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ART Tube Pac Microphone Preamp and Compressor (Model 131) Price Paid / Price New: $53 used / $99 new Year Manufactured: Currently in production Specs 1/2 Rack Unit space Maximum Gain: XLR to XLR 70dB; 1/4 in. to 1/4 in. 67dB Phantom Power: +48v DC (switchable) Compression Ratio: 2.3:1 (comp)/ 6:1 (lim) Attack Time: 6.5ms Release Time: 200ms (fast), 70ms-1sec (auto) Equivalent Input Noise: -129dBu (XLR to XLR, weighted) Dynamic Range: >90dB (no weighting) Frequency Response: 20Hz to 20kHz Input Impedance: 1.67k ohms (XLR), 1M ohm (1/4 in.) Output Impedance: 600 ohms (XLR), 300 ohms (1/4 in.) Maximum Input Level: +15dBu (XLR), +21dBu (1/4 in.) Maximum Output Level: +27dBu (XLR), +22dBu (1/4 in.) CMRR 90dB (typical) Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): <0.1% (typical) Tubes: 2 Hand-Selected 12AX7a Power Requirements: 100-125 VAC, 16W Sound (or applicable): 5/5. I'm not going to pretend like I know what a $5,000 preamp/compressor sounds like, much less compare it to one, but it really sounds great. I had been using a small desktop mixer's "invisible mic preamps" before, which did a really terrible job of boosting the signal. Friends who listen to some recordings asked what I was doing differently, because it sounded like a real album instead of some guy and a tape recorder. On my end, I notice a lot more headroom in terms of what I'm able to record. Now I'm able to pick up all sorts of extra detail, but at the same time, not worrying about clipping. It's a night and day difference. Equipment Quality: 4/5. A sturdy black metal box with sturdy knobs and switches, two LED meters, and a thick power cord with no wall wart. Perfect. I'm only bumping it down to a 4 because the thing gets pretty hot, and I wish it had side vents, because when it's housed in a rack, there's nowhere for the heat to dissipate. Hoping this doesn't turn out to be a big problem. Usefullness: 5/5. I'll never use my mixer's preamps ever again. Actually, I have two; one for guitar and one for vocals. As long as I'm using a microphone, I'll be using this. Overall Value: 5/5. I bought a pair for $105, which was a steal. Zzounds sells them new for $99, which I would still consider a great deal. They make cheaper units that should yield the same preamp features for $40 ($50 if you want a cool-looking analog gauge), so that's a very economic way to brighten up your sound. I'm thinking that the compressor function adds another level of professional-sound, though. Plus, it just looks like sex.
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Jul 14, 2006 16:57
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Thought I'd put up reviews of some newly acquired gear Title of EquipmentDunlop Crybaby 535q Wah Pedal Price Paid / Price New: $90 / $109 Year Manufactured: Current Equipment's Specifications Your standard Crybaby Wah pedal with a "Q knob" that lets you adjust the range of the pedal's sweep. Additionally, there are two boost knobs on the bottom of the pedal that let you add boost to the low and/or high ends. Pedal is powered by an 18v power supply or two 9V batteries. Sound: 4/5 I'm really a fan of the Crybaby sound, and between the Q knob and boost knobs, you really can dial in exactly what you're looking for. The instruction manual gives you several suggestions to help you sound like Jerry Cantrell, Jimi Hendrix, Zappa and Page. The only thing I don't really like is the split second of silence you get when stomping the pedal "on". It seems like it takes a couple of milliseconds to bring itself up to volume or something, and I don't like to just leave it "parked" when not in use. Equipment Quality 4/5 Looks to be tank-like, and I'm very happy about there being the option for a power adapter. My old crybaby didn't have one, and I hate having to unplug pedals between sessions to save batteries. Hopefully the pot and other moving parts will hold up. For some reason, I can't help but think that I would enjoy a wider range of motion on the pedal, though. Usefullness: 4/5 Honestly, I got this because I was trying out for a band that used wah on a couple of their songs. I ended up getting the part, but declining the offer due to... well that's another thread for another day. I can't think of any songs I play on a regular basis that require wah, so on a personal level, it's not very useful (yet), but it's probably a very wise choice between the other wah pedals out there. Overall Value: 5/5 I'm glad I didn't get the Budda BudWah that I fell in love with last year. This gets pretty close to that level of vocal-ness but without the heavy price tag. $100 for an instantly recognizable, and very customizable sound is worth it. This is also the older version that is powered by 18v. The newer one uses just 9v and has a boost button on the side (that looks like it would be really easy to break off). Title of EquipmentBoss OS-2 Overdrive and Distortion pedal Price Paid / Price New: $50 / $69 Year Manufactured: Current Equipment's Specifications A Boss stomp box that combines distortion and overdrive into one pedal. Includes Level, Tone, Drive and Color controls for precise tonal shaping Sound: 3.5/5 Maybe I just wan't expecting it from a yellow Boss pedal, but there's a surprising amount of drive to be had here. Almost in MetalZone/MegaDistortion territory. It's very easy to get a full sound out of it, and the "Color" knob seems to act like an EQ for the effect, letting you shift the distortion/overdrive between mellow and crunchy. However, it's a bit too much "distortion" and not enough "overdrive" for my tastes, and I really wish there was a blend knob for that feature. It's also a bit too bright for it to be useful to me, and just doesn't perform like I was hoping. I'll probably use it on the solid-state Fender, which is severaly handicapped in the "useable overdrive" category. Equipment Quality 5/5. If you can break a Boss pedal without doing anything stupid, I'd be really surprised. Usefullness: 3/5 If I didn't have an amp with good overdrive, this pedal might be more useful. It's certainly not as versatile as my Jekyll & Hyde, but it would probably be good for someone just starting out, or who plays harder stuff. Overall Value: 4/5 Considering the DS-1 is just $40 and a tremendous value, I'd say the OS-2 is a good choice for someone looking for a distortion pedal with a little extra oomph for not a whole lot more money. It's not a bad pedal at all, just not what I was expecting. It should really be called the Distortion and Overdrive if you know what I mean, right? right? Title of EquipmentBoss EH-2 Enhancer Price Paid / Price New: $28 / $?? Year Manufactured: 1990-1997 Equipment's Specifications The EH-2 adds brilliance, dynamics and presence to sounds by dynamically modifying only the high frequency harmonic components. This restores the clarity and delicate harmonic structures lost through signal processing with multiple effect units. The EH-2 adds life to any performance, whether lead or rhythm. Sound: 3.5/5 The effect produced by the EH-2 is very subtle. What it does is clear up high-end frequencies which are typically muddled up when you use a lot of effects. Some people describe the effect as "taking a blanket off of your amplifier". You can think of it as a dynamic EQ or something. I can hear it adding some clarity, but it's very subtle. Almost like a BBE Sonic Maximizer, but in stomp box form. Equipment Quality 5/5. Perhaps the ugliest color I've ever seen in a Boss pedal, and even features a second LED that lights up when it's doing its magic. Can't go wrong there. Usefullness: 2/5 Honestly, I just got it because I saw an eBay auction for one in the last few minutes without any bids, and it seemed like a cool pedal to have around. If I had a problem with clarify, I'd probably just buy a good EQ. Overall Value: 3/5 I can't really picture anyone seriously saying "Dammit, if only I had an EH-2!!!" Maybe it's more useful in the studio or if you run an effects chain that's a mile long that really affects your tone. I'll give it a shot the next few times I record something, but for now it's more of a "whoo hoo, I have a somewhat-rare Boss pedal!" thing than anything else. an AOL chatroom fucked around with this message at 18:34 on Aug 11, 2006 |
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Aug 4, 2006 14:06
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