Tube driven recording/headphone preamp for guitar

[tmac]

Hi!

I would like to ask for some recommendations for small tube-driven (12AX7) guitar preamps that are designed to give a good tone when connected directly into a recorder, and preferably with a built-in reverb and headphone output. It should be able to provide a tube-driven overdrive, and I guess it must have some sort of cabinet simulation to give good results when recording directly. Preferably for less than around $500 new.

The only such unit I know of is the Vox Tonelab, but it has a lot of features that I am not interested in (effects other than reverb, lots of footswitches, expression pedal etc.), and it is too big.

It could be either floor-based or not. Suggestions are very welcome!

Thanks
Torquil Sørensen
Norway

 

[gonzo]

sorry, but the only ones i've heard, didn't sound very good to me.

i've used the tonelab, as well as a POD xt driven by a tube preamp pedal (triaxis pedal)...

what i use now, is my full sized tube amp, but i steal a signal off of the output with a Palmer PDI-09, then attenuate the level with a WEBER Mass Lite, and with that setup i can record direct with headphones, or crank the cab, and anywhere inbetween.

works better than any mic'ed setup i've done before....
faster...

doesn't SOUND better than my head pushing watts thru a cab, and making the walls shake...
but it is infinitely variable and records wonderfully.

 

[tmac]

Thanks gonzo, that is a sensible solution and I am interested in doing the same thing since I am having a bit of trouble getting a good recorded tone when mic'ing my cabinet. Maybe my condenser mic is the culprit.

Maybe I should mention that in this case it doesn't have to sound as good as when I mic my tube amp, just decent. When I want the best possible recorded tone I will go to my tube amp.

I just want something decent and practical for silent practice and direct recording, and I would like to try some tube-based products which contain speaker simulation and hopefully a reverb and headphone output. But maybe I need to combine a few different things to get what I want. Something like a POD but with a tube based overdrive instead of all the amp modelling options would be cool.

 

[gonzo]

a demo recorded with this rig, is posted in the rigs and tones forum

 

[tmac]

Thanks for pointing me to your recording, you sure do get some fine tones with that setup. I will get myself such a post-amp DI box eventually, maybe the Palmer PDI-09 since they are supposed to be good.

For "informal" recording and practicing without the amp, I decided to order a Vox ToneLab ST, which is more compact than the LE-model. From the clips I have heard it should be good enough for that kind of usage.

 

[gonzo]

tmac-
you're welcome. glad you dig it...
i think the tonelab will probably do you fine, for 'informal' practicing, it's hard to decide if it's good enough for recording, until you can actually a/b two different systems in a controlled test....
give us some clips, when you get set up...

 

[tmac]

I got the Tonelab ST in the post today, and I've had a few hours with it. Up to now I find it quite promising. I made some quick test recordings like this: PRS Johnny Hiland -> Tonelab ST -> Fostex MR8HD. Other than amp and cabinet modelling, I only activate the reverb on the Tonelab.

Improv using coil tapped neck pickup and a clean tone:
http://folk.uio.no/tmac/music/Tonelab1.mp3 (1m30s)

Time-travel: 1987 (TNT) with bridge humbucker, and 1722 (Bach) with neck humbucker. Lots of gain; need to reduce the harshness a bit:
http://folk.uio.no/tmac/music/Tonelab2.mp3 (1m30s)

Some chords on the four thinnest strings, coil tapped neck pickup. First half with a reduced guitar volume:
http://folk.uio.no/tmac/music/Tonelab3.mp3 (50s)

Of these, the tone in the first clip is the one I like the most. Both number two and three are a bit too harsh, at least for my ears. I did find nice classic rock and metal tones among the factory presets. Btw. I have only listened to these using my cheap headphones, since didn't want to wake anybody by using the stereo this late in the evening.

It will be fun to check how a bass guitar sounds through this thing. I'm hoping the low B-string is not filtered away, but maybe that is too much to expect

- Torquil