General specs for the V3 suggest that it should be about as quiet as a decent console preamp, and that’s how it seems in use: with the gains up and the +20dB button engaged, there is some background noise, but bearing in mind that we’ve got an indicated 70dB of gain and a tube in the box, that’s really to be expected.
Pros:
Good range of alternative voice presets for additional flavours Satisfying and useful basic sound Very easy to use Flexible Looks good and feels solid
Cons:
Line out jack isn’t balanced
GI51 ART Tube MP Studio V3 Mic Preamp
Very few mix preamps manage to be both a good sounding workhorse while still being cost effective for the home studio. Andi Picker explores whether ART has cracked it with Tube MP Studio V3.
The ART Tube MP Studio V3 is a single channel valve microphone preamp in a convenient desk-top format. I see it as being aimed at the home or project-studio recordist who wants something a little different from the “clean ‘n’ clear” preamps in their audio interface, and the fact that the V3 has been around for a few years now suggests that it probably does that pretty well.
The V3 is compact and weighs around 1 ½ lbs, which is just about heavy enough that it doesn’t try to tip off the desk with a set of cables plugged-in to it. The Input and output sockets on the rear panel are for balanced XLR plus a high impedance instrument jack and an unbalanced line out jack. On the top panel are a rather nice looking VU meter for monitoring output level, independent input and output level controls, power/clip/limit LED, +20 dB gain, 48V phantom power and phase reverse switches, and a rotary voicing switch. So, I’m not proud of myself, but it took me an age to realise that in this case “ V3” doesn’t mean that it’s the third version; it stands for “Variable Valve Voicing” and refers to the switchable presets that are configured in the hardware.
General specs for the V3 suggest that it should be about as quiet as a decent console preamp, and that’s how it seems in use: with the gains up and the +20dB button engaged, there is some background noise, but bearing in mind that we’ve got an indicated 70dB of gain and a tube in the box, that’s really to be expected. [Oddly, the front panel shows +40 dB on the input control, + 20dB on the gain button and + 10dB on the output =+70 dB overall; the spec sheet says 80dB?].
I started with the Voicing switch set to the Neutral position and played with the input and output controls: I like this setup because it means that at lower gain settings I can balance how much of the preamp flavour I push into the final signal – high input and lower output for more flavour, lower input and higher output for cleaner gain. Of course, this only works if the preamp has a sound worth adding, and I’m pleased to say that the V3 does: it’s not a Neve or an API but it adds a useful measure of its own grind to the sound. The 12AX7 preamp tube is running on low voltage and is there to provide some distortion rather than to do all the heavy gain-lifting, but it does what it does well without fuzzing everything out.
The voicing options are thankfully pretty restrained and offer a number of useful alternatives to the “straight-through” sound without going into “what were they thinking” territory, as well as a neutral option with a protective limiter on the output. Each preset is labelled for its intended use, but I honestly didn’t find any of them to be so specific that I wouldn’t try them on any source I had [I’d probably stick a label over the names and just mark the neutral and clean-limit options]. As clever [and as unusual] as the voicing options are, I’d struggle to recommend the unit if the basic straight-through sound wasn’t good, and it is. Once I plumbed the V3 into my interface I use it as a workhorse, and found that it worked on just about everything I put through it on the Neutral voice. I actually started to think that ART could have made a pre without the V3 option [and then found that they do – the ART Tube MP] and it would have been as useful to me, but that misses the point: for someone who needs to get the biggest bang possible for their money and their recording space, the V3 gives a range of useable flavours in much the same way that a collection of different mics or different hardware boxes do, but it does it with a street price under £100 in a box the size of a [slightly oddly shaped] paperback book.
For smoothing the rawness and thickening the sound of an inexpensive condenser mic, this box is just the thing.
Microphone settings usually are best somewhere generally around "straight-up", with some variations. Use restraint when using with Mics!
***With Microphones, I would strongly urge you use ONLY the XLR inputs, for lowest noise level.***
However, the VU meter doesn't seem to register much when using the XLRs [unless you overdrive/distort it excessively].
I would go so far as to say, don't even worry about the Art VUs when using the XLR ins & outs.
The VU meter seems to be more for line-level applications like electric guitar/bass, which sound just fine thru the 1/4" line inputs and outputs.
Compare vocal track recordings both WITH and WITHOUT the preamp in use, to get a feel for the subtle, enrichening magic it does.
It is even better with guitar or bass, where it just kicks it up a whole notch in terms of thickness/smoothness of sound.
And if you overdrive it [guitar, esp], you can get some enhanced distortion, for sure.
The best use of preamps [esp inexpensive ones], is to keep its application fairly subtle [i.e.CLEAN] on any 1 track [except for the more extreme special distortion/compression FX].
But if you were doing multitrack-recording of a song and you used it on several tracks--Say, vocal mics, guitar and bass, it would make a solid difference in your final recording as a WHOLE, I would think.
When recording a clean mic sound [i.e.lead vocal], You should go for quite loud output from the pre--Just use your ears a lot to make sure you have not reached distortion levels. Aim for a strong output into the recorder, and keep the input volume on your recording device low [like 1-2].
Used properly, it does that wonderful preamp thing--It makes the sound "bigger", fatter, "warmer", whatever--In any case, It's a very good thing.
The newer version of this box [with numerous presets], might be even better and easier to get good results from--But that is just my guess.
This model is simpler, but I got some good results from it, and it also "taught" me what a difference a preamp makes.
This much is true---NO 2nd preamp you get will ever be as much an improvement in your sound as the 1st preamp was an improvement over NOT using a preamp at all.
The VU just makes it a little better than the non-VU model for line-level stuff.
Great starter pre. And has pro-level applications as well, IMO.
Are art preamps any good?
Great preamp for a microphone. It sounds great! It has all the features you need and want in a compact design. I will purchase another one to mic the snare side of my drum. Digital and tube technology is a great combination.
Are mic preamps worth it?
A high quality microphone preamp, however, will do much more than just make your mic level louder. It will deliver a cleaner, more accurate signal, with higher gain, lower noise, less distortion, and more headroom.
Do I need a tube mic preamp?
The audio signal from microphones is weak, so they need a preamp to translate it into a stronger "Line level" signal. n most cases today, any cheap audio interface will have built-in preamps already, but that doesn't mean you don't require an external pre-amplifier.
What is the best setting for a mic preamp?
A setting of 60-80 Hz is a good setting for the male voice and 100-120 Hz is good for the female voice. A fully featured mic preamp has pad and polarity switches as well as variable input impedance. This switch does not affect the sound, it only inverts the signal polarity.