tube mic pre
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Thread: tube mic pre

  1. #1

    Default tube mic pre

    The only thing I really miss about vinyl is the warmth and overall better sound you get on a large system. Just curious if anyone has used a tube mic pre to warm the sound for digital djing.

  2. #2
    Tech Guru SirReal's Avatar
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    One of the main reasons people think analog sounds "warmer" and or better is that analog distortion is much more gentle on the ears than digital distortion. Ear fatigue over time is much less. Often, people will "mix" down their tracks by laying down to analog tape because you get a "natural" roll off/limit from saturating analog tape, while distorting digitally can be quite nasty and harsh. Also, from your original post, you wouldn't want to use a tube "mic pre", just a regular tube amp, unless you know that there's at least 20db of headroom over line level of the "tube mic pre" you plan to use.
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    Dr. Bento BentoSan's Avatar
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    We been looking around for some stuff to review to add real analogue warmth to mixes and i tell ya it aint easy finding stuff. There is not much out there that has the right inputs and outputs, nearly everything out thereis made for mics and guitars.

  4. #4
    Tech Guru SirReal's Avatar
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    Do you mean tube amps? or analog tape machines? If tube amps, MacIntosh make some nice ones and there's even more out there if you want to get really esoteric but they're VERY costly. If it's tape machines, there's a lot of 16 & 24 tracks tape machines that have been "ditched" by recording studio's for digital recording setups. I do audio in the film industry and there's ALOT of old 6 track analog recorders out there but you need sprocketed tape for them that's not so easy to come by. Bento, just know that you're looking at "audiophile" type gear here, not the kinda stuff that most DJ's could get access to. That being said, if there's truly money to be made and/or a market for it in the electronic music/DJ world, I'm sure there's a company that will step up and make a product or products.
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    Tech Mentor Villinus's Avatar
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    I like the idea a lot. Many of my sets (especially the Ableton sets that are all original material), tend to sound very thin and brittle on sound systems.

    This is what I'm saving for:

    http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FatTrack/

    This thing is awesome for recording, playback, mixing, summing. Very powerful box and supposedly sounds amazing. With the tubes and EQ you could get your mixes sounding very punchy and warm

    Additionally, you could always run a loop of vinyl crackle and pop on one deck behind all your MP3's

  6. #6
    Dr. Bento BentoSan's Avatar
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    The idea was to do a round up of the accessable gear, halfway affordable stuff people could use live - idealy with a line in and out.

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    Tech Mentor Villinus's Avatar
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    ^^it's got line input, unless they don't go through the tubes, but I think they do. You're right though, it's far from affordable

  8. #8
    Dr. Bento BentoSan's Avatar
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    I wonder how much work it would be to make your own little box ? I only need 1x stereo input and output cuz i mix internally. Would make an interesting project, a tube box made specifically for djs to add real analogue tube distortion.

  9. #9
    Tech Guru SirReal's Avatar
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    If you're going to to the effort of making one I'd try splitting the signal with hi-pass, mid pass and lo pass filters at the crossover points of the eq of your mixer to three tube amps. A Multiband DIY tube amp with gain controls would be DOPE.
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    Tech Guru Str8upDrew's Avatar
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    Perhaps something from this site... http://diyaudioprojects.com/Tubes/tubes.htm

    SirReals, you seem to know a little about this stuff. Which of these, if any, do you think would work.

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