ART TPS II 2-Channel Variable Impedance Tube Preamp Review

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(More customer reviews)I originally bought this for a friend that was trying to setup a small home studio. It was easily the biggest audio-purchasing mistake I have ever made. We plugged the ART TPS up and it sounded horrible so, I said "screw it I will switch out the tube with a mesa-boogie". Well I opened up the ART TPS switched out the tube and it made absolutely no difference! I thought I may have done something wrong took a closer look and was surprised by what I found. The ART TPS is simply a solid state preamp (a poor one at that) which runs the signal through the tube in an attempt to add some warmth. This is just an absolute waste of money.
Alternatives:
I am not a fan of bringing up a problem then not providing an alternative so here are a few good choices for preamps.
1. The Mackie Blackjack. It uses the same excellent onyx preamps you will find in their higher end models. They have an amazing amount of gain (enough to drive a dynamic mic without noise) and a hint of warmth. Also you get a very good computer interface. Best part is that it is the same price as the TPS 2.
2. The ART MPA. I know it seems odd that I slam one ART product only to recommend another but, the MPA unlike the TPS 2 is a true tube preamp. Stock it sounds pretty good but if you switch out the tubes it can sound great. Although it is about twice the price as the TPS 2.
3. The Presonus Bluetube. I have not personally used this preamp but have some friends that really like it. The Bluetube costs slightly more than the TPS 2.

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The TPS II (Tube Preamp System 2) is a two channel high performance preamplifier coupled with ART?s proprietary V3? (Variable Valve Voicing) functionality. With variable valve voicing, the TPS II is completely versatile and maintains a high quality of performance you would expect from an ART tube preamp. The TPS II also features variable input impedance which allows users to dial in and match any microphone type from large condensers to ribbon mics. The newly improved V3 feature provides optimized reference points to begin the recording process for guitars, bass guitars, synths, acoustic instruments, percussion, vocals and more. Unique to its? class, the TPS II provides level monitoring with two analog meters as well as two newly added input monitoring LED meters. High-Z instruments or balanced microphone signals are input through front and rear panel jacks. This newly enhanced TPS II can accept +20 dB peaks while maintaining over 120 dB dynamic range, quiet performance and incredibly low distortion. ART?s legendary tube stage maintains a classic ?warm sound? and adds additional tube voicing specifically tailored to vocal, guitar, bass, and acoustic instruments making the TPS II an incredible DI box. ART's OPL? (Output Protection Limiting) feature is also included to control overshoots and normalize levels before clipping occurs. Variable Input Impedance Newly Enhanced V3? Variable Valve Voicing LED Input Meter Analog Output Meter Enhanced ART Tube ...

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PreSonus Eureka Pro Recording Channel Review

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(More customer reviews)The Eureka has gotten a lot of buzz. The box feels solid and substantial. It comes with gain, hard/soft compression, three band parametric eq, and master volume. The patch order of the eq and compresion can be switched, depending on your needs. Other useful features include phase inversion, variable impedence, and a saturation knob. A backlit analog meter can display incoming signal level or gain reduction. Inputs and outputs are both TRS and XLR. An effects insert point is included. An optional digital output card is available.
I bought the Eureka on the recommendation of a trusted music salesperson (yes, they exist) to power my Royer 121 ribbon mic. There were no preamps anywhere close to this price that he would consider recommending. As it turns out, he did me a great favor. The Eureka does a very solid job with the Royer mic (although I haven't heard the Royer on anything else, so I can only speak to the pairing of the two). Better yet, it gives me new options for almost every other piece of gear I own. I have an inexpensive Precision bass that really benefits from this box - the compression and preampe give it the fullness of a better instrument, while the eq helps to control the noisiness and unevenness between strings. The variable impedence allows users to try those DIY tricks on Shure SM57 mics without pulling out a soldering iron. Other budget-to-midrange mics also benefit. I run my Mojave tube mic through the Eureka to control peaks with good results. I haven't found anything that doesn't benefit at least a bit from the Eureka. I have even heard of mixes being run through the Eureka (one side at a time) to remove the dreaded "digital chill". Between the quiet operation and the versatility of the Eureka, it is no wonder that it is quickly becoming a "best kept secret" among many home recordists and even sine professionals.
Downsides: The knobs are close together and seem vulnerable to being bent. Three sweep eq's with no shelving eq are less than I'd prefer, but they do their job. The optional digital card can take signals from two Eurekas run in tandem, but the signal from the second Eureka must pass to the card in the "analog domain" before it is converted to a digital signal. As with any analog gear, favorite settings must be written down instead of being saved to memory for instant recall. None of these issues is a deal-killer - they just illustrate how hard I had to work to come up with any complaints at all.
If you're looking for a way to bring your home recording quality up a notch, or a way to give old gear a new lease on life, the Eureka may be just the ticket. Its quality sound, versatility and bang-for-the-buck put it in a niche that will make many bugdet-minded recordists very happy.

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MXL 990 Condenser Microphone with Shockmount Review

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(More customer reviews)It's hard to beat this mic on price. I have one and often use it for home recording projects, demos and such. It's a good inexpensive way to record vocals, but I find the sound a bit muddy, and often come back with eq to turn down some of the low-mid frequencies. Now there are a number of condensers coming out in this low price range, and I've tried a few of them and haven't yet found a cheap one I like any better than this. For finished products, I'd use a better mic if available, but this one will work with a bit of EQ and a careful ear.
The mic requires phantom power, so I got the Art Tube MP preamp to go with it. That preamp warms up the sound and really helps this mic out compared to the built-in mic pre-amps on my board.

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