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#1
09-18-2011, 02:43 AM
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PreSonus BlueTube DP and AKG C1000S Test
I picked up a PreSonus BlueTube DP tube preamp today at my local Sam Ash. I immediately replaced the included tube with a Groove Tubes GT-12AT7 then sat down to record this quick test using an AKG C1000S microphone and a Zoom H4n recorder. The C1000S was powered by phantom power on the PreSonus, I did not have a 9v battery installed in the mic, but you can also power the mic that way if you prefer.
I placed the mic about 6" from the 12th fret from my Martin OM-15 and angled it towards the sound hole about 45-50 degrees. Please forgive my playing, it's late and I did it all in one take, I didn't edit it in any manner. I hope this helps anyone trying to record at home with a relatively simple setup. http://soundcloud.com/tom-balfe1/pre...uetube-dp-test
__________________
Taylor 714 (2003) Martin OM-15 Custom (2011) Kalamazoo KG-11 (1935) 
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#2
09-19-2011, 05:33 AM
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Yep, great example of how brittle the C1000 is. Thanks for posting!
Regards, Ty Ford
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#3
09-19-2011, 06:10 AM
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Quote:
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#4
09-19-2011, 06:20 AM
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A. There is no insult. B. There is no injury. C. It's no secret that the C1000 is a nasty sounding mic, Joe. What would you prefer? Paint the roses red? Admire the emperor's new clothes or some other dishonesty? Lead others astray by saying something nice about something that doesn't sound nice?
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#5
09-19-2011, 10:11 AM
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Thanks for the clip.
I can't hear any transients. There is treble but no "sparkle". Maybe it's the pre more than the mic. Maybe both... Compare with the samples in this thread. An unfair comparison given the price difference but it maybe gives an idea of what is missing. In the C1000S price range, I think I'd prefer an ADK A6 or Oktava Mk012. Last edited by moon; 09-19-2011 at 12:20 PM.
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#6
09-20-2011, 05:54 AM
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Moon, "I can't hear any transients."
Please explain. Regards, Ty Ford
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#7
09-20-2011, 06:59 AM
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It doesn't seem to be responding to anything fast at high frequencies - I assume they are there in real life. When I AB with one of Sdelsolray's recent clips, I feel like I'm missing the sparkle and fine detail which is such an important element of a steel strung acoustic guitar sound. One (or both) of the mic and pre seems to be doing something which blurs the sound.
I think...
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#8
09-20-2011, 07:20 AM
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Moon,
Gotcha! Well that's one of the things that can happen with tubes. They are slower that solid state and if pushed, they round off the tops of the files. Still I can hear the edgy distortion so typical of the C1000 (and other chinese condenser mics). As I mentioned in another thread, I've the C1000 sound OK on acoustic guitar live, through a PA, but that was due to the losses of the PA. Regards, Ty Ford
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#9
09-20-2011, 07:37 AM
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Thanks for sharing. To me the clips sound virtually identical regardless of the tube component.
__________________
Derek Coombs Youtube -> Website -> Music -> Tabs Guitars by Mark Blanchard, Albert&Mueller, Paul Woolson, Collings, Composite Acoustics, and Derek Coombs "Reality is that which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Woods hands pick by eye and ear
Made to one with pride and love To be that we hold so dear A voice from heavens above
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#10
09-21-2011, 06:11 AM
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Rick,
A very astute observation. I don't know anything about that particular preamp, but I do know there have been some tube preamps marketed in which the tube, while in the circuit, had no particular effect on the sound. Presumably they were there to appeal to the inclination of people who bought into the idea that a tube preamp had special properties. You run into the same thing with some tube mics. In some, the tube is very much a part of the sound. In others, it's just a light bulb. Caveat Emptor, Regards, Ty Ford PS: Good solid state sounds better than bad tube. Good tube sounds better than bad solid state.
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#11
09-21-2011, 06:59 AM
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Also, I think any kind of subtle tweaking is kinda moot if you don't have a good sound to work with in the first place. Even if you're aiming for some kind colour or "character", the first goal has to be to learn how to record a really good rich, clean sound.
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#12
09-24-2011, 03:37 PM
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Well, maybe I'm in the minority here, but I thought it sounded quite good. Could you do better for the price? Quite possibly. A lot of people would say MK012's or SM81's destroy the C1000s for about the same price. That being said, I think it is a perfectly acceptable acoustic guitar recording. Sounds quite a lot better than most of my recordings actually.
Thanks for posting!
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