What is the best affordable tube preamp?

Dutchbopper · 04-23-2017, 01:51 PM

Hi folks,

I'd like to warm up my guitar sound for recording purposes. I have a Focusrite interface in which I can plug my guitar directly but that sound is not good enough. I do not like the virtual amp in Cakewalk (Sonar X2) much but the reverb and other effects are ok.

I'd like to have a good tube like sound BEFORE my guitar signal goes into the interface ...

I see many tube preamps ranging from cheap to very expensive. What's a good affordable one that REALLY warms up the sound?

TIA,

DB

**Cunamara** · 04-23-2017, 02:05 PM

Well, define "affordable."

Dutchbopper · 04-23-2017, 02:15 PM

Not sure. Is 200 dollar possible? I read somewehere that cheap preamps colorize very little and that the tube is mostly for show, serving more like a light bulb than having any effect ...

DB

**paulkogut** · 04-23-2017, 02:22 PM

The Sarno Musical Solutions gear is top quality and reasonably priced (Fair warning, I'm listed as artist/endorser on the website)

I have the Black Box that I use to warm things up in front of 'amps-du-jour'. I know a lot of folks are using them with modeling and recording gear. It may not be listed on the website, but mine is made with an internal switch for US/Euro voltage)

I also use the Classic Tube Preamp as part of my main concert rig. It's essentially the front of a Fender Twin in a 1U rack space.

Sarno Music Solutions l Finest Audio Electronic Gear - Quality and Tone You Can Trust

PK

**MaxTwang** · 04-23-2017, 02:27 PM

I "warm up" my Ampeg PF20T tube amp with a solid state overdrive pedal set to clean'ish settings. The PF20T is a bass head built to be very clean. I like the Catalinbread SFT which is a pedal based on an Ampeg SVT (yep, I warm up my Ampeg tube amp with an Ampeg pedal), the Catalinbread Formula 5F6 is a pedal based on a 50's Bassman and also works well for jazz guitar.

If you have a low gain overdrive pedal try it at its cleanest settings.

**docsteve** · 04-23-2017, 02:47 PM

I recently got a Harley Benton American Tone pedal, which seems to be identical to the Joyo pedal. 30€ and it makes an acoustic amp sound like a Fender on the edge of breaking up. Right now I'm very pleased, but I haven't had it long enough to really have an opinion. I'll take it to band rehearsal next week and see what happens. It is solid state with a speaker emulation that can't be switched off, so that may turn some people off. For my purpose, it's pretty close, but then I mostly play at home.

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**DanielleOM** · 04-23-2017, 02:57 PM

Studio Projects VTB1

Studio Projects VTB1 | Sweetwater

I think this is the best $200 preamp I was ever able to find. I never did much recording with it. It is one of those tube blend contraptions with a discrete solid state section. I used it regularly at an acoustic open mic that I used to host.

It was the only thing I had in bag of tricks that would tame flat top guitars that had those early vintage piezo pickups that sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

**vernon** · 04-23-2017, 02:58 PM

I picked up a Sarno Black Box tube buffer for $225 a few weeks ago and love how it warms up and livens up my tone. If I understand what the OP is looking for I believe this would fit the bill well (and I am not affiliated with Sarno Music Solutions in any way.

**newsense** · 04-23-2017, 03:01 PM

I have been meaning to play with a Presonus TubePre for the same purpose as DB has highlighted - TubePre V2 | PreSonus. I know that at least one forum member uses one in front of a Fishman Loudbox, They are very widely available at around €125, but I still haven't got around to it.

**Alter** · 04-23-2017, 03:35 PM

The problem with budget stuff is that more or less the sound quality won't be a significant improvement over a card like the focusrite (which i also have). I 've had a few preamps and DI's, and then i tried the Avalon one and it blew them all away, but it 's in a different price range. I ended up with a Dtar Equinox which i could justify keeping cause its versatile, works for all kind of guitars and it's giggable too, whereas the avalon line isn't really. I also liked and kept the Lr Baggs Venue Di, it's a swiss army knife sort of thing.

Also various pedals through a sansamp Blonde have given me good results, where the pedals do whatever you want, and the sansamp substitutes the fender amp. Or a real amps preamp, going into the sansamp just for the speaker sim. Or sometimes a plug into a small Mackie mixing deck i have and use the eq there. Or mic an amp. Depends on the sound you 're after.

**hans halmackenreuter** · 04-23-2017, 03:41 PM

Palmer Eins. It has 3 outputs. 1 for a cab, another is a speaker simulated output and the last one is a Hi-Z output so you can put it into an amp or your soundcard.

Dutchbopper · 04-23-2017, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by hans halmackenreuter

Palmer Eins. It has 3 outputs. 1 for a cab, another is a speaker simulated output and the last one is a Hi-Z output so you can put it into an amp or your soundcard.

The Palmer Eins sure looks promising. However ... I do NOT need overdriven sounds. How is it for clean sounds? In what way does it affect the sound of an archtop?

DB

**docbop** · 04-23-2017, 04:03 PM

Slightly different approach is what Scott Henderson (and others) do for recording guitar parts at home. The run the output of their amp into a load box instead of the speaker then send that to their DAW. Once in their DAW they start adding "IR"'s I believe they are called which are digital models of speakers and cabinets. Scott says with this setup he can record any hour of the day or night and not bother anyone and he get the sound he wants and Scott is pickiest person I know of when comes to his guitar sound.

Scott talks gear a lot on the Guitar Wank podcast and in the early podcasts talked about this setup a lot. Might want to check the podcast out it's free to download.

Podcast — GuitarWank

Dutchbopper · 04-23-2017, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by Alter

The problem with budget stuff is that more or less the sound quality won't be a significant improvement over a card like the focusrite (which i also have)

I already use a Focusrite audio interface. I plug in the guitar but the direct sound is not what I want to be recording with. I want a tube sound without having to use a real amp with a mike. The virtual amp sounds in my recording software I dislike too.

DB

**MikeTT** · 04-23-2017, 04:39 PM

I know you said before the Computer, but I like Amplitube a lot (I bought the Fender amp bundle).
But I have a fast Mac with a Interface that is able to run at very low buffer settings.

Here's a short sample (with too much reverb and boomy lows...The reverb in Amplitube is actually very very nice).

**Frank67** · 04-23-2017, 04:48 PM

I believe that forum member and wonderful player Reg recommended a presonus tube preamp to put before a solid state amp (in his case an AER). I have no experience with that unit, but I looked it up at some point and it was not expensive. Is the mambo not warm enough?

I personally know no better way of getting a good sound into the front of house or the computer than a Kemper profiling amplifier. If you give me the choice, I'd rather run my twin or Marshall in the room, but the reality of gigging or recording is different. It is not a budget, but a long term solution.

**hans halmackenreuter** · 04-23-2017, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by Dutchbopper

The Palmer Eins sure looks promising. However ... I do NOT need overdriven sounds. How is it for clean sounds? In what way does it affect the sound of an archtop?

DB

Well I guess if you don't need overdriven sounds than you don't have to turn the gain all the way up. I used it once but I also had a barber barb EQ which made it sound great. I don't know if it's right thing for you but if you have a chance I would try it.

**neatomic** · 04-23-2017, 05:38 PM

take a look at the art tube preamps..they are inexpensive, but add just enough tube edge....perfect for before the computer interface...

a guitar pedal styled preamp may have impedence problems matching with the interface...

here's thomann link

ART Preamps - Thomann UK

cheers

**mrcee** · 04-23-2017, 06:04 PM

I have an Art tube pre. Around $75 and it works. Good for recording direct as well. It also helps for recording a mic for vocals. It has one 12AX7. Presonus makes something similar for maybe a little more money.

**Mark M.** · 04-23-2017, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by FrankLearns

I believe that forum member and wonderful player Reg recommended a presonus tube preamp to put before a solid state amp (in his case an AER). I have no experience with that unit, but I looked it up at some point and it was not expensive. Is the mambo not warm enough?

I personally know no better way of getting a good sound into the front of house or the computer than a Kemper profiling amplifier. If you give me the choice, I'd rather run my twin or Marshall in the room, but the reality of gigging or recording is different. It is not a budget, but a long term solution.

I have been using the Presonus TubePre for a number of years. I recommend it.

**rgiaccio** · 04-23-2017, 08:05 PM

I had one of these and it worked very well.

What is the best affordable tube preamp?-hughes-kettner-bassmaster-jpg

It has 12AX7 tube preamp, EL84 5W power amp, dummy load, speaker emulator, pre out, speaker out. The tubes works at proper high voltages and is very well built.

Hughes and Kettner did two other models with a tube power amp, the Blues Master and the Cream Machine, but this has the cleanest tone.

**John A.** · 04-23-2017, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by Dutchbopper

I already use a Focusrite audio interface. I plug in the guitar but the direct sound is not what I want to be recording with. I want a tube sound without having to use a real amp with a mike. The virtual amp sounds in my recording software I dislike too.

DB

If you want the sound of a tube amp, you need a preamp that also includes amp and speaker emulation. Devices I've used that do this:

Mesa V-twin (tubes)
SansAmp (analog solid-state emulation of tube circuitry)
Korg Pandora PX4 (digital modeling)

TBH, I find that software plugins sound at least as good as any of these.

I also have an Art Tube MP preamp, which IMO, is useful as a mic pre and DI with some coloration, but it doesn't sound like a guitar Amp.

John

**Jabberwocky** · 04-23-2017, 11:14 PM

+1 to the Brad Sarno Black Box Tube Buffer.

Simon Jarrett's Kingsley Squire tube/valve pedals. 3 flavours: Fender BF, Vox AC Top Booster, Dumble.

Everybody needs a tube/valve buffer so the Sarno Black Box is my pick for now. It is relatively transparent to the tone of your guitar.

I like Kingsley pedals and the Squire is on "my list of things to acquire".

The cheaper tube preamps add a distinct tonal fingerprint on your sound. You may like it or you may grow tired of it rather quickly. It is like adding too much sugar to coffee or tea.

**Cunamara** · 04-23-2017, 11:43 PM

I've also got an ART TubeMP, which I got used for $25. It uses a low voltage starved plate design, which tube amp snobs vocally look down on. It won't emulate the tube preamp section of an amp, but it will warm up your signal pretty transparently. I can't recall what the input impedance is, but I usually put a guitar pedal (reverb or something) in front of it. It will push a *lot* of gain to whatever comes after it in the signal chain, so mind the knobs a bit carefully. I think using it to warm up a signal going into a DAW would be well within its wheelhouse, as long as you have EQ from somewhere else.

I have put mine in the effects loop of my Clarus 2r many times to warm things up. However, I've got a better sense of what to do with the Clarus's knobs now to get a warm sound, so I haven't used this in a long time.

**DanielleOM** · 04-24-2017, 08:11 AM

Originally Posted by DanielleOM

Studio Projects VTB1

Studio Projects VTB1 | Sweetwater

I think this is the best $200 preamp I was ever able to find. I never did much recording with it. It is one of those tube blend contraptions with a discrete solid state section. I used it regularly at an acoustic open mic that I used to host.

It was the only thing I had in bag of tricks that would tame flat top guitars that had those early vintage piezo pickups that sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

Found an interesting demo on the VTB1. When I bought mine, the bass player I play with liked it so much she bought one immediately for her studio. Think that video is old. Don't think you will find them now at the price he quotes in the video.