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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Specifically this one - Alto MICtube
There's one in my local pawn shop for $85AUS. Is it worth buying such an animal or am I better off waiting to get a proper tube amp?
I was considering using it through one of my solid state amps.
I really know nothing about amplifiers and effects. My experience with amps is limited to my bass playing days. Just volume and tone on my precision bass and a 5 channel EQ on my amp. (and gain) That's all I've ever needed.
My intention is to use it on my acoustics, and/or bass and/or blues harps (with green bullet mic) |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4025
Location: Utah | I don't know anything about that one. However, we have an ART Studio tube preamp that cost US$29. It works quite well as either a mic preamp or a guitar preamp. We even run a mando and a violin through it. It can run clean or really distorted. It has a single 12AX7 tube in it, which has two channels. So you drive one channel with the other, resulting in as much distortion as you like.
At high gain it does have a bit of hiss, but at normal gains, either clean or with up to moderate distortion, it is clean enough for recording or live performance at reasonable volumes in small venues.
We run it into either a solid state guitar amp or a solid state PA. You definitely get the tube sound through the solid state amp this way.
The ART unit is only a single channel, whereas the one you reference is stereo. So the price per channel is about the same.
For mics, such as recording vocals or instruments, you probably want a very clean sound. Maybe my ears are just too old and abused, but I find that our cheap but decent mic sounds fine through a cheap but decent preamp. The ART Tube works fine for us. We also have a solid state mic preamp that works fine. I don't hear a lot of difference between the two, and certainly not in a way that makes me like one better than the other. If you are looking for a recording preamp, my opinion is that you could do fine with either a tube or solid state unit as long as it was clean and has no noise. |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | I borrowed a Mesa V-Twin tube preamp pedal from a kind member here and fell in love with it for pure electric stuff. Eventually, I found one on eBay and it serves as the foundation for my electric board. It has two tubes and a range of features, including multiple one-stomp activation for clean, blues and solo distortion. It is heavy and expensive, and built like a tank with its diamond plate covering. They're no longer made and still cost about what they sold for new. |
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April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Tjah , valve -amps warm up the sound a bit , if you want to know more , than search the archives , FLYSIG nailed it all pretty well , and as for the ALTO , they`re known to make good stuff , it might help if ya tell us what ye intend to use it for , I know , through solid state amps. , but with what ? ..Mic. , A/E guitar..Electric axe..??..what do you intend to achieve.. :)
Vic |
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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Originally posted by HumblePie aka Solid Top:
it might help if ya tell us what ye intend to use it for , I know , through solid state amps. , but with what ? ..Mic. , A/E guitar..Electric axe..??.. I already have. Did you read my first post...? :confused:
Originally posted by muzza:
My intention is to use it on my acoustics, and/or bass and/or blues harps (with green bullet mic) |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | MUZZA , the last Line did escape me , Sorry about that :o , what I thought off was , wether to put it`s paces through a P A ,or a git -amp, ..put through a P A , I would say that it would be Beneficial ( those I know that use ALTO appliances are happy with them ), as they usually add " warmth " and an Airy Clear sound , I would say , Go for it :)
Vic |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Is it worth buying such an animal:yes.
or am I better off waiting to get a proper tube amp?No
For acoustic, I like going into a mixer or a sansamp or a bbe acoustic max, but this'll work. You might want to add a bbe sonic maximizer or an aphex exciter at the back end. Other people here have something like a compressor into LRBaggs para acoustic di, into an exciter.
I have no worries about not having a tube amp. Though I prefer analog over modeling. |
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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Thanks an4340, but I completely lost you after the second line.
I think my primary goal is to achieve that dirty chicago blues harp sound. I've already got a couple of 'green bullet' harmonica mics, but I think I need a valve amp, or something similar (tube preamp?) to get the sound to 'overdrive'.
But, as previously admitted, I know nothing about amps / effects. |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4025
Location: Utah | Yes, the tube pre driven to distortion will give you the same dirty sound as a tube amp. |
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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Thanks for the input gang.
I think I'm gonna buy it. I'll go in and try to beat 'em down in price. |
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Anyone tell me about tube preamps?
