best midi tube preamp

[Gilbert]

I have tested and owned a couple different models, but i'd like to see what you guys think is the best midi tube preamp, in all aspects. versatility, quality, ease of use, features, etc.

[11miles]

Re: best midi tube preamp

i own ada mp1, very satisfied!

Heard and played on triaxis! Very good aswell!
Like the Rokctron Voodoo!

Like the mesa studiopreamp also but unfortunately is not midi based.

I'm sure there are other great midi based tube preamps!

[terrax]

Re: best midi tube preamp

best = opinion.

I have a triaxis and a jmp1, the triaxis being the primary, i use the jmp1 for some marshallesque tones. I love my triaxis, it's very boogie, so if you dont like boogie tones, i'd go elsewhere.

dave

[YetAnotherOne]

Re: best midi tube preamp

A few older ones I like:

Digitech GSP-2101 Artist - Very flexible with good sound quality but you pay for the flexibility by being forced to spend quite a bit of time programming. The 2101 (unlike the 2112 and 2120) puts you in complete control of the placement of each effect in the digital section so if you're into complete control, get the earlier 2101 but if you're into simplicity go for a 2120. Most of the stock sounds aren't that great but the unit is very capable if you're willing to work with it a bit. IMHO these are still fetching a bit too much on Ebay but they're nice units.

ADA MP-2 - The tube tones are nice but the digital effects are only fair (to poor) and it's a bit noisy. Still, not a bad choice to introduce some fairly nice tube tones into your signal path. You'll definitely want to add a digital unit after it for chorus, reverb, delay, etc.

ART SGX 2000 Express - Outstanding unit and can be had for a song. I particularly like the ART's multiple front-panel knobs that set the parameters for the tube stages. The Digitech 21xx lacks these and forces you to go back into the pushbutton patch editor and edit each patch every time you plug in a different guitar. The stock sounds seem to be geared toward 80s metal players and are fairly usable if a bit effects-heavy.

Mesa Boogie Studio - The clean and slightly crunchy sounds were very good but the more dirt I tried to get out of it, the worse it sounded. As noted above, this one is non-MIDI.

If I were keeping only one of thse, I'd keep the ART.

[ April 11, 2003, 07:19 AM: Message edited by: YetAnotherOne ]

[rodrigo_echeverri]

Re: best midi tube preamp

I have read so many good reviews on the Piranha that I am off probably today to try one and see...

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: best midi tube preamp

Voodu Valve kills the Pirhana brutally... I'd not go through too much trouble to play one.

Not happy with your voodu Rodrigo? Don't forget, the factory presets suck, and it's a deeply tweakable unit.

I've worked a lot with mine, and think it is assuredly the coolest sounding cheap preamp available. I can't think of much that comes close for my needs.

[xxxcreaturexxx]

Re: best midi tube preamp

The ADA MP-2 is my favorite but you definitely want to use the BBE Sonic Maximizer with it. Great unit for an insane amount of crunch.

[Lev]

Re: best midi tube preamp

I've heard that the Piranha has a love it or hate it tone.. so you might want to try one for yourself. The Voodoo Valve sounds killer though like John said, I'm selling my Chameleon to get one. You definetely need to tweak the presets.. I didn't use any of the factory presets on mine, they all pretty much blew.. but once you get the hang of it and start tweaking those presets, you'll be drooling over your own tone.

[Gilbert]

Re: best midi tube preamp

lol i forgot i posted this. thanks for the replies though. I actually already own a 2101 artist, its been my main preamp for about 8 years. I also once owned a triaxis for several months, unfortunatly it was from the first year they were made wich meant it had no recto mod. At the time i didnt want to spend 350 to have it modded so i sold it. I havent tried the ADA or the voodu valve yet, ill check em out. though its gonna be harder to find an ada.

[StuTDavis]

Re: best midi tube preamp

I really love my Egnater M4 tube preamp. It makes it into the MIDI preamp arena just barely, in that the only thing MIDI about it is just channel switching between the 4 channels hehe. But, with the right setup with it, you can get thick, heavy Vox type sounds, Marshall sounds, Mesa sounds...or whatever else you want.

For a completely MIDI-controllable preamp and effects unit, I'd have to go with the Rocktron Prophesy, and the Rocktron Voodu Valve, both for different reasons and the trade-offs from each.

The Piranha is basically a jazzed-up JMP-1. I would say, if someone has tried the JMP-1 but it didn't QUITE have enough "metal" in there for them, but they loved the basic sound...the Piranha would be a good next unit to try. In my setup, anyway, aside from the Exciter thingy I think the Piranha had, the 2 units weren't so completely different in basic sound.

The ART SGX 2000 Express is a pretty good unit for the money and what it gives you. Tons of goodies in there, and highly variable sound.

Same with the Digitech 2xxx series units, but from all I've ever heard the 2101 is the best overall without a doubt.

I was not overly thrilled with the ADA units. They're units I'd drooled after for years wanting to try one, being an old Metallica fan. I found them both to be very stale and unresponsive compared to some of the other units. But I didn't have as extensive of a setup back then as I have now, so that might have made all the difference--it does with my Egnater. I thought the MP-2 did a better job than the MP-1 "by itself", personally...because it had more options built in to help alter the sound to somewhat closer of what I liked.

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: best midi tube preamp

I've had a Voodoo Valve for about 6 yrs.I smoked it once(about 2-3 wks turn around,<$200),but I'd buy another in a minute!!!
The thought of playing without it makes me cringe!!!

[rodrigo_echeverri]

Re: best midi tube preamp

Stu, I read this interview with Vito Bratta's guitar tech and the guy was saying something like mp1 and sonic maximizer MUST go together.

I also got that impression. Did you hook up the one you tried to a maximizer?.. those units have a pretty weak EQ section and it is hard to pull the right tone from them because of that... they need a bit of help I guess but once you set them up, they are sweet IMO. There is definitely no better bang for the buck.

[ April 14, 2003, 03:45 AM: Message edited by: rodrigo_echeverri ]

[Newc]

Re: best midi tube preamp

The MP1 was designed to work WITH external effects units/pedals, not as a stand-alone unit. It offers just enough "extras" (EQ and Chorus) to squeak by, but the original idea of the thing was NOT tg be used in a guitar>preamp>poweramp>speakers setup.

Yes it sounds weak and noisy and buzzy as hell, but you don't have excess effects curcuits d!cking your tone up, either.

Newc

[Gilbert]

Re: best midi tube preamp

Those of you that have owned or played both 2101 artist and a rocktron voodu valve, how would you compare the distortion/gain capabilities.

[StuTDavis]

Re: best midi tube preamp

Rodrigo,

The MP1 I just played at a store once for a few minutes, and wouldn't even guess what they had it hooked up to. Like a lot of amps to me, it was just kinda blah, flat, lifeless, and not nearly "hot" enough sound for me, and didn't feel too good to me.

The MP2 I owned for a while, used with a BBE, yep, and I believe I had most of my other support gear at the time, too (Ultrafex Pro, EQ). In high gain and especially when set a little scoopy it just felt really flat and...though I hate to describe something this way..."digital". Just not tubey responsiveness to me, not what I expect from my gear, anyway.

I have read/heard a lot of people say that they thought the MP1 was a better unit. But, yaknow, the very first thing that made me get hooked on getting rack gear was hearing a guy's rack setup over the phone (first rack setup I'd ever heard), which was so much better than anything I'd ever heard at that point, I just dug it. That setup included an ADA MP2...an EQ and effects. But, at least for me, the sound of something and the feel of something are completely sepearate but interrelated issues, and if one isn't there, the other doesn't matter. In this case, my MP2 didn't actually sound so completely horrible...mostly it was the feel that threw me off.

That's just me...obviously...especially for the prices these things go for, a lot of other people think differently. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]