ARTTubeMP Project Series with USB Professional Microphone and Instrument Tube Preamplifier C

Yes..this little master is jem of music production

Was a bit sceptical at first, if this could match the 'Art Pro' at three times the price, decided to take a chance as only needed single channel for vocal recording,have to say it has exceeded my expectations, does exactly what I hoped it would do, but, has taken me several weeks to get the sound I was after, you need to 'play' with it, use your ears, not instructions, be patient, you will get there,and then you will wonder how you ever got by without it. Lovely warm valve (tube) sound, noise free compression, just great.Don't listen to the 'experts' telling you to spend loads of cash on 'proffessional' compressors, just go and buy one of these bargains!

I wanted to get something to warm up and smooth out my vocal signal through a Shure KSM27 for recording. I found that the mic just sounded a bit dry by itself. I decided to try out a tube driven mic preamp to see what kind of difference it would make. My budget was around $100 so I went with the ART Tube MP/C after seeing decent reviews for their preamps in that price range. The bypassable compression circuit seemed like a bonus as well.The intended effect of the tube gain on my vocals is definitely there. The tone just cuts into the mix much more effectively and has a nice warmth. The gain control ranges from clean and subtle to fully overdriven, giving you that "telephone" sort of sound often heard in blues-rock. I also ran some instrumental stuff through it (drum & bass loops, guitars, etc.) and really appreciated the added punch and clarity it provided when ran directly into my Tascam digital 4-track.I was pleasantly surprised by the live application of the unit as well. I run a Shure Beta 58 through it on the way to the board, essentially replacing the mixer's preamp with the ART Tube. The tube gain provides a warmer, more responsive vocal tone and the compressor is great for limiting the signal when I get loud. I'm always reluctant to commit yet another piece of gear to my live setup but it looks like I've got a new addition here.Design and construction are good as well, especially in this price range. The level knobs are "dented" and stop at determined spots as you turn them, a nice feature for keeping track of your settings. LED meters for gain, compression, and output level work great for seeing what your signal is doing. The chassis is metal and the connected elements all seem sturdily mounted and of high quality.Make no mistake, this is definitely in the entry level category of preamps and compressors. You will find far better tone and capabilities as you move up in price range (which quickly gets into the thousands). However, for a cheap and portable unit that provides basic tube gain and compression, I doubt you'll find better.

Sounds nice, really good limiter!

The form factor is a bit odd, and it needs a separate wall wart power supply (included) but it does really impart a lovely tube like warmth to the tone.I am using it with MXR, SSE and CAD large diaphragm (budget) condenser mics into the front of an M-Audio Fast Trak Ultra 8R. The mic preamps on the 8R are quiet, but a bit sterile and lacking in character. This preamp gives a nice juicy tube sound which fattens up vocals really well. You get a mild tube saturation which improves clarity and articulation without sounding too distorted, unless you really crank the input with the gain boost switch on, which I generally prefer to avoid. It's great for emulating an old school tape sound when tracking.The optical compressor goes from subtle leveling to really squashed Joe Meek style compression. There's a little background hum and hiss at higher gain levels, especially if you are using the compressor aggressively, but this is to be expected and is in no way objectionable. Overall it's excellent value for money, and to my ears, sounds much more authentic than recording the vocals "dry" and adding a VST tube / tape sim in the mix which is what I was doing before I got this.