Axe-FX + Tube preamp = ????

the simple truth is:

a signal chain is only as good as it's weakest link.

all of the mentioned pres are - what I refer to lovingly as - crap. :)

you might as well put a $19 Behringer OD pedal in front. which btw. is perfectly acceptable if you want 'that' sound.
 
DonPetersen said:
the simple truth is:

a signal chain is only as good as it's weakest link.

all of the mentioned pres are - what I refer to lovingly as - crap. :)

you might as well put a $19 Behringer OD pedal in front. which btw. is perfectly acceptable if you want 'that' sound.
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Hmmm... I've actually heard some good things about the ARTs as long as you replace the tube with something decent.
 
Hi!

I tried a DBx min-pre, Hughes & Kettner Tube Factor, Blackstar HT-Boost, Reussenzehn Daniel D., a MXR KFK-10 bd EQ, Art tube Eq and some crappy things studio preamps, cheap stompboxes and what I have lying around here.
I tried everything as a booster or buffer before the input of the axe-fx.
I did it with a looper/switcher to be able to compare a/b and to compare fast.

The DBx mini-pre didn't influence the sound that much when in normal range. It's a studio preamp. Nice clear highs with no colouring, that's all. When overdriven it sound awful. It's perfect to amplify the signal when it comes out the axe-fx, better then usual channels of consoles. I guess many studio tube preamp are like this. It's not useful as a booster.

The Tube Factor had way more influence. It colours everything with it's special tube factor shaping, wich is not bad! If I would play blues I would use everywhere it and have it turned on always. Perfect for that! Fat n bluesy tones! Since I cover everything including rock, metal and jazz I can not go with a blues shaping everywhere.

The Blackstar HT Boost is different from the tube factor. It sounds round and smooth. It's not colouring with a special shaping,
it's influence is more subtle. Not good for harder britsh tones but perfect for fender and so on.

The Daniel D. is a rare German handbuilt booster. It is even a good choice for tubeamp to make a good amp even better. It adds a shaping and bit of dirt to the sound, that kind of dirt wich we all know from our amps. I love what it does to the sound, but could not really describe what it is. Sounds open and fresh and more like an amp.

The mxr kfk eq is a very good eq. When you turn it on and everything is at zero you don't hear that it is there. That's amazing.
I use it to be able to change guitars without touching my patches.

The Art tube eq is a studio unit. Not any good influence on the sound as a booster. The tube inside isn't running at a higher voltage, so it can not do what tubes are for.

How to break it down? Studio preamps are not boosters for guitar signals, they are desigend for something else and even when there is a tube inside it doesn't mean that it's for guitar. Cheap boosters can be waste of time and money. Boosters are way different from each other, hard to find the right one.
 
PreSonus TUBEPre | Sweetwater.com
ART Tube MP Studio V3 | Sweetwater.com
ART TPS II | Sweetwater.com
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I could understand the value of putting a very high end tube pre (DW Fearn, Manley, Tube-Tech, Summit) in the physical chain somewhere. Personally, I'd have a hard time believing that any of the gear you've mentioned would provide any sonic improvement to the AxeFX that the AxeFx itself couldn't already provide internally at better quality. You can use an AMP BLOCK set to the "tube pre" type, and turn SAG down to "0" to defeat the power amp simulation, thus making this AMP BLOCK a tube pre-amp. If you're looking for "warmth" the DRIVE BLOCK type "Tape Dist" is also very nice.

But then, again, I know people who put ketchup on Filet Mignon. Try it - whatever works for ya!
 
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jimfist said:
I could understand the value of putting a very high end tube pre (DW Fearn, Manley, Tube-Tech, Summit) in the physical chain somewhere. Personally, I'd have a hard time believing that any of the gear you've mentioned would provide any sonic improvement to the AxeFX that the AxeFx itself couldn't already provide internally at better quality. You can use an AMP BLOCK set to the "tube pre" type, and turn SAG down to "0" to defeat the power amp simulation, thus making this AMP BLOCK a tube pre-amp. If you're looking for "warmth" the DRIVE BLOCK type "Tape Dist" is also very nice.

But then, again, I know people who put ketchup on Filet Mignon. Try it - whatever works for ya!
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Not really looking to use it as a tube preamp. More curious if any of those options would add some tube-ish warmth too it. I feel like the Axe is lacking a bit in that area. But, then again, I've only had it a month and have barely scratched the surface of it. It was an idea that just popped into my head and was curious if anyone had tried something similar.
 
MattACaster said:
Not really looking to use it as a tube preamp. More curious if any of those options would add some tube-ish warmth too it. I feel like the Axe is lacking a bit in that area. But, then again, I've only had it a month and have barely scratched the surface of it. It was an idea that just popped into my head and was curious if anyone had tried something similar.
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not necessary.
If you really consider the Pres you mentioned to add some tube flair to your audio I suspect you didn't own much tube gear so far. ;)

If you want more saturation use a tape drive, turn up sag, make sure the signal you hit the Axe with is hot enough and if you want a warmer sound (keep in mind that these are the ones that get lost in a mix first) try a blocking EQ at the end of the signal chain.
Some ppl do want 'radio muffled' sounds I understand that, but that's just not what a mic'ed amp sounds like.
besides, you'd be surprised how harsh, piercing and un-warm many tube amps can sound.
 
You can use an AMP BLOCK set to the "tube pre" type, and turn SAG down to "0" to defeat the power amp simulation, thus making this AMP BLOCK a tube pre-amp.
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To be clear, this suggestion was one where the AMP BLOCK "Tube Pre" would be used IN ADDITION TO an existing AxeFx signal chain where an amp/cab sim is being used - NOT as a replacement or recommended setting for a guitar amp model tone - thus putting a virtual Tube Pre in the signal path within the AxeFx as opposed to another piece of outboard Tube Pre hardware.
 
MattACaster said:
Hmmm... I've actually heard some good things about the ARTs as long as you replace the tube with something decent.
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You've heard that with respect to PODs and other units that do not sound super tubey to begin with and are not tweakable at the level an AxeFx is. Seriously, there is no benefit to putting one of those little abominations in your signal chain that you could not get more effectively by using the tools already in the Axe to their best effect. If you think the Axe doesn't sound warm, I would strongly suggest you explore it further before patching band aids into your signal chain, which as someone else noted is only as strong as its weakest link. You'll be better off in the long run... I kind of use occam's razor with my signal chain.
 
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Yes, they would and IMO it's useful (25 years experience as a pro engineer). I often use the UA LA-610 with elec guitar, and various non-tube Neve clones etc, but a good colored preamp can always improve elec guitar sounds IMO (especially modeled ones!).

Another thing that I do is use real tube preamps in the Axe's FX Loop (custom Randall/Egnater MTS preamps with a custom padded low-power tube power amp), time/phase aligned with the Axe's Amp Blocks. The combination of tube and modeled amps sounds great!

MattACaster said:
Not really looking to use it as a tube preamp. More curious if any of those options would add some tube-ish warmth too it. I feel like the Axe is lacking a bit in that area. But, then again, I've only had it a month and have barely scratched the surface of it. It was an idea that just popped into my head and was curious if anyone had tried something similar.
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I've tried running a Hughes & Kettner tubeman, a presonus tube pre, and an Blackstar boost pedel in front of the Axe mainly to tweek the cleans and it works very well depending on what you use. the presonus is aweful. the Tubeman sounds the best and the Blackstar pedal sounds great too. Its helps improve the in the room amp sound for the axe. not sure about recording?
 
I was looking for a Daniel D. by Reußenzehn, because some recommended it for "modeller amps". However I bought a custommade Tubemaster EF by Finetone BF.

What is the deal? Well, I get a more powerful signal. The sound is fuller (during recording without a tube preamp I was fighting with some lags in the frequency range. These lags are gone now).

The only strange thing is that this benefit doesn't appear with my Duesenberg Rocket II guitar, because it is there already without a tubepreamp. With all of my other guitars the sound wins enormously. (Fender USA Standard Strat, Jackson Kelly K3 with EMGs, Jackson RR3 with Seymore Duncan, Gibson Les Paul Standard, Schecter Hellraiser C-7 with EMGs, Höfner P5)

Give it a try.
 
MattACaster said:
Not really looking to use it as a tube preamp. More curious if any of those options would add some tube-ish warmth too it. I feel like the Axe is lacking a bit in that area. But, then again, I've only had it a month and have barely scratched the surface of it. It was an idea that just popped into my head and was curious if anyone had tried something similar.
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I use Carvin TS-100 tube power amp to drive 4x12 cab. It roars! It is the best sound I have ever gotten.
 
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