Re: inexpensive small true mic preamps

["Ian Popperwell" <popperwell@iname.com>]

Hi Andy,

No confusion, it's a helpful explanation. thanks.
Ian.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "andy butler" <akbutler@tiscali.co.uk>
To: <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2007 8:33 AM
Subject: Re: inexpensive small true mic preamps


> 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
>
>
>