ART Tube MP "Studio" (V2) Preamp

[Superlizard]

So's I picked up a couple o' these:

http://www.amazon.com/ART-Tube-Studio-Mic-Preamp/dp/B0002E50MC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1276212322&sr=8-1

Granted, they're not world-class, and they use starved-plate design, but for $30 a pop, can't go wrong.  Let's see what it'll do, shall we?

I'll be doing a few tone tests:

1)  ART Tube MP Studio preamp vs. my E-MU 1820 preamp
2)  Guitar->ART Tube MP Studio direct, and also 2x direct
3)  (for s's & g's) Guitar->ART Tube MP Studio->amp, and also 2x ART Tube MP Studios in same chain

And of course, I'll be replacing the stock crap t00bs with NOS... got a JAN Philips 12AX7A and a something-5751 laying around.

 

[Justinginn]

Wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. I've got one and was really unimpressed. But best of luck either way.

 

[bigguspickus]

Changing the tube will definitely change the sound. Another mod is to replace the op amps with their Burr-Brown equivalents.

Can't wait to hear the tests, I never thought of chaining 2 preamps together.

 

[NQbass7]

I remember seeing some stuff a year or two back where people were buying those up and doing a few mods on them (capacitor changes or op-amp changes or something), along with a cheap mic and doing a few mods, and turning into an awesome setup.  I think it was on prodigy-pro.com or something like that.