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ART tube mp Studio noise

jumblemind

jumblemind

I also answer to Bryan
Aug 27, 2011
2,981
1,293
Knoxville
#1
Did some searching but didn't find anything addressing this specifically right away. I just picked up a used (one year old) ART tube mp Studio for my own vocals to warm them up a bit. I've done some testing just through a small mixer at home with headphones, and running a mic in and out of the ART mp into the mixer using mic/XLR cables, there is a good amount of noise. I tested running the mic straight into the board with each cable solo, and both are silent. Running a bass through the 1/4" in/out to the board is silent, too. It's just using XLRs that is noisy, and it seems to be tied directly to the volume control. If I crank the input gain and keep the volume below 9 o'clock I can minimize the noise while keeping a unity signal, but there is still some white noise there.

I have read on other forums that using a short, high quality mic cable from the ART to the board will help. But that kills my idea of mounting it to my pedal board where I can control it and power it. Anyone else have this issue with the output?
 
#3
This is the unit:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/art-tube-mp-studio-mic-preamp

It has one each of XLR and 1/4" on both the input and output. The noise is with the XLR out (I'm also getting noise if I plug my bass into the 1/4" in and go XLR out to the board), and I think it's because the XLR side has a hotter output than the 1/4". I've read elsewhere that it's as much as 6db more.
 
#5
jumblemind said:
This is the unit:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/art-tube-mp-studio-mic-preamp

It has one each of XLR and 1/4" on both the input and output. The noise is with the XLR out (I'm also getting noise if I plug my bass into the 1/4" in and go XLR out to the board), and I think it's because the XLR side has a hotter output than the 1/4". I've read elsewhere that it's as much as 6db more.
Click to expand...

And you are getting white noise?

You make it sound like your problem is clipping, not white noise.

In any case, at line level the XLR connection, even if it is symmetric which it might not, doesn't give you a big advantage over a 1/4" connection.
 
#6
It's definitely not clipping, it's the typical hiss type noise you get from high gain. I get the same kind of noise if I hit the +20db button on my VT Bass DI or the same boost on the Mooer Micro DI.

I can use the 1/4" out to the PA, it's just not ideal. We already have quality long mic cables, so if I wanted to avoid buying an expensive 50' instrument cable I would need to put the preamp back by the drummer (who runs the PA head). That's fine, I just wanted to double check with folks here. Like I said, I can minimize the noise with a certain setting, but my bandmates like to bitch about anything new, especially if it does something like add a bit of noise to the speakers (we spend a lot of time standing around at wedding receptions waiting).
 

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