ART TPS II

[Peter B]

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

[PStamler]

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

[Scott Dorsey]

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."

[Peter B]

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
>
>

[david gourley[_2_]]

"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

[PStamler]

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

[Arny Krueger]

"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?

[Peter Larsen[_3_]]

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

[[email protected]]

On 2011-03-04 said:
>> 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?

I always thought so. Just the fact that PEter is even
thinking about this means that he's listening to the hype
and bs from the salesman at the musical instrument store.




Richard webb,

replace anything before at with elspider
ON site audio in the southland: see www.gatasound.com

[Scott Dorsey]

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."

[[email protected]]

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

[PStamler]

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

[gtbuba[_2_]]

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

[mcnews]

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?

[Arny Krueger]

"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.

[Scott Dorsey]

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."

[[email protected]]

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. ÿThe "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