anyone use a ART PRE AMP ?

Post by **novielo** » Wed May 07, 2008 12:50 am

hi, i'm lloking for atube pre amp to add flavor to my records. i like smooth and subtule (is it hw to write it??) distortion. i was looking at this little thing:

you can get info here:
http://www.artproaudio.com/products.asp ... at=1&id=58

does anybody got or tried these?
is it any good or should be better open the windows and throw the cash outside?

Post by **Stab Frenzy** » Wed May 07, 2008 2:48 am

If you want a smooth and subtle tube sound then look elsewhere and be prepared to spend a bit more money. Anything that runs off a wallwart is running a starved plate on the tube, which just gets you mushy distortion. The MPA Gold is decent for the money, but it costs a bit more.

Post by **novielo** » Wed May 07, 2008 3:18 am

that sounds realy good. i like it's rack mountability.

i've also seens the paia rack mount model tubehead. i like diy stuff and this one also catch my eyes.

there's so much choices it's hard to know where to start!!

Post by **Stab Frenzy** » Wed May 07, 2008 4:36 am

If you like DIY I just found this mod for the older Tube MP.

http://home.att.net/~crazydoc/ART_Tube_ ... cation.pdf

Looks interesting...

Post by **Stab Frenzy** » Wed May 07, 2008 4:59 am

I just bought one of them on the ebays to do that mod on, I'll let people know how it goes...

Post by **novielo** » Wed May 07, 2008 1:01 pm

yes, tell us how it went!! it seems like it will totaly change it's sound.
so many component change, it's almost like building from scratch!!
wich version did you bought of the art?

Post by **tallowwaters** » Wed May 07, 2008 1:19 pm

I have a paia tubehead and it can get raunchy, especially it you plug output 1 into input 2

stabby, let us know how it goes.

Post by **Stab Frenzy** » Wed May 07, 2008 2:04 pm

I just bought the plain-jane version, that's the one the mods are for. Buying one on US ebay and then all the parts to mod it was still cheaper than the RRP of it over here.

pricklyrobot · Post by **pricklyrobot** » Wed May 07, 2008 7:18 pm

Cool, looks like it's time to fire up the soldering iron. I have two of the older Tube MP's sitting around. I picked them up a while ago when someplace had them on sale for $25, thinking I'd eventually do something with them.

Post by **novielo** » Thu May 08, 2008 10:47 pm

pricklyrobot wrote:Cool, looks like it's time to fire up the soldering iron. I have two of the older Tube MP's sitting around. I picked them up a while ago when someplace had them on sale for $25, thinking I'd eventually do something with them.

you should do something with them!

as for mod, in the link above you don't have to make all the mods to make it work better. they where talking that only few caps could be remove for improvement and changing the tube.

i bought one and it's one the way (V3), i ordered also ge tube to put in there. i've seen also russian tube that sel for next to nothing, there quality may not be very even. but with 16 of them at worst you got differen sounding from the same batch

piRoN · Post by **piRoN** » Fri May 09, 2008 1:32 am

tallowwaters wrote:I have a paia tubehead and it can get raunchy, especially it you plug output 1 into input 2.

Sounds interesting, I've been looking for a more 'effecty' preamp for my crystal mic and dynamics. The JLM sounds too classy for raunchy blues vocal sounds.

Post by **Stab Frenzy** » Fri May 09, 2008 2:41 am

piRoN wrote:
tallowwaters wrote:I have a paia tubehead and it can get raunchy, especially it you plug output 1 into input 2.
Sounds interesting, I've been looking for a more 'effecty' preamp for my crystal mic and dynamics. The JLM sounds too classy for raunchy blues vocal sounds.

What about getting a couple of Hybrid opamps and running them in A/B mode? Could be a fairly cheap solution.

piRoN · Post by **piRoN** » Fri May 09, 2008 3:10 am

Yeah, that was my other option - I still want to do that frontend with 2 channels of 99v or Class A hybrid, and then two with Class A/B hybrids and some nicely colourful trannies. Just waiting to see the damage from the taxman this year.

Post by **Stab Frenzy** » Tue May 13, 2008 2:03 am

Got the Tube MP today, but the stuff for the mods hasn't arrived yet. Plugged it in quickly to make sure it worked, which it does.

First impressions from a really quick listen with a dynamic mic are that it sounds decent for the price, but has that woolliness that some cheap pres with tubes in them seem to have. Can't really tell properly til I have a better listen to it though.

Post by **novielo** » Tue May 13, 2008 2:18 am

did you tried swapping the tube? just currious if it does any difference, it should.