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Rating And Reviews: ART Tube MP Mic Preamp

Up to 70dB of gain. Selectable input impedance. Precision LED metering.

User Ratings
Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
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"Good value for the money, but change the tube to make it better" submitted March 28, 2011

By a customer from gmail.com
Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Musical Background: lifelong amateur musician
Music Style: jazz
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Sound: Over the past year, I have bought pretty much one of every make of cheap tube preamp out there, including this one. How does it rate? Swap out the tube and it is a solid third place, behind two much more expensive units, the Art MPA II, and the Studio Projects VTB1. (Both of those need their tubes changed too!) I like this little preamp and for the money it is the best sounding unit I know of. Feature: What you need and then some. Ease of Use: Easy, though it would be nice if the LED meter had a few more lights. Quality: For the price, this is very reasonable quality. I have opened it up and it has pretty good components. Swap out the tube, though, and it will sound better. I experimented with a few and settled on a Tung-Sol, which fills out the sound making it richer. The distortion is now quite good, esp compared to the crackly distortion that the stock Chinese tube provided. (I know, this is a preamp, not a distortion box, but a little distortion can be a good thing too.) Value: Factor in a new tube (recommend Tung-Sol), and this is the best deal out there for the price. I should add that the power supplies on these Art units are not that great and can readily pick up ground loops and 60 hz hum. If possible, use a power conditioner. Manufacturer Support: no experience The Wow Factor: I like its looks, though it is low impact. Overall: Best value for the money. You have to spend 2x the price to get to the next level, which is not really that much better anyhow. But, if you are looking for two channels, and have a bit more money, do check out the Art MPA II, which is really a whole lot better --a different league.
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"I'm humbled by this product!" submitted December 13, 2010

By a customer from snet.net
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Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
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Musical Background: Jack-of-all trades
Music Style: Acoustic folk/celtic
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Sound: I didn't know what to expect when I ordered this unit (2). I did it based on previous reviews, but, even that can be subjective.. I play acoustic guitar, already own a few mic pres, and was looking to add to the collection. In all honesty, I was really surprised how great the unit sounded, especially for the price!! I've already ran it thru it's paces with a variety of different mics and a couple of acoustics and still wondering why I didn't get the ART before! Quiet, warm, lot's of gain, and works for me!! Feature: For the price, it's nothing fancy..just sounds good. If you want more features, expect to pay more..that's all. Ease of Use: Pretty much, plug in your mic, set the gain/volume, and record! Quality: Solid unit! Value: I don't think you're gonna find a better value for the price..as a matter of fact, it's woth far more. Manufacturer Support: Haven't had to call yet. The Wow Factor: It's a 'tool' for me..not too concerned how it looks. Overall: It's a keeper for sure. Adds a different flavor/tone to my other gear/mic pres. One can never have enough of that.
9 of 10 people (90%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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"Awesome. Genuine tube tone. I recently went up to my local Guitar Center to check out a used Line 6 pod modeller to try to warm" submitted February 20, 2011

By a customer from att.net
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Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: 21 years as a guitar and musical enthusiast.
Music Style: Mostly rock to hard rock, but I'm constantly trying new styles and techniques
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Sound: Beautifully, organic, warm tone. Feature: A wonderful product with decent features. The unit sounds great as it sits. The only thing I could even think of to improve on it would be to maybe add another tube for even more warmth. Ease of Use: Easy to use. Pretty much plug and play. Quality: Well constructed with a nice compact footprint. Value: Absolutely cannot beat, especially for the money! Manufacturer Support: Have not needed.
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"A professional piece of equipment, I love it. :D" submitted March 11, 2007

By a customer from hotmail.com
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Sound
Features
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Value
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Musical Background: all of the above
Music Style: experimental, progressive, metal, rock
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Sound: Oh it makes things sound super nice, warm, smooth, noise free.. Feature: hmm, it came with a power supply, so that's good:) Ease of Use: For people who don't know what it's for, it may be tough to use at first, but I thought it was easy. Quality: No problems, ...yet Value: If not the best, it's rally freakin' good! Manufacturer Support: NO need for service The Wow Factor: oh, it's really cool. Overall: I use it for everything, guitars sound nicer, fuller, it's a must have for vocals, and I think it does well with drums as well.
14 of 17 people (82.35%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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"Sound relatively good, but the unit will not work for long. Horribly unreliable." submitted April 3, 2009

By a customer from yahoo.com
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Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Musical Background: Hobbyist
Music Style: Hip Hop RnB
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Sound: Sounds pretty good. I was using it with a Studio Project B1 Ease of Use: How easy can it be to use when it Breaks. I've had the terrible experience of having two of these. Why? The first one arrived and didn't work at all. ZZSOUNDS sends me a new one(which I appreciate, customer service was good) but just 3 months later that one has stopped working. I am done with ART! Quality: Horrible. The reliability is just plain non-existent. See my comments in "Ease of Use" section.
1 of 1 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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"Great pre for your Home Studio" submitted April 5, 2006

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Sound
Features
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Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: Home Studio, Hobbyist
Music Style: Rock/Pop/Country
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Sound: Clear, smooth sound. Just a hint of warmth. Perfect for a home studio Feature: Sufficient for a decent budget home studio Ease of Use: very straightforward Quality: clean smooth sound. No audible distractions or noise Value: Great product for its price Manufacturer Support: havent needed it The Wow Factor: cool interface design Overall: Just the kind I'd need
22 of 24 people (91.67%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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ART Tube MP Mic Preamp Customer Review submitted April 11, 2008

Sound: It gives out a very nice warm sound.Not bad Feature: I think that the features are straightforward.you'll like the low cut filtering.it also has a limiter.Very nice Ease of Use: very easy to use.You won't have a problem with it Manufacturer Support: the manual covers pretty much everything you wanted know Overall: It’s a great preamp. Don’t make the mistake of buying something like this if you’re serious about recording. That also applies to microphones as well. Because what will happen if you buy this and then you’ll buy the expensive one and this will have no purpose. Recommended Rupert Neve 5032-H Portico Single Channel Mic Preamp / 3 U 87 Microphone If your recording vocals, this is a one stop shop. And also expensive. There is no such thing as commercial sound with cheap mics and preamps. It’s very important to do this right the first time.
5 of 32 people (15.63%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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