Are you ready? Here it Comes....Everyone knows it....

[[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.sweetwat…"]The Brick[/]="http://www.sweetwat…"]The Brick[/]

Yah, I've read a bit about it...It seems as though it's built for more of a DI than it is a true mic pre. I won't be using it as a DI one bit. thoughts?

It's pretty popular around these parts as a mic pre. For that price I can't think of much else that won't be starved plate. Maybe someone else can.

I think that ART channel might be true high voltage rail tube, but don't quote me on it. Seem to remember that somehow. There are probably a lot of other trade-offs though.
But yeah, the Brick is it. They kind of marketed it weird. Who really wants to haul that thing around with them for live gigs? The local soundguy would be likely to "pfffffft" in your face. And it is kind of an eyesore/trip hazard to have laying around the stage as a DI. But it just so happened that they had a good-sounding product here, which a lot of recordists have caught on to. Even if it doesn't fit neatly into a rack. [Whatever happened to that rack-mounting idea that was kicking around here, anyway...? :wink: ]

If you don't like the Brick (especially for the money), I'll eat mine.

The brick is about the only worthwhile cheap tube pre out there. After finally getting a chance to listen to one I know what the hype is about, damn nice pre. And just look at it this way you get a great DI just in case you ever need one.

art tps that is what i think, i have owned 3 in the past and still have 2 for extra tracks

eightsonstudio wrote: art tps that is what i think, i have owned 3 in the past and still have 2 for extra tracks

nope. DEF not the one I had in mind.

double-style post

sweetwater and MF are blowing out ART MPA Gold's and Gold Digitals for $299 and $399 (respectively) right now. That's an excellent bargain for a very decent pre that allows you to not only control voltage to the plate but has a variable input impedence feature which is hella-cool.

That leaves you room to buy a few pair of really nice tubes to have handy to roll in for even more tonal options.

the art tps has variable control on it also, and if you talk to a art rep directly they will most likely direct you to a tps. take a look at the parts that go into the tps and gold and you will find some very interesting simliarities. At least that is what my art rep told me when i was looking at the mpa gold
hope that helps