Inexpensive preamp into effects

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Occasionally someone writes to one of the harp lists and asks whether
the relatively inexpensive ART Tube MP preamp is sufficient in itself to
give a player a fat, amped Chicago tone.  The short answer is no. 
However, I've discovered recently that this preamp does other very
useful things in a harp player's effects chain.

We all know that the output from a mic is not generally strong enough to
drive a guitar effects box the way it's supposed to be driven.  A number
of players on these mailing lists have paid to have their Dan-Echo or
other pedals modified to work better with a mic.  This is effective but
pricey at about $75 per pedal.

Yesterday I took my Art Tube MP preamp off the recording rack and put it
between my mic and my 3-way Morley switcher, which feeds 3 separate 
effects chains.  (My current preferred harp mic -  the Labtec AM-22 --
has a very low output compared even to my other mics, let alone a
guitar.)  Well, wow.  Every pedal in every chain sounds 100% better than
it did before.  The overall noise throughout the system is much lower,
and the tone is bigger and more colorful everywhere.  The Tube MP
improves the tone of the mic significantly without changing its
essential character, and it obviously gives the effects pedals the level
they've been waiting for.

ART sells the base model Tube MP now for about $80 new.  The Behringer
version of the same device sells for about $60 new.  This is a very
cost-effective means to improving the overall sound of an effects chain,
much cheaper than modifying every pedal.  Just put the preamp first in
the chain, and keep the preamp input and output levels low enough to
avoid clipping.

Note: I've used the Tube MP for recording acoustic harp with my Audio
Technica AT 4050 CM5 large-diaphragm condensor mic too.  I've had some
good results on occasion, but usually it sounds a little harsh.  It's
certainly good enough for a low-end home or project studio. 

Regards, Richard Hunter