The Art Tube MP Studio V3

**DB's Jazz Guitar Blog** · 04-12-2019, 02:52 PM

So I'm finally back to playing a bit after 5 weeks of rest. This week my amp modeller died on me and I recorded a track with only my preamp and I was stunned at how good it sounds. What you hear in the vid is the sound of the guitar through the preamp with just a little reverb added in post production.

For the guys in a hurry here's the vid with some info added in it. Best play it through a hifi set to get an idea.

For those wanting to know the rest of the signal chain here's my latest Blog entry on direct recording:

Dutchbopper's Jazz Guitar Blog: Art Tube MP Studio V3

Regards,

DB

**grahambop** · 04-12-2019, 03:15 PM

Sounds good Dick. I do a lot of my recording with my 175 plugged straight into my digital recorder, like you just adding some reverb afterwards. Using any other method doesn’t seem to add much.

Maybe this is something that Gibson archtops are particularly good at?

**DB's Jazz Guitar Blog** · 04-12-2019, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by grahambop

Maybe this is something that Gibson archtops are particularly good at?

That may well be the case Graham. All my Gibsons sound fine with direct recording. Maybe it's a laminate thing ...

DB

**John A.** · 04-13-2019, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by DB's Jazz Guitar Blog

So I'm finally back to playing a bit after 5 weeks of rest. This week my amp modeller died on me and I recorded a track with only my preamp and I was stunned at how good it sounds. What you hear in the vid is the sound of the guitar through the preamp with just a little reverb added in post production.

For the guys in a hurry here's the vid with some info added in it. Best play it through a hifi set to get an idea.

For those wanting to know the rest of the signal chain here's my latest Blog entry on direct recording:

Dutchbopper's Jazz Guitar Blog: Art Tube MP Studio V3

Regards,

DB

I agree that direct works better than to mic'ing an amp in a home studio (though I greatly prefer playing through an amp). I'm curious -- why do you use a mixer as well as an audio interface? Why not just do directly from the Tube MP to the interface?

John

**christianm77** · 04-13-2019, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by grahambop

Sounds good Dick. I do a lot of my recording with my 175 plugged straight into my digital recorder, like you just adding some reverb afterwards. Using any other method doesn’t seem to add much.

Maybe this is something that Gibson archtops are particularly good at?

Yep thirded. ES175 through a PA works.

Joe Pass’s touring set up iirc.

**robertm2000** · 04-13-2019, 11:58 AM

I use old M-audio audio interfaces - a Delta 44 and a Delta 1010. Both are twenty years old and work perfectly. Since neither of them have built in mic preamps - line-level inputs only! - I have to use an external preamp. And the one I use is the ART Tube MP Studio V3. And it sounds great! Both on mic and direct-in electric. Not having to spend a lot of money on an interface is great.

**DB's Jazz Guitar Blog** · 04-13-2019, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by John A.

I agree that direct works better than to mic'ing an amp in a home studio (though I greatly prefer playing through an amp). I'm curious -- why do you use a mixer as well as an audio interface? Why not just do directly from the Tube MP to the interface?
John

Good question John. It made me think. I think I used it because ... errrr ... I had it?

I unplugged the mixer and I plugged in several guitars directly into the Focusrite and .... the sound was WAY better than through the mixer on all of them Pfffff ... this renders yesterday's Blog post completely obsolete. The Focusrite and the valve preamp are more than enough. The mixer is totally unnecessary and even detrimental to the sound. Thanks man!!!!

DB

**grahambop** · 04-13-2019, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by DB's Jazz Guitar Blog

Good question John. It made me think. I think I used it because ... errrr ... I had it?

I unplugged the mixer and I plugged in several guitars directly into the Focusrite and .... the sound was WAY better than through the mixer on all of them Pfffff ... this renders yesterday's Blog post completely obsolete. The Focusrite and the valve preamp are more than enough. The mixer is totally unnecessary and even detrimental to the sound. Thanks man!!!!

DB

Cool! Now all you need to do is go back and redo all your previous videos with better sound!

**christianm77** · 04-13-2019, 02:22 PM

Well I’ve got one of these jobbers lying around in storage. Will dig it out and give it a try.

Using the tech 21 FlyRig atm, very good imo

Always felt there were too many options on the ART and I didn’t know what any of them did....

**John A.** · 04-13-2019, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by DB's Jazz Guitar Blog

Good question John. It made me think. I think I used it because ... errrr ... I had it?

I unplugged the mixer and I plugged in several guitars directly into the Focusrite and .... the sound was WAY better than through the mixer on all of them Pfffff ... this renders yesterday's Blog post completely obsolete. The Focusrite and the valve preamp are more than enough. The mixer is totally unnecessary and even detrimental to the sound. Thanks man!!!!

DB

Ha! Happy to be of service.

John

**ronjazz** · 04-15-2019, 07:01 PM

the ART Project series Dual tube Pre is a great tool as well, with optical compression available.

**christianm77** · 11-18-2019, 05:47 PM

Ok so I had one of these in a box in storage that I had totally forgotten about.

Plugged it into my AER and played just about every guitar I own through it.

Holy shit!

With electric guitars it suddenly turns the AER into a valve amp - it responds in the right way and suddenly had loads of presence and charisma.

**emanresu** · 11-18-2019, 06:04 PM

I use preamp to nullify the noise floor of the tube amp.
Here's an example.
saundiproov.mp3 - Google Drive
and the setup:
IMG_20191116_053851.jpg - Google Drive

It was only for testing the noise floor, didn't worry about much else there.
I used to plug the preamp directly to my Focusrite but the sound is bland (although very very clean) compared through the amp.

**lawson-stone** · 11-18-2019, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by DB's Jazz Guitar Blog

Good question John. It made me think. I think I used it because ... errrr ... I had it?

I unplugged the mixer and I plugged in several guitars directly into the Focusrite and .... the sound was WAY better than through the mixer on all of them Pfffff ... this renders yesterday's Blog post completely obsolete. The Focusrite and the valve preamp are more than enough. The mixer is totally unnecessary and even detrimental to the sound. Thanks man!!!!

DB

Sounds wonderful

I've used the BruteEQ pedal, the Quilter Interblock45 direct line, or the direct out from the Fender Tone Master Twin Reverb into the Focusrite, from there to my laptop. Works very well. Sometimes I put a Boss reverb pedal in the chain. Yours still sounds better than mine! But I like the results I get working that way. I tend to monitor everything "live" through speakers rather than through headphones. With direct lines, it's no problem.