Quote:
Originally posted by Jay Kahrs
Well, the dbx is hardly a tube preamp. |
Jay,
This is where I have to disagree with you, because it is a tube preamp, like the VTB-1. There are many comments on starved plate designs, some of which are:
”… vacuum tubes will not benefit anybody's sound unless they are driven at their proper voltage”
“… your tube is a toob, it is at worst a useless gimmick and at best an effect that might sound good on something but it has nothing at all to do with actual tube equipment”
“… you may not need 300v but you do certainly need to have at least 150v for a 12AX7 type tube to operate properly”
“… that whole "tube essence" crap (or whatever they call it) immediately makes it look like nothing more than a gimmick”
Those are strong statements, and the authors no doubt believe in their validity, but we think we do offer something that can benefit someone’s sound without running the 12AX7 at 250 volts. As to our using the term Tube; sorry, but that’s what it is: a user-controlled tube gain stage (even if it doesn’t operate “properly”), that is what it is.
As to the comparisons (both real and imagined) between the VTB-1 and the RNP or the Grace 101 or any other preamp. There are a lot of decisions to make when designing (and ultimately building) a product. There are choices and trade-offs that have to be made to bring a product in at a certain price-point. Our goal was to build a preamp for less than $200 (street) that would be clean and quiet and also feature some added enhancement. I’m sure the designers of those other preamps had similar decisions to make based on their ultimate goals. Their products were designed to be strictly clean and transparent (and more expensive). Is the VTB-1 the greatest preamp in the world? Well … no, but it wasn’t designed to be.
The goal of the VTB-1 has always been: a clean, transparent, quiet mic pre with the added feature of a USER CONTROLLED tube coloration stage. There, I’ve said it; the tube stage is designed to COLOR the sound, it’s there if you want to use it. When I say color I mean it as a broad term for anything that affects the natural sound of the signal from the mic, just as any EQ, compressor, enhancer or other piece of gear you have in your studio is there to color the sound. You use those colors to paint your audio pictures; we just wanted to add to your palette.
So comeon guys; Relax, it’s just a mic pre for $179.00. You either like it, or you don't. :D
Hopefully Jay will tell me what he want's to hear, we will get him the units, and he will offer you "his" opinions. I have no problem with that good or bad. After all, like most of you out there, Jay likes what he likes, and you all like what you like. That does not make anyone right or wrong. It means we all have different ears and hear differently....
