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anonymous 27 March 2002

I had this single ART Tube MP and I liked its sound (and price, now we can find it at $75). When I was about to purchase some ART rackmountable gear, I found something courious I can't understand even re-reading each product's spec.

Why a single MP is $75 and a dual MP (which is suposed to couple two single MP) is about $250, and this kind of complex new TPS (tube preamp system), with also two channels of tube preamplification with lots of more specs and knobs and stuff is just $175?

I wrote to ART but still no answer. Here is where I'm starting to think this is a silly question...

Somebody knows what am I missing? :confused:

Capi

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Guest Wed, 03/27/2002 - 09:03

Don't know about ART stuff, but sometimes the single channel table top models made by some manufacturers don't use the same quality power supplies, same kinds of connectors, have the same metering, or various other differences between them and the two channel rack mount models. Hence the price discrepency. Grace 101 vs. Grace 201 is a good example of this. (The 101 uses a wall wart, e.g.)

I'm just throwing this out as a possibility, as I've never actually seen any of the specific units you are referring to.

lorenzo gerace Wed, 03/27/2002 - 09:14

Hi

I may be a little OT, but can you speak a little more of this ART products? I'm shopping for some preamps for a location recording rack I'm putting together, and I would like to check out the ART DI/O Preamp system; even if it's not the same model as the one you own, how do these ART preamps sound and behave? They are quite reasonably priced, so I could get a few to build an 8 channel tube rack with D/A converters.

Thanx

anonymous Wed, 03/27/2002 - 12:24

Thank you guys for replying.

About this Tube MP I owned (it's been stolen... and that is one reason I prefer to rackmount now), it was very nice and warm for the price. It makes a very acceptable (and popular) couple with a Rode NT1 mic for vocals. Maybe it's not what should be called "tube gear" (i really don't know but the price tells), but it sounds good. Really.

I'm trying to put together a similar setup as the one you want, Lorenzo, but using a MOTU 828 D i/o for a portable setup. I also need 6 or 8 tube preamps, therefore I'm going for the dual MP or TPS (interesting specs for this later one, but never tried it). All I can say is I was mad when I lost my Tube MP cause I liked it and used it a lot... go to http://www.artproaudio.com as I did and have a look, maybe you already did. And if you find why the TPS is cheaper than Dual MP, please let me know.

Capi

anonymous Wed, 03/27/2002 - 13:42

Originally posted by CapiBaigorria:

About this Tube MP . It makes a very acceptable (and popular) couple with a Rode NT1 mic for vocals. Maybe it's not what should be called "tube gear" (i really don't know but the price tells), but it sounds good. Really.
Capi

The ART is not a tube preamp, it is a transistor unit with a tube in parallel run at very low voltage, far below what it needs to be able to operate anything like a tube. The tube does not function as a gain stage but is responsible for some of the muddy sound that these types of devices make.

If you like it and the price is right then fine but the only reason it sounds "good" with a mic like the Rodent-1 is that the mud from the preamp covers up the harsh brightness of the little gray beast. As the saying goes, two wrongs don't make a right. In my opinion a cleaner sounding micpreamp and a less harsh mic is a better route to go.

anonymous Fri, 03/29/2002 - 08:35

That's not necessarily so...A "starved tube" behaves like an overdriven tube - it generates even-order harmonics - why couldn't you then put one in paralell with a clean signal? In fact, you wouldn't get the intermodulation distortion that occurs in an overdriven tube (tube "warmth" is the result of overdrive - it is distortion) - what can be said against such devices is that they use lots and lots of cheap capacitors in the signal path - that kinda sucks. As for the DI/O - I bought one and I think its great - the "tube" stage does exactly what it is supposed to - generates lots of 2nd order harmonics (I tested with Ivie @1k) and a decently accurate series on up from there. Oh yeah - and it sounds good. Better than any ART product I have heard - in fact, It is the only ART product that does exactly what it claims to do for the price. I love mine. worth every penny (as few as it cost).

lorenzo gerace Sat, 03/30/2002 - 01:52

CapiBaigorria

I was just talking about the Focusrite Octopre with a guy on the Digidesign User Conference, and he said he got one for about $1300, but being from Sweden he said also that its price in the US should be lower; unfortunately I can't help you on where to get one, maybe you can just look at your Focusrite dealer, which should be distributed by Digidesign worldwide.

I'm interested in it too, so let's keep in touch and post back results.

anonymous Mon, 04/01/2002 - 08:31

Jeronimo,

As far as I know, the Octopre unit's rear panel has two 25 pin outs, one for hooking up the 8 balanced analog TRS out adapter, and one for the optional digital outs. The unit includes the analog outs but the digital out is sold separately, and I guess it should be sold at the same store.

Capi

coldsnow Tue, 04/02/2002 - 18:53

I started off with the Tube MP and what I've learned since then is it does sound nice in isolation or in a song with not a lot of things in the mid frequencies. If you are talking about rock with distorted guitars, bass, and vox I would stay as far a way from it as you can, it will only make everything sound like mud. If it is a ballod with maybe just bass behind it and an acoustic guitar it doesn't sound that bad. I would look elsewere for a mic than the Rode NT1 though. That combination I also had at one time and it is like piling mud on top of mud. Warmth is one thing but mud is another. Maybe an Audio Technica or a Studio Projects C1 would work better with the Art.

anonymous Tue, 04/02/2002 - 20:25

Technical Service at ART replied about price difference:

The Dual MP has the advantage of the internal power supply and more metal in it's chassis. That said, you might want to check out our new product, the TPS which is actually less than a pair of Tube MP's.

About the Octopre, got an answer from Cutting Edge:

Those won't be shipping until sometime in June, probably sell around
$990, but final price hasn't been determined yet. There are 2
digital options, one w/ only ADAT lightpipe @ around $325, one w/
ADAT, AES, and spdif @ around $430

Then it would be more than a PreSonus Digimax, even more than a MOTU 896, but the fact Octopre sucks or not is a little too much "price talk". I think we should try them and hear the difference first. Maybe the Octopre sounds better, maybe the name Focusrite is kind of expensive too.

Capi

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