Hey Eric, great review! I love the warmth of the "valve" setting on this tube preamp. The "tube coloring" on this unit is exactly what I have been looking for. Thanks for doing this great video! You are very much appreciated!!!
Hi there! First up, sorry for the late reply. I'm glad you like the sound of this preamp, that sure makes two of us! It was a pleasure for me to make this video and share it with everyone; I'm glad you found it helpful.
Thank you for review. Room is acoustically untreated, so there is huge reverb, which renders comparison almost useless currently. Use sound booth or reduce reverb in your studio.
@@EricYeungMusic , I was really interested to hear how Art Tube affects the input. Thank you for effort. There is awesome video how to improve sound in studio th-cam.com/video/HO7aeraKLsM/w-d-xo.html Maybe it helps you.
There's no power switch but what I did was I plugged an in-line rocker switch in between the unit and the wall socket so I could just use that as the switch to turn it on or off. You can probably buy one of those at your local electronics store.
I'm not very familiar with the Steinberg interfaces other than having heard that they have a very high noise floor to start with. From your comment, I think what you might be doing is connecting the output of the ART preamp to the input of the preamp on your Steinberg, which would raise the level of noise (because the noise from the ART preamp is being combined with the noise from the Steinberg preamp). So if your Steinberg preamp has a line input that doesn't go through the mic preamp of the interface, you could try connecting the output of the ART preamp into that line input. That should decrease the noise significantly. But I'm not 100% if that Steinberg interface you're using actually has any of the line inputs I'm talking about. Good luck; let me know how you go.
I noticed a slight alteration in bass and treble responses as you changed the settings . . . but why not ditch the pre-amp and just EQ the mic audio to obtain the same result? (Genuine question)
This is a valid question. I think the answer to that is simply convenience. If you can get the EQ curve just by finding the right "V3 Voicing" on this thing, you don't need to EQ the mic audio. But if you'd like more control and awareness as to what's happening (because ART don't tell you what each voicing's curves actually are), then maybe do ditch this preamp and EQ the mic audio, just like you say. To be honest with you, I have ditched this preamp and prefer to do my EQ-ing ITB nowadays.
I’m afraid you’ll find that the correct phrase is “the quick brown fox 🦊 jumped over the lazy dogs” 🐶 …. Which uses all the letters of the alphabet 😂. Love the test audio. Thanks.
Hi Jack; sorry for the late reply. I agree - with some of the settings, the sound is quite similar, but I find that there is a big difference between the Warm E Gtr setting and the Warm Vox setting. Maybe try listening on good earphones/headphones to that section of the video and see if you can hear a difference. Hope that helps.
I think you can't actually push the input too much. If you need to, you can turn the voicing knob to the OPL section which is pretty much a limiter but still, I don't think it sounds very good like that. It's all about balancing, really.
Wow, THIS is very helpful, THANKS !! Ever think of adding this tidbit to the actual video ? I watched your video because I was about to buy one on eBay. Of course when buying things 'used', you have to ask yourself "why is this person selling it", ya know ? And, at least with 'new' you get a warranty and chance to return it.
I noticed with those settings you didn't get any red light clipping . Mine clips at those settings along the 2nd and 3rd voicing settings (top and right settings on the dial) I've also noticed in other videos people where also getting the red clicking light. 🤷
Sorry for the late reply; from what I know, the red light means that the output of the tube has clipped, and this is not a good thing. It means the output of the preamp will include artefacts from the clipping (e.g., pops, clicks, etc.), and so the red light is a warning and something that should be avoided. I hope that helps.
Hi James, sorry for the late reply. I think these units are designed to have their tubes interchangeable, so it shouldn't be a big problem to change out the tube. In fact, I plan on changing the tube out in my unit soon, and making a video of it, so stay tuned for that!
@@EricYeungMusic Yes, when you open it you will see. I don’t think it’s necessary though,with the available processing options. tube rolling in the plain Tube MP preamp makes a big difference however
@@jameslifetimelearner The tube will eventually malfunction with time and use - this is normal - so if you're thinking of using it long-term, replacing the tube will be inevitable
We can clearly hear the difference in each setting. If you're new to this, and even if you're not, listen with a great set of headphones or earplugs. You'll hear the exact sound reference and nuance of each setting.
I had one of these myself. They are rubbish in my opinion. You notice the tube doesn't even glow when in use so it's adding very little tube effect to the tone. I can achieve the same with a plugin in my daw. That's why I got rid of the Art tube I had. Unfortunately the only way to get decent tube sound is with a more expensive preamp. Half these cheaper tube preamp are snake oil. They mostly work off the solid state circuit with a tube just connected to try and make you think your getting real tube sound. Some even put leds behind the tube to make you think it's glowing. Real rip off. My advice would be don't buy these. Save for better, or get the Wavearts Tube Saturator Vintage plugin. It works great for me in my DAW and its FREE!!
Hey, thanks for the info. Yeah I've also heard that some cheap tube preamps put LEDs behind the tube to make you think it's glowing (I think Behringer units do this). Reality is, you're right - there isn't nearly enough voltage going through the tube to make it glow properly by itself. Also, thanks for sharing about the Wave Arts Tube Saturator plugin - I literally just went and downloaded this myself. Happy New Year!
great sounding little box. Good job on the review!
Thanks very much! I'm glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!
Hey Eric, great review! I love the warmth of the "valve" setting on this tube preamp. The "tube coloring" on this unit is exactly what I have been looking for. Thanks for doing this great video! You are very much appreciated!!!
Hi there! First up, sorry for the late reply. I'm glad you like the sound of this preamp, that sure makes two of us! It was a pleasure for me to make this video and share it with everyone; I'm glad you found it helpful.
Thank you for review. Room is acoustically untreated, so there is huge reverb, which renders comparison almost useless currently. Use sound booth or reduce reverb in your studio.
Thank you so much. Please like, share, and subscribe.
@@EricYeungMusic , I was really interested to hear how Art Tube affects the input. Thank you for effort. There is awesome video how to improve sound in studio th-cam.com/video/HO7aeraKLsM/w-d-xo.html Maybe it helps you.
@@INFOXlive I'll check it out; thanks again.
The quick, brown fox jumped over the fence!
Yeah, I realised I said the wrong saying after the fact... Oh well...
is there a power off switch? or do i have to just unplug it each time
There's no power switch but what I did was I plugged an in-line rocker switch in between the unit and the wall socket so I could just use that as the switch to turn it on or off. You can probably buy one of those at your local electronics store.
Just got one of these. Thanks very much for the video I learned a lot
My pleasure; enjoy!
When i connect this preamp in the my Steinberg ur22c in xlr cabels i have Very noise. I need connect ts cable?😊
I'm not very familiar with the Steinberg interfaces other than having heard that they have a very high noise floor to start with. From your comment, I think what you might be doing is connecting the output of the ART preamp to the input of the preamp on your Steinberg, which would raise the level of noise (because the noise from the ART preamp is being combined with the noise from the Steinberg preamp). So if your Steinberg preamp has a line input that doesn't go through the mic preamp of the interface, you could try connecting the output of the ART preamp into that line input. That should decrease the noise significantly. But I'm not 100% if that Steinberg interface you're using actually has any of the line inputs I'm talking about. Good luck; let me know how you go.
thanks Eric, very clear review !
My pleasure, thanks for watching.
I noticed a slight alteration in bass and treble responses as you changed the settings . . . but why not ditch the pre-amp and just EQ the mic audio to obtain the same result? (Genuine question)
This is a valid question. I think the answer to that is simply convenience. If you can get the EQ curve just by finding the right "V3 Voicing" on this thing, you don't need to EQ the mic audio. But if you'd like more control and awareness as to what's happening (because ART don't tell you what each voicing's curves actually are), then maybe do ditch this preamp and EQ the mic audio, just like you say.
To be honest with you, I have ditched this preamp and prefer to do my EQ-ing ITB nowadays.
@@EricYeungMusic Thanks 👍
Great video. Great unit too
Oh ok you found it. Thanks for watching!
@@EricYeungMusic yes thank you. Just purchased one.
I’m afraid you’ll find that the correct phrase is “the quick brown fox 🦊 jumped over the lazy dogs” 🐶 …. Which uses all the letters of the alphabet 😂. Love the test audio. Thanks.
Yep, you got me there. Thanks for watching; I'm glad you enjoyed the audio test, and it's my pleasure.
Actually it's "... jumps ... dog" (you already have the e in "the" and the d in "dog" and of course now the s in "jumps").
good vid but couldn,t tell the difference between all the settings .thanx
Hi Jack; sorry for the late reply. I agree - with some of the settings, the sound is quite similar, but I find that there is a big difference between the Warm E Gtr setting and the Warm Vox setting. Maybe try listening on good earphones/headphones to that section of the video and see if you can hear a difference. Hope that helps.
@@EricYeungMusic thanx for the tips,will do.hope yr right ,good vid
@@Jack-fs2im No problem, let me know how you go!
Thanks so much, this is so helpful. I found your video because I'm about to order one to be delivered to me.
Glad it was helpful! Enjoy your new tube pre!
How do you have the preamp turned up without clipping?
I think you can't actually push the input too much. If you need to, you can turn the voicing knob to the OPL section which is pretty much a limiter but still, I don't think it sounds very good like that. It's all about balancing, really.
Hello friend ! Doss it work for electric basses ?
Absolutely!
Thank you man. Good job.
My pleasure!
Are there any digital chips in the audio path?
The signal path is as described: Mic > ART pre > line input on Scarlett > PT11
I’m wondering… did the quick brown fox jump over the fence?
Stay tuned to find out ;)
I think that quick brown fox should be jumping over the lazy dogs. That way you get every letter of the alphabet and some difficult sounds.
Yeah that's true
mine is noisy, it has continuous noise and when you change presets, it clips :\
I hear they're pretty hit-and-miss in terms of build quality
Wow, THIS is very helpful, THANKS !! Ever think of adding this tidbit to the actual video ? I watched your video because I was about to buy one on eBay. Of course when buying things 'used', you have to ask yourself "why is this person selling it", ya know ? And, at least with 'new' you get a warranty and chance to return it.
I noticed with those settings you didn't get any red light clipping . Mine clips at those settings along the 2nd and 3rd voicing settings (top and right settings on the dial) I've also noticed in other videos people where also getting the red clicking light. 🤷
Sorry for the late reply; from what I know, the red light means that the output of the tube has clipped, and this is not a good thing. It means the output of the preamp will include artefacts from the clipping (e.g., pops, clicks, etc.), and so the red light is a warning and something that should be avoided. I hope that helps.
Not gonna lie, this preamp is so good, I jacked to it
It's pretty great!
Very helpful, thanks!
You're very welcome!
Nice Device!
I heartfully agree
Di mana nak repair art tube ni?
No idea, sorry
Great video
Thanks!
Love from India brother ❤️
Right back at ya brother
I tried to change the tube in my unit but decided that would be too invasive
Hi James, sorry for the late reply. I think these units are designed to have their tubes interchangeable, so it shouldn't be a big problem to change out the tube. In fact, I plan on changing the tube out in my unit soon, and making a video of it, so stay tuned for that!
@@EricYeungMusic Yes, when you open it you will see. I don’t think it’s necessary though,with the available processing options. tube rolling in the plain Tube MP preamp makes a big difference however
@@jameslifetimelearner The tube will eventually malfunction with time and use - this is normal - so if you're thinking of using it long-term, replacing the tube will be inevitable
@@EricYeungMusic I have two other Tube MPs,a Project,an MPA, a VLA, Voice Channel,and an assortment of ecc83’s, 12Au,y,t and x’s to play with
I just can't hear any difference. I don't know how a sound can be "warm" either. Maybe my headphones are rubbish?
I think their V3 voicings are EQ curves, so maybe "warm" is a curve with a boost to the low-mids and a gentle shelf cut to the highs?
I got the very same studio table =D
Yeah the IKEA one? It's pretty great!
thanks man
No problem!
Great video... however, the tube is not lit!... please check on that
Yeah I don't think there's enough voltage going through the tube to make it glow by itself...
thanks
You're welcome!
it doesn't sound any different
Ok
I do hope you aren't involved in any sort of audio based commerce.
We can clearly hear the difference in each setting. If you're new to this, and even if you're not, listen with a great set of headphones or earplugs. You'll hear the exact sound reference and nuance of each setting.
I had one of these myself. They are rubbish in my opinion. You notice the tube doesn't even glow when in use so it's adding very little tube effect to the tone. I can achieve the same with a plugin in my daw. That's why I got rid of the Art tube I had.
Unfortunately the only way to get decent tube sound is with a more expensive preamp. Half these cheaper tube preamp are snake oil. They mostly work off the solid state circuit with a tube just connected to try and make you think your getting real tube sound. Some even put leds behind the tube to make you think it's glowing. Real rip off.
My advice would be don't buy these. Save for better, or get the Wavearts Tube Saturator Vintage plugin. It works great for me in my DAW and its FREE!!
Hey, thanks for the info. Yeah I've also heard that some cheap tube preamps put LEDs behind the tube to make you think it's glowing (I think Behringer units do this). Reality is, you're right - there isn't nearly enough voltage going through the tube to make it glow properly by itself. Also, thanks for sharing about the Wave Arts Tube Saturator plugin - I literally just went and downloaded this myself. Happy New Year!
I get saturation outta mine.. sorry if yours was a dud.. mine is a goldmine.. I don't need to spend millions to get what you want
El vocal fue el mas claro
Muchas gracias por tu comentario
every presets sounds the same..
Thanks for watching anyway.
No difference whatsoever!
Thanks very much for your comment. Please Like, Share, and Subscribe.