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Gear / Technical Help => Battery Boxes, Preamps, Mixers, ADCs, and Processors => Topic started by: Flip on May 17, 2005, 10:38:20 PM

Title: BlueTUBE - Mic Preamp
Post by: Flip on May 17, 2005, 10:38:20 PM

Been running my Nak's directly into a standard SBM-1.  Sounds OK but have trouble avoiding brickwalling.  Even with the 20dB on.
 
een thinking pre-amp would help out.  Have to stay under $300.  Found this BlueTUBE that doesn't seem to bad or at least it meet my price range.  Anyone runing a BLUETUBE DP?

http://www.presonus.com/bluetubedp.html


Flip
Title: Re: BlueTUBE - Mic Preamp
Post by: fozzy on May 17, 2005, 10:46:14 PM
Input   16VAC / 1000mA
this may cause problems

Title: Re: BlueTUBE - Mic Preamp
Post by: Flip on May 17, 2005, 10:51:15 PM
Has a feeling that the power was going to be a problem.  Is there another way to help avoid the wall.

Flip
Title: Re: BlueTUBE - Mic Preamp
Post by: Tim on May 17, 2005, 11:03:30 PM
one thought, sell the smb-1 and put that money towards a ua5.
Title: Re: BlueTUBE - Mic Preamp
Post by: fozzy on May 17, 2005, 11:05:48 PM
not easilly/efficiently go DC.  check the yardsale.
Title: Re: BlueTUBE - Mic Preamp
Post by: ehren on May 19, 2005, 12:34:47 PM
You can send that SBM to Doug Oade, that is if he's willing, and he will mod the mic pre for you so it won't brickwall, you can also have the famous adc mod done too, it will cost you about $350 or so. I used to run MBHO603>phantom pwr>dualmodSBM and it was a fantastic sounding rig for the cash. A UA5 is a good choice as well but they are no longer being sold by Doug so you have to find one used that he sold if you'd want him to mod it. Long story long, the sbm is a classic piece of gear and with the dual mod it serves well as a one box solution w/out brickwall issues.
Title: Re: BlueTUBE - Mic Preamp
Post by: africatree on December 11, 2009, 04:40:34 PM
I just ordered one of these a few days ago. Hopefully it will do what I want. Is brickwalling where you dont have much dynamic range before peaking starts, or is it something else?
Title: Re: BlueTUBE - Mic Preamp
Post by: yug du nord on December 11, 2009, 06:23:33 PM
Oade won't touch an SBM-1 with a 13foot pole.  In the $300 price range, IMO you should go with a used mod'd (either Oade or Busman) UA-5 from the YS.  That would eliminate your need for the SBM-1 since the UA-5 is a pre/ADC combo box.  And would set you up to switch over to 24bit recording at some point if desired, since the UA-5 is a 24bit box....  but works great when recording 16bit too.  UA-5's output both digital coax and optical.  A mod'd UA-5 will give you the best bang for your buck IMO.

Good luck man!
Title: Re: BlueTUBE - Mic Preamp
Post by: sparkey on December 11, 2009, 06:51:09 PM
How about the Littlebox for $200?
Title: Re: BlueTUBE - Mic Preamp
Post by: twatts (pants are so over-rated...) on December 11, 2009, 09:12:27 PM
Input   16VAC / 1000mA
this may cause problems

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=127810.0
Title: Re: BlueTUBE - Mic Preamp
Post by: yug du nord on December 11, 2009, 10:00:12 PM
How about the Littlebox for $200?

Even better idea!!! 
Title: Re: BlueTUBE - Mic Preamp
Post by: DSatz on December 12, 2009, 03:31:05 PM
If you're sure that the inputs of the SBM-1 are being overloaded by the signals from your microphones, then why not address the problem squarely and use resistive pads at the inputs of the SBM-1? Surely someone here could solder a pair of them into a pair of 1/4" phone leads for, say, $25?
Title: Re: BlueTUBE - Mic Preamp
Post by: yug du nord on December 12, 2009, 05:34:07 PM
<cough!>four year old thread . . .</cough>

holy shite!   :yack: :yack:  look at all us noobeez.
Title: Re: BlueTUBE - Mic Preamp
Post by: DSatz on December 13, 2009, 10:14:23 AM
Hmm, right. And that means that the original poster (who undoubtedly has been waiting by his keyboard all this time without breaks for meals, changes of clothes, bathroom usage, job and/or relationship experiences, etc.) was probably talking about the original "BlueTube" preamp rather than the model they sell nowadays.

That was rather a piece of garbage, although it came in a neat little package. What I remember most of all was its "+48V" phantom powering switch, which actually delivered about 30 Volts at the microphone sockets (open circuit). And when I called the manufacturer to complain about this, they didn't have a clue as to why that might be a problem; they acted as if "48V" was a generic expression. Also, you couldn't turn the tube effect (deliberately added distortion) completely off.

I understand that the present-day version is better in both respects, though it's not in the neat little package any more. Whatever.

--best regards