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experience with DI type tubed preamps?

O

On The DL

Apr 1, 2008
91
1
KC
#1
I've been curious about DI typed tubed preamps. Most of them have one 12AX7A tube and some sell for around $65.

I have a EBS valve drive, and while it's a distortion pedal, I've been experimenting with turning down the drive to try and get just a warm clean tone and it works alright, but still very noisy.

First question, is one tube adaquate to get a real noticable warm tone from a preamp such as the "ART Tube MP Project Series Tube Microphone/Instrument Preamp"?

Secondly, I'm not all that familiar when it comes to tubes, so bear with me. I know there are differently priced replacement tubes so I assume some are of better quality.
If the answer to the first question is yes, which to me, means they are worth the money, would it also be worth the money to buy a better quality replacement tube?

Any general info on tubes would be appreciated as well. I haven't yet had to replace the only tubed peice of gear I own (EBS Valve Drive).

thanks
 
#2
After having owned a couple hybrid amps, including an SVT 3 Pro that lets you choose between tube and SS, I think having a tube in the circuit can only make things better. It won't make an SVT 3 Pro sound like an SVT, but it helps make things warmer and fuller sounding IMHO.
 
#4
The tone differences between different tube devices are so extreme that you cannot expect similar results from one design to the next. It's partly a question of the type of tube, but mostly a question of how the circuit was designed. Part of that design also includes the number of tube stages and how they feed into each other.

Tube mic preamps are typically designed for clarity, sightly warm clean tone, and "open-ness" in the highs. Some are actually designed for ultra transparency, with no audible tube coloration at all! And many are marketed as being "fat" or "warm", but they don't actually deliver. So you have to be careful who you believe, and try the devices yourself whenever possible.

There are some high-end tube DI/preamps such as the GT Brick or the REDDI which are voiced for more tubey coloration. Also there are some tube preamp pedals which are designed for more of that "warmth" as opposed to either "clarity" or "grit". Right now the one that works best for me is a DHA VT1-STD, it has a very fat thick tubey tone and response, and I use it in conjunction with a "clean" unflavored solid-state preamp.

IOW, you have to take each piece of gear on a case-by-case basis, as simply "having a tube" will not necessarily get you anything like the results you hope for.

One of the differences in tube circuit design is how much or little the device will respond to different tubes. Some preamps change dramatically when you swap in a different tube, some don't change tone at all, or just a little. I enjoy swapping in different preamp tubes, but in at least half of the devices I've tried it with, there was no real benefit to the swap. I've even had a couple of devices where the cheap Chinese generic tube that came "stock" in the preamp actually sounded better to me than the expensive rare NOS European tubes I tried. It's all a crapshoot. Fun, expensive, and a total roll of the dice as far as tonal results.
 
#5
I appreciate all the feedback. Mabye this will give some insight into what, or if, a tube might add to my setup. I usually wind up going direct with my Radial Bassbone cause typically the backline gear provided less than desirable or the DI on the head is bad, etc, etc.... Anyway, since I'm almost always going direct, I'm considering the thought of a tube in the chain somewhere, even it's got no eq controls since I'll be using my Radial as well.

That said, any recommendations of tubed preamps under $100 that I should check out?
 

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