VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

jrodriguez315 · Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 10:40 am Post subject: ART Tube MP Studio V3 Mic Preamp

On sale for $69 on Musicians Friend. Anyone have an opinion on this unit?

or this ART Tube Pac for $119?

I have a Studio Projects C-1 and I am looking for a not too expense upgrade to my M-audio MobilePre. Think they'd play well together?
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Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2279 Location: Atlanta

I had the V3 years ago. It quickly became noisier than it already was when I bought it, and then it died pretty much within a year. Not very unusual for this unit - but most of them last a long time. All of the "starved-plate" low power tube preamps like the V3 or the Presonus Blue Tube etc. are often too noisy and not all that nice sounding (and yet I've heard good VOs through the Blue Tube - I also had a Blue Tube and that also died in about eighteen months). I have a free Voxengo VST plug in that brings nicer although more subtle tube emulation to the sound than the V3 did. You really need to bring adequate power to the unit for tubes to play nicely with anything, and the "starved-plate" tube pres just don't have the juice.

The Groove Tubes The Brick at $400 new and the ART gold channel ($350?) are really the starting points where tube preamps get real and are reliable good sounding and worth the money.

But hey, try the V3...and if you don't like it you can sell it online for about 2/3rds its original value. You can make good recordings with the V3, you just have to roll the dice with it.
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Jeffrey Kafer · Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 12:13 pm Post subject:

I don't have the V3, but I've got the newer MP with USB output and I really dig it. $99 and it works great. My demos were recorded on it.
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jrodriguez315 · Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 12:26 pm Post subject:

Jeff,

How long have you had it? Any reliability issues?
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Joe Rodriguez, Bilingual Voice Actor | The Voiceover Thespian Blog

Jeffrey Kafer · Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 12:34 pm Post subject:

I've had it for 9 months and haven't had any problems with it. Travelled with it once, too.
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allensco · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 8:40 am Post subject:

For a few dollars more (there's a movie title in there somewhere...), you can get the Studio Projects VTB-1 tube pre. It's a "starved-plate" design as well...but very well built and extremely quiet. I have one and have no qualms with it at all....nor do the clients I record for. I have yet to hear any noise from it...except me when I record Wink

Also Joe, it will play very nice with your SP mic.

EDIT: Added link to VTB-1.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Studio-Projects-VTB1-Tube-Blend-Mic-Preamp?sku=180360

Bill Campbell · DC Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 621

I'm with Jeff. I have the non USB version of the Art SP. It sounds very good. Get the USB version...it will work both ways and it will probably sound better than the M-Audio mobile pre, or at least different.
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