference in the audio "tone." I'm not that smart. I know that the first digits of a tube are it's filament voltage. 12ax7 uses 12 volts to heat it up, a 6ax7 is the same tube with a 6 volt filament for instance.