Re: [Harp-L] Re: Art Tube MP

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jim McBride wrote:
<I had an Art Tube MP but almost never used it, and eventually sold it. 
<I originally bought it thinking I would use it to get tube distortion 
<straight into the PA without having to carry an amp around. It can do 
<this but I found the sound much too bright for harmonica. It definitely 
<needed a tone adjustment to kill the high end. My impression is that it 
<was made for vocals and the highs and mids were emphasized - exactly 
<the opposite of what's needed for harp.

I want to emphasize again that whatever the strengths or weaknesses of 
the Tube MP where its use as a substitute for a tube amp are concerned, 
it is a very good front end for recording at a very, very reasonable 
price.  My solo recording of the "Star Spangled Banner", and the 
harmonica parts for my song "Hurt and Far", both of which you can hear 
at http://www.broadjam.com/rhunter, were recorded through an Audio 
Technica AT4050 CM5 large diaphragm condensor mic into a Tube MP. It's 
not the best preamp you can get, but it's plenty good enough to make 
keeper tracks, and it has more body in its sound than the preamps built 
into a typical low-end mixer.

I have also used the Tube MP as a front end to my signal processing 
chain for harmonica, and I've found that some of my finicky effects 
pedals are generally pretty happy when they get their signal from the 
MP, as opposed to a mic.

In short, it's a worthy piece of gear, and a bargain at its current 
street price of well under $100, that being the price I paid for mine 
years ago.

Regards, Richard Hunter
hunterharp.com
latest mp3s always at http://www.broadjam.com/rhunter