From tande.adamson@btinternet.com Sun Jan 20 17:33:29 2002
Subject:Re: Stereo tube preamp Question

Hi Mike,
I know of course that the Art preamp is designed for use as a mic
preamp and not specifically as a keyboard preamp, nor in particular,
a Hammond Clone preamp. However half a cake is better than none and
using the bridging facility it adds some of the tube nuances that
enhance an otherwise solid state set-up.

The Speakeasy class A preamp is in a different league by all accounts
and a rack unit would be eminently suitable for my needs at least. If
it can work such wonders on the somewhat dry sounds of the Hammond
XM1 module as reported by David Hagler then the Speakeasy pre-amp is
a little box of magic.

I live in the UK and over here we mainly get to view some of these
more esoteric products by signing on to a web-site, like kids looking
at and drooling over the latest cars, through the showroom window so
to speak. There is only one dealer for Voce in the UK and no dealer
for Motion-Sound, so the Art Dual is welcome in my set-up because at
least it's available over here. I bought mine used in mint condition
for $170 approximately. Customs tax plus VAT adds roughly 23% to
costs and those charges are worked out on the purchase price plus the
shipping so importing a Speakeasy would probably be too expensive for
me.

The Joe Meek is a class A design I believe and it increases perceived
volume, like mousse adds volume to hair, without overloading
recordings and in a natural sounding way and without hitting the
transients. So Art plus Joe Meek sounds pretty good ( to me at
least ) and has fattened up an already fat V3. It added further tube-
like warmth to my set-up but in particular it helps the organ cut
through a mix of sounds, which may or may not be useful to others
regardless of what pre-amp is or isn't used.

The useful part of the DualMP for clone users is the bridged mono
aspect, because, as Bruce Wahler explains in his critique, using just
one side of the Dual doesn't quite do the job. The Speakeasy works
well in mono mode prior to the Leslie or simulator so unless you have
a Korg CX3 or the Nord Electro for example where you can't access the
signal en route to the Leslie but have to add the tube effect to both
left and right signals, post effects, then a only a mono Speakeasy
should be needed. However a mid tone control is nice to have in
addition to the treble and bass.

Regards, Thomas.


--- In CloneWheel@y..., "Michael Casino" wrote:
> Hi Thomas;
>
> The Speak Easy Stereo Pre-amp is unlike the art duel mp.
> First of all, Speak Easy designed this unit for Keyboards, not for
a microphone.
> Second, A keyboard grade> So if you had one of the Speak Easy
Stereo Pre-amps with the Base & Treble controls,
> Would you still need the Joe Meek Opto-compresser ?
>
> Mike Casino
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: rotosphere2001
> To: CloneWheel@y...
> Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2002 2:54 PM
> Subject: [CWSG] Re: Stereo tube preamp Question
>
> Hi Mike,
> Your vision for the future, a rack-mount stereo preamp from
Speakeasy
> sounds not a lot unlike an Art DualMP, but twice as tall.
> With the Art 1U rack pre-amp, there is choice as to front or rear
> input, the rears are XLRs and the fronts 1/4 jacks. It is dual
mono
> with independent controls so can be configured as stereo or
bridged
> by patch lead to give a mono source a double dose of 'tubing'.
>
> Designed in this way it is a useful and flexible device but the
XLRs,
> useful for mic inputs on the Art ( with input matching controls )
> would be better replaced with 1/4 on the rear for organ/line
inputs
> needed for the Speakeasy Rack2 but still retaining the altenative
> front inputs. The Art Dual relies solely on the tubes for its
sound
> enhancement not having any tone controls.The bass/treble controls
> would be a useful feature but if cost isn't too much of a
constraint
> and a dual mono preamp rather than stereo is built then separate
> controls might be useful too.
> I use ( in addition to the Art Dual ) a Joe Meek Opto-compresser
> which features three tone controls bass/mid/treble which I find
well
> suited to trimming the tone contours of my Voce.
> Regards, Thomas
>
> --- In CloneWheel@y..., "michaelcasino2002" wrote:
> > snip>>>>>>Yesterday I was talking to Steven Hayes from
Speakeasy
> Vintage Music
> > about tube pre-amps for Hammond clones and SS Leslie's. Come to
> find
> > out, Speakeasy will be releasing a new two space rack mount
stereo
> > pre-amp. There will be an 1/4" A and B input and an 1/4" A and
B
> > output. Like the single channel foot pedal tube pre-amp, the
> outputs
> > could have the same driving level as the A0-28 pre-amp in the
B3.
> > The controls, like its predecessor will be volume, base and
treble.
> >
> > Now here is the fun part, its is undecided at this point
>>>>>>>
> Tell me what you think<<<<<<<< snip
> >
> > Mike Casino
>
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