Tube Preamps?

[retinal orbita]

So my wife and I purchased a condo and take possession at the end of the month. In the interests of saving space and not having my neighbors set fire to my door after playing an amp, I need to figure out a way to quietly record music, but retain the warmth of a tube amp that I like so much. I had tossed around the idea of buying a small 5w tube amp like the Class 5 (I like tubes, which is where this is going) with a headphone jack but I don't trust the direct outs on amps and frankly if I never get a chance to really open the amp up with a speaker attached there's not much of a point...... so I'm debating on a tube preamp before anything goes into my firestudio box...... does anyone have any experience with any of the EHX ones like the LPB-2ube? Would something like an English Muffin serve my needs in place of a specific tube preamp, adding a natural gain that can't be replaced by a fuzz or overdrive pedal? Anything beside EHX that might do the trick?

[retinal orbita]

Okay I suppose I could live without tubes but I'd rather not, you know........

[The4455]

Presonus makes a few small tube preamps, teh studio I was in recently had three of them. I'd try adn find one used, since they are a bit expensive new. Youcould always buy a blues jr. or somethign like that. I know pumpkin pieces has a English Muffin, you could talk to him.

[sylnau]

Presonus Bluetube
http://www.presonus.com/products/Detail ... oductId=11

[grindonomicon]

An English Muff'n or other tube pedals would work for that, it depends on how much gain you want. The tube preamps, IMO, are more warm + tubey, while the tube pedals will give you more amp-like gain-overdrive. I think the Duncan Twin Tube would be the cleanest, more 'fender-like', Muff/n in the middle - 'marshall-like', and the Duncan Twin Tube Mayhem would be for hi-gain like a Mesa Boogie or other hi gain tube amp. I've got a Mayhem in the B/S/T, and that's mainly what I used it for.

You can also use the dirtbox versions into a clean, reasonable quality SS practice amp to get nice tube distortion at the lowest volumes.

[retinal orbita]

Hmm, I think I'm leaning towards a Muff'in or a LPB, I don't want to spend a ton of cash and I like the idea of sturation but don't need anything hi-gain, I love the idea of it emulating a marshall...... I guess I'll have to go test them out!!

[retinal orbita]

I know pumpkin pieces has a English Muffin, you could talk to him.

I youtube'd te pedal and saw him demo - looks pretty awesome actually. I'm torn. TORN!!!!

[The4455]

I know pumpkin pieces has a English Muffin, you could talk to him.

I youtube'd te pedal and saw him demo - looks pretty awesome actually. I'm torn. TORN!!!!

I say, buy the english muffin and keep it for a week or two, return it and get teh LPB tube, and then either keep the lpb if you like it better or return that to get the english muffin.