Re: inexpensive small true mic preamps

[andy butler <akbutler@tiscali.co.uk>]

Ian Popperwell wrote:
(but general to the discussion
 
> the sound nicely. You could try the TL Audio FatMan or the Fat2 (I have 
> the Fat2) and it's a tube pre with a tube compressor and is about 4U 
> high, but half rack width. - it sounds great and they sometimes go 
> secondhand (no longer made).
> 

The TLA stuff is very good, but mostly they use hybrid design).
They also do the only "true tube" pre-amp that I know of
( er..there may be more, but I can't afford them anyway)
this is the PA-1, it has a specialist pentode valve as the first
stage of amplification.

Generally they use transistors for the first stage, because there's less 
noise(eg, the Fat2.

ECC83/12AX7A valves are then used for the second (less gain) stage of 
amplification.
As is almost always the case with "tube" mic-pres, really they are 
transistor
pres followed by a valve stage for coloration. 

I've been tempted to say that it's only a "true tube" if the actual 
pre-amp (the critical first stage of amplification) is a valve. I hope 
that hasn't caused confusion, as this quite plainly disagrees with 
manufacturers claims for their products.

andy butler