Customer Reviews

ART TPS II 2-Channel Variable Impedance Tube Preamp

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I originally bought this for a friend that was trying to setup a small home studio. It was easily the biggest audio-purchasing mistake I have ever made. We plugged the ART TPS up and it sounded horrible so, I said "screw it I will switch out the tube with a mesa-boogie". Well I opened up the ART TPS switched out the tube and it made absolutely no difference! I thought I may have done something wrong took a closer look and was surprised by what I found. The ART TPS is simply a solid state preamp (a poor one at that) which runs the signal through the tube in an attempt to add some warmth. This is just an absolute waste of money.

Alternatives:
I am not a fan of bringing up a problem then not providing an alternative so here are a few good choices for preamps.

1. The Mackie Blackjack. It uses the same excellent onyx preamps you will find in their higher end models. They have an amazing amount of gain (enough to drive a dynamic mic without noise) and a hint of warmth. Also you get a very good computer interface. Best part is that it is the same price as the TPS 2.

2. The ART MPA. I know it seems odd that I slam one ART product only to recommend another but, the MPA unlike the TPS 2 is a true tube preamp. Stock it sounds pretty good but if you switch out the tubes it can sound great. Although it is about twice the price as the TPS 2.

3. The Presonus Bluetube. I have not personally used this preamp but have some friends that really like it. The Bluetube costs slightly more than the TPS 2.

I replaced the tubes with a $65 Tung Sol tube thinking that it would be a night and day exerience in terms of quality - that wasn't the case. Just like ALL things audio, and life for that matter, you get what you pay for.

I bought this ART TPS II to add some tube warmth to my home A/V system, which I also use in my hobby - digital audio restoration of LPs and tapes (not for pro use). While it sure looks cool (and only takes up 1 RU in my rack), I can't recommend it for several reasons. First, quality control is lacking. Mine arrived defective; one of the input LEDs was on constantly regardless of input. And the input LEDs were not balanced between Channels 1 and 2; one read much higher than the other. Second, the presets on the V3 knobs limit the choices available. I couldn't find one that sounded right, either too bright or not enough clarity. (BTW, I prefer the term tube "clarity" or tube "sweetness" to "warmth" since that describes what I'm looking for better.) Third, there's no bypass switch to A/B the unit in or out of the system.

However, the seller, Musician's Friend, was very easy to deal with. A quick phone call to a very nice customer service woman gave me free shipping back and a prompt refund. So I'd recommend them highly.

A much better option for a hybrid tube preamp is the Behringer T1954 Tube Ultrafex, which I bought elsewhere (Amazon/Musician's Friend don't carry it). The Behringer is much better quality, both physically and sound-wise. It's extremely flexible, with an array of knobs to adjust various parameters in both the high and low frequency ranges (lacking in the ART). It has special circuitry that phase-shifts the program based on frequency to align the bass with the other frequencies (to correct delays introduced during the recording process) for stronger, more balanced bass. It has an easy-to-use Noise Reduction sensitivity control coupled with 3 LEDs, which boosts the highs without adding noise. It has a Surround Processor which generates an ambient signal, delays it based on the music, then mixes it back.

The sound is a revelation. Finally, I've got that wonderful, smooth, sweet, clear sound of live music that only tubes can provide. And for $10 less than the ART! This is the second piece of Behringer gear I own, and I still can't figure how they make such high quality stuff at ridiculously low prices. And I haven't mentioned how cool this T1954 looks, with big "retro" VU meters and two 12AX7A's behind the glass windows. Highly recommended.