Strengths: Two Channels (or Stereo), Sturdy Chassis, Rackmountable, Rumble Filter
Weakness: Although the LED-lit VU meters look cool, they're not all that helpful. The cheap Sino brand 12AX7 preamp tube doesn't give any real tube distortion at all. (It does supply some nice warmth, though.)
Since my digital audio workstation has two XLR mic inputs, I wanted a single unit that could deliver tube warmth for both channels. The PreSonus BlueTube delivers exactly that, and is one of the few units on the market which accomplishes that in just a half-rack-sized package!
I had been using the less-expensive ART TubeMP Studio for a single channel mic preamp, which also has a built-in limiter. Although the PreSonus BlueTube DP doesn't have a limiter, it does have an 80Hz rumble filter, which can be much more useful. In comparing the two head-to-head, the sound quality is pretty much identical, and the BlueTube DP actually offered less overall gain than the less-expensive unit. Although that was a bit of a disappointment, the BlueTube DP does provide more than enough gain for the condenser mics I use.
The construction of the BlueTube DP is very solid and tough, and the controls are easy to use and seemingly sturdy. The phantom power, phase reverse, 20dB pad, and rumble filter buttons for each channel light up when engaged, making them easy to read. The signal through this preamp is very clean, with no noise whatsoever. Even cranking the tube drive at maximum on either channel didn't create any noise! Tube warmth was there, but no tube distortion. That's excellent if you want clean sound, but poor if you desire to mix in a bit of dirt here or there. PreSonus has indicated that changing the 12AX7 preamp tube is rather easy to do, so that might be a good remedy.
If I had this purchase to do over again, I would likely select purchasing two ART TubePAC units instead. However, I'm fairly happy with my PreSonus BlueTube DP purchase. It's compact, sturdy, simple, and fits my needs quite well. I would recommend this product to anyone needing two mic preamps (or a stereo mic preamp) in a single, portable package!
Clean Sound, Durable Package
Strengths: Two Channels (or Stereo), Sturdy Chassis, Rackmountable, Rumble Filter
Weakness: Although the LED-lit VU meters look cool, they're not all that helpful. The cheap Sino brand 12AX7 preamp tube doesn't give any real tube distortion at all. (It does supply some nice warmth, though.)
Since my digital audio workstation has two XLR mic inputs, I wanted a single unit that could deliver tube warmth for both channels. The PreSonus BlueTube delivers exactly that, and is one of the few units on the market which accomplishes that in just a half-rack-sized package!
I had been using the less-expensive ART TubeMP Studio for a single channel mic preamp, which also has a built-in limiter. Although the PreSonus BlueTube DP doesn't have a limiter, it does have an 80Hz rumble filter, which can be much more useful. In comparing the two head-to-head, the sound quality is pretty much identical, and the BlueTube DP actually offered less overall gain than the less-expensive unit. Although that was a bit of a disappointment, the BlueTube DP does provide more than enough gain for the condenser mics I use.
The construction of the BlueTube DP is very solid and tough, and the controls are easy to use and seemingly sturdy. The phantom power, phase reverse, 20dB pad, and rumble filter buttons for each channel light up when engaged, making them easy to read. The signal through this preamp is very clean, with no noise whatsoever. Even cranking the tube drive at maximum on either channel didn't create any noise! Tube warmth was there, but no tube distortion. That's excellent if you want clean sound, but poor if you desire to mix in a bit of dirt here or there. PreSonus has indicated that changing the 12AX7 preamp tube is rather easy to do, so that might be a good remedy.
If I had this purchase to do over again, I would likely select purchasing two ART TubePAC units instead. However, I'm fairly happy with my PreSonus BlueTube DP purchase. It's compact, sturdy, simple, and fits my needs quite well. I would recommend this product to anyone needing two mic preamps (or a stereo mic preamp) in a single, portable package!
Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?