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#1
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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ART TPS II
Hi,
Has anyone tried this one rack unit tube pre? Any good? If so, in which application have you used it with success? Thx in advance. Peter |
#2
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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ART TPS II
On Mar 2, 11:47*pm, "Peter B" wrote:
Hi, Has anyone tried this one rack unit tube pre? Any good? If so, in which application have you used it with success? Thx in advance. It's not a tube pre. It's a cheap solid-state pre with a tube fuzzbox attached. Peace, Paul |
#3
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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ART TPS II
Peter B wrote:
Hi, Has anyone tried this one rack unit tube pre? Any good? If so, in which application have you used it with success? It's not a tube preamp, it's the same fake tube crap as the Tube MP in a new box. The "variable impedance" is just a shunt resistor. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#4
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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ART TPS II
Good to know! Any recommendations on a good entry level tube pre then? Mono
or stereo? Peter "Peter B" wrote in message ... Hi, Has anyone tried this one rack unit tube pre? Any good? If so, in which application have you used it with success? Thx in advance. Peter |
#5
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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ART TPS II
"Peter B" put forth the notion
: Good to know! Any recommendations on a good entry level tube pre then? Mono or stereo? Peter "Peter B" wrote in message ... Hi, Has anyone tried this one rack unit tube pre? Any good? If so, in which application have you used it with success? Thx in advance. Peter why does it have to be a tube? At 'entry level' prices, I don't think you'll find a 'good tube preamp.' They're more of an effect than anything else at that price point (and not a good one IMO). david |
#6
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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ART TPS II
The only really decent tube preamp I know of at a reasonably low price
is the Rolls/Bellari, if you can find one. It sounds okay, and with a transformer upgrade it sounds better. The Groove Tubes Brick isn't horrible, but it's not great either, at least as a mic preamp. (It is, however, one of the best-sounding DIs I've ever heard.) But the fact is that a decent-quality tube preamp will usually cost more than an equivalent-quality solid-state preamp, because the tube preamp needs an input transformer. Whereas you can build solid-state preamps with transformers, or without them -- different designs, of course, but there are good specimens of both. Peace, Paul |
#7
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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ART TPS II
"Peter B" wrote in message
Good to know! Any recommendations on a good entry level tube pre then? Mono or stereo? Isn't "good entry level tube preamp" an oxymoron? |
#8
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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ART TPS II
Arny Krueger wrote:
"Peter B" wrote in message Good to know! Any recommendations on a good entry level tube pre then? Mono or stereo? Isn't "good entry level tube preamp" an oxymoron? No. Nothing was said about price and "entry level" is a relative statement, not an absolute one. Kind regards Peter Larsen |
#10
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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ART TPS II
Peter B wrote:
Good to know! Any recommendations on a good entry level tube pre then? Mono or stereo? There's not much out there, but a good start might be the Peavey VMP2. The good news is that the VMP2 is a real tube preamp, nothing amazing but with a real input transformer and a traditional topology, and it sounds better than you would expect anything with a Peavey label to sound. The bad news is that when Peavey does occasionally make a really good product like this one, they discontinue it in fairly short order. Consequently you can only find them used, and they sell used for more than they sold for new when they were made, but they're still good for the price. Hamptone makes some things that are about twice the price of the VMP2, have similar topology and input transformers, but you can get them in kit form and save some money. Likewise an outfit called Sebatron makes some okay entry-level boxes in the same price range as the Hamptone. Someone here mentioned the Rolls.... that thing is interesting and it's kind of a special case. It has a real input transformer and a real tube front end with a real power supply although the output stuff is all solid state. It's only a couple hundred bucks and the general sound character sounds pretty much like a tube preamp... it doesn't sound like a good tube preamp but it doesn't sound like it's broken or like some horrible caricature. I would not really recommend it since there are so many good solid state preamps in that price range, but it could be an interesting project to take one and start cleaning it up inside. Probably wind up costing you more than just buying a VMP2 though. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#11
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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ART TPS II
On 2011-03-04 said: Isn't "good entry level tube preamp" an oxymoron? No. Nothing was said about price and "entry level" is a relative statement, not an absolute one. AGreed, but the fact that he's even looking at the Art says something. IF PEter B. would tell us a little more about the rest of his system, what he's using now, etc. we might better steer him to gear he might find interesting and useful. Regards, Richard webb, replace anything before at with elspider ON site audio in the southland: see www.gatasound.com |
#12
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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ART TPS II
On Mar 4, 10:43*am, (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
Someone here mentioned the Rolls.... that thing is interesting and it's kind of a special case. *It has a real input transformer and a real tube front end with a real power supply although the output stuff is all solid state. *It's only a couple hundred bucks and the general sound character sounds pretty much like a tube preamp... it doesn't sound like a good tube preamp but it doesn't sound like it's broken or like some horrible caricature. *I would not really recommend it since there are so many good solid state preamps in that price range, but it could be an interesting project to take one and start cleaning it up inside. *Probably wind up costing you more than just buying a VMP2 though. I scouted the possibility of a mod for the Rolls, and it'd cost about $250 or $300, assuming Jensen transformers at the inputs and some power supply cleanup. The advantage of doing that over finding a VMP2 is that you can actually buy a Rolls new, and don't have to hope that a VMP2 will show up on e-bay. Peace, Paul |
#13
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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ART TPS II
On Mar 4, 3:14*pm, PStamler wrote:
On Mar 4, 10:43*am, (Scott Dorsey) wrote: Someone here mentioned the Rolls.... that thing is interesting and it's kind of a special case. *It has a real input transformer and a real tube front end with a real power supply although the output stuff is all solid state. *It's only a couple hundred bucks and the general sound character sounds pretty much like a tube preamp... it doesn't sound like a good tube preamp but it doesn't sound like it's broken or like some horrible caricature. *I would not really recommend it since there are so many good solid state preamps in that price range, but it could be an interesting project to take one and start cleaning it up inside. *Probably wind up costing you more than just buying a VMP2 though. I scouted the possibility of a mod for the Rolls, and it'd cost about $250 or $300, assuming Jensen transformers at the inputs and some power supply cleanup. The advantage of doing that over finding a VMP2 is that you can actually buy a Rolls new, and don't have to hope that a VMP2 will show up on e-bay. Peace, Paul I bought a VMP2 10 years ago. It broke once, but outside of that it is built solid. The guy at Peavy told me that they ran the Grand Ole Opry through it to the remote truck and they could use anything they want. That was a good sales pitch..... Well I downsized and sold it last year for $900. It had a very hot output and not out level control. I would use it when I needed an extra pre when tracking bands. It was as bit dull, but has eq so you could dial in some eq if you wanted. I really like the sound of my Api and Neve mic pre's much more than the Peavy. I also still have a Bellari 2 channel tube pre. It is some ways for me more useful than the Peavy. I really like a HHB classic 70 stereo tube pre and eq. GT |
#14
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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ART TPS II
On Mar 3, 8:46*am, (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
Peter B wrote: Hi, Has anyone tried this one rack unit tube pre? Any good? If so, in which application have you used it with success? It's not a tube preamp, it's the same fake tube crap as the Tube MP in a new box. *The "variable impedance" is just a shunt resistor. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." but are they ****e? |
#15
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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ART TPS II
"mcnews" wrote in message
On Mar 3, 8:46 am, (Scott Dorsey) wrote: Peter B wrote: Hi, Has anyone tried this one rack unit tube pre? Any good? If so, in which application have you used it with success? It's not a tube preamp, it's the same fake tube crap as the Tube MP in a new box. The "variable impedance" is just a shunt resistor. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." but are they ****e? There is considerable opinion that they are not comparable to a true tubed mic preamp, such as the Rolls/Belari or Groove Tubes that Paul mentioned or the Peavy VMP2 that Scott mentioned. Hint, hint, hint. |
#16
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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ART TPS II
mcnews wrote:
On Mar 3, 8:46=A0am, (Scott Dorsey) wrote: Peter B wrote: Hi, Has anyone tried this one rack unit tube pre? Any good? If so, in which application have you used it with success? It's not a tube preamp, it's the same fake tube crap as the Tube MP in a new box. =A0The "variable impedance" is just a shunt resistor. but are they ****e? Well, they sound kind of cheesy and cartoonish on the whole. But they are actually not bad as an effects device on bass DI feeds to make them a little more grubby and have them come across well on a small speaker. But they are definitely not something I'd pick on a vocal. But, on the other hand, they are cheap enough that you can keep one just for bass if you like that. So, yeah they are ****e, but they are still usable for something, and they are cheap. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#17
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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ART TPS II
On 2011-03-08 said: It's not a tube preamp, it's the same fake tube crap as the Tube MP in a new box. ˙The "variable impedance" is just a shunt resistor. --scott yEs, which was what the man was trying to say politely, and part of what makes them so is that starved tube bs. But then, I've not seem much Art gear that wasn't. Richard webb, replace anything before at with elspider ON site audio in the southland: see www.gatasound.com |