ART Tube MP Studio V3 Microphone Preamp and Limiter with Presets

by ART

Product Details

• Item Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B0002E56IA
• Item model number: TUBEMPSTV3
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #6 in Electronics > Accessories & Supplies > Microphones > Preamps
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Tube MP: The World’s Most Popular External Tube Mic Preamp. Whether you’re working with a computer, hard disk or digital multi-track recorder, the Tube MP’s TEC award nominated design will allow you to obtain professional results at an affordable price. ART preamps offer warm tone, useful features, and are innovatively designed. Our line of Tube MP products add presence, clarity and fullness to any signal, and is exceptionally low-noise. Our Tube MP Studio V3™ features V3™ Technology (Variable Valve Voicing), which provides optimized reference points to begin the recording process. V3™ delivers a wide variety of settings designed for various microphones and DI inputs, including guitars, basses, keyboards, synths, electronic drums and much more. Don't settle for a copy-cat lookalike. Go with the real thing - the Tube MP by ART!

The Tube MP Studio V3™ single channel mic pre features ART's new V3™ (Variable Valve Voicing) Technology -- found only in ART microphone preamplification systems.

V3™ provides optimized reference points to begin the recording process. The V3™ presets were created and fine-tuned by some of the industry's top studio and live-sound engineers, along with our veteran engineering department. V3™ allows you to select between a multitude of preamp settings designed for guitars (electric and acoustic), keyboards, bass guitars, drums, vocals and more. V3™ gives you incredible presets for every instrument you record, so all your recordings will sound professional. Need to tweak the presets? Go right ahead -- hone your perfect tone! That's the power of V3™.

V3™ also incorporates ART's OPL™ (Output Protection Limiter), which precisely and accurately controls and maintains the output peak signal. The OPL™ circuitry is crucial in protecting the next link in a signal chain - such as a hard-disk recording system or a sound card.

While it's primary application is to be used with a microphone, the Tube MP Studio V3™ can also function as a direct box - impedance matching, amplifying and improving the sound of any instrument plugged into it. The design of the Tube MP Studio V3™ allows it to add warmth and fatness to a signal while maintaining low-noise.

The Tube MP Studio V3™ features all the tone and functionality of its predecessor, the world's number one Tube Mic Pre, the Tube MP. Phase Reverse, +48v phantom power, clip LED and a +20dB switch are all included, as well as an analog VU meter for visual tracking of the signal.

Whether you're working with a computer, hard-disk, or digital multitrack recorder, the Tube MP Studio V3’s design delivers professional recording studio results at a fraction of the cost of comparable equipment.

The Tube MP Studio V3™ offers superior performance and sound quality to the "on-board" preamps found in today's low-cost mixers and multi-trackers. Professional quality sound combined with professional features - a hand-selected 12AX7a Tube, Phantom Power and Phase Reverse - are what make the Tube MP Studio V3™ an outstanding microphone preamp.

The Tube MP Studio V3™ can be used in a wide variety of applications including recording, project and home studios, where it’s Variable Valve Voicing really shines. It also functions as a direct box, with impedance matching and preamplification for line-level sources.

Tube MP – Studio V3™ Features:

• Provides Superior Preamplification for: Microphones, Instruments and Line Level Sources
• V3™ - Variable Valve Voicing
• OPL™ - Output Protection Limiting
• Hand Selected 12AX7a Provides 70dB of Gain Smooth, Warm and Fat Sound Quality
• Variable Input and Output Gain Controls
• Excellent as a Tube DI
• XLR and 1/4" Inputs and Outputs +48 volts
• +48 Volts of Phantom Power
• Phase Reversal Switch
• Superior Sonic Performance to On-Board Preamps
• TEC-Award Nominated Design
• Portable, All Steel Construction
• 1 Year Warranty

Product Description

The Tube MP Studio V3 features ART's V3 (variable Valve Voicing) technology - found only in ART microphone preamplification systems. Provides superior preamplification for microphones, instruments, and line level sources. The hand selected 12AX7A tube provides over 70dB of gain. Features: smooth, warm and fat sound quality, variable input and output gain controls, XLR and 1/4" outputs, +48 volts phantom power, phase reversal switch. Excellent as a tube DI.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deliciousness!, July 6, 2011

By 

Jase Michel "ZacHansonFan" (Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ART Tube MP Studio V3 Microphone Preamp and Limiter with Presets (Electronics)

While I've only used it for one song so far, I'm incredibly impressed. I bought it to warm up my voice - an otherwise cold, dreary and lifeless affair - and it does just that. I can't tell you how many times I kept re-recording the same line; not because I messed up, but because I wanted to keep hearing my own voice through this thing.

I cranked up the input gain and barely opened up the output to record into my Zoom MRS 1044. Absolutely beautiful result. I've heard some reviewers say that this unit is best used as a subtle touch, but I like the full on tubey sound.

I bought this unit for $80 from a local music store. So for a little over half the price of a Presonus TubePre (and a fraction of the cost of most other mic pres) it fricken' rocks.

I haven't tried it with other instruments or even with other voices, but I'm thoroughly impressed with the results of what I bought it for. I will update the review later when I've used it for a wider variety of applications but for now, I highly recommend it.

*TIP I read this on some online forum; USE THE PHASE REVERSE when you are monitoring your voice through earphones while singing. This is because for some reason the sound vibrations in your skull that you hear conflict with the audio signal and you are more likely to sing slightly off-key. But if you use the phase reverse, it fixes this issue and you will sound like God. Peace, y'all!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Useful, but shoddy construction, March 4, 2010

By 

James Britt - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: ART Tube MP Studio V3 Microphone Preamp and Limiter with Presets (Electronics)

I bought this to help the sound of a Shure SM-57 mic. There were some improvements, and it more or less did what I expected of it, though nothing remarkable.

However, I recently hooked it up to do some recording and found that it has become a serious noise source. I've never dropped it, just maybe shuffled it around a bit with some other equipment. It *looks* fine, but is now unusable because of the noise. (I traced the noise to the unit by trying different cables and inputs and amps.)

Find something more solid.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for amateurs and general purposes, January 11, 2007

By 

F. Rodriguez "singer at the rain" (Miami, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ART Tube MP Studio V3 Microphone Preamp and Limiter with Presets (Electronics)

Pros:Great product for those who requires amplify a dynamic mic.
We use for vocals in a karaoke system with excellent results. It doesn't requires expensive microphones. With cheaper mics produces good sound.
Cons: The preamp doesn't has a power on/off switch so you must to plug/unplug the DC adapter. It is a little expensive but works fine.