Electro-Harmonix Stereo Tube Pedal With Keyboards?

[resigned]

http://static.musiciansfriend.com/derivates/6/001/191/427/DV019_Jpg_Regular_153326_V.jpg

 

I'm really missing some warmth from my Hammond SK2 and I'm thinking of getting an Electro-Harmonix Classics LPB 2ube Stereo Tube Preamp Guitar Effects Pedal to beef up the sound. The pedal has full bandwidth (20-20k) and has good reviews (from guitar players) and I would like a stereo preamp because I use stereo on stage (my amp is a Motion Sound KP-500sn). I'm wondering if anyone here has tried it with keyboards? I am especially interested in live application but this pedal might be useful in the studio too. Thoughts?

 

And no, I'm not in the market for a Vent... I'm happy with my SK2's internal leslie sim - just want a little more beef.

[Franz Schiller]

Actually, I tried that exact same pedal for the exact same reason when I first got my Kurzweil K2661 back in 2007.

 

Honestly, I was a little bit disappointed. All it seemed to do was add a little noise. I didn't really hear any effect, much less a positive effect. I like to think I have pretty good ears, but I guess I could have been wrong.

 

If you can try it before you buy it, that would be wise.

[resigned]

That seems to be the general opinion of the posts I've seen - if it does anything at all then the effect seems to be very subtle (although some of the reviews on Musicians Friend are WAY over the top, which seems suspect). That's too bad - if it worked well then it seems like there would be a good market for this pedal, especially since it has a hi/lo input switch for switching between guitar or keyboard level inputs... but few keyboardists seem to have tried it.

 

I can order one through my local Guitar Center and return it if I don't like it but I thought I'd see if anyone here had tried it first.

[JMcS]

You might try the EPAmp overdrive with the SK-2's organ. It is more of a warm/growl type overdrive than the Tube overdrive. I think they should have named them like this:

 

EPAmp = Growl

 

Tube = Bark

 

Stomp = Scream

 

Clip = Shriek

[Baldwin Funster]

I have had luck with the ART tube MP for warming some things up. Worked with an XK1, not so much with a V5+ .

[resigned]

You might try the EPAmp overdrive with the SK-2's organ. It is more of a warm/growl type overdrive than the Tube overdrive. I think they should have named them like this:

 

EPAmp = Growl

 

Tube = Bark

 

Stomp = Scream

 

Clip = Shriek

 

 

I've kept up with the SK2 thread and I use the EPAmp setting now... I want something that offers a warmer sound with a bit of preamp, which is why I posted this in it's own thread. I hope Hammond works on improving the SK's overdrive but meanwhile the search is on for a real tube accessory unit.

[Skinny]

Would adding a tube preamp post-sim result in a pulsating effect?

 

The signal going into the pedal would be stronger whenever the virtual horn is closer to the virtual mic...

 

The SK's do not have an FX loop, do they?

[JMcS]

I want something that offers a warmer sound with a bit of preamp, which is why I posted this in it's own thread.

 

Then my vote is also for an (or a pair of) ART Tube MP(s). Replace the tube(s) with some old 50's/60's era 12AX or AT 7s and you are good to go.

[JMcS]

Would adding a tube preamp post-sim result in a pulsating effect?

 

The signal going into the pedal would be stronger whenever the virtual horn is closer to the virtual mic...

 

The SK's do not have an FX loop, do they?

 

They don't have an effects loop. The ART Tube MPs have enough wiggle room in the circuit that the rotation wouldn't cause a noticeable increase in distortion unless it was cranked up and the input signal was very hot.

[resigned]

I want something that offers a warmer sound with a bit of preamp, which is why I posted this in it's own thread.

 

Then my vote is also for an (or a pair of) ART Tube MP(s). Replace the tube(s) with some old 50's/60's era 12AX or AT 7s and you are good to go.

 

Thanks. That's certainly a reasonable suggestion considering their low cost.

[Kawai James]

I want something that offers a warmer sound with a bit of preamp, which is why I posted this in it's own thread.

 

Then my vote is also for an (or a pair of) ART Tube MP(s). Replace the tube(s) with some old 50's/60's era 12AX or AT 7s and you are good to go.

 

That's what I'm doing with my Electro 3.

I replaced the Chinese tubes with a pair of Czech JJ ECC308S tubes.

 

http://imageshack.us/a/img541/2935/preampmess.png

 

The cabling is a bit of a mess, but it works.

 

Cheers,

James

x

[resigned]

Yeah, a pair of the ART Tube MP's is definitely an option but since this is mostly for live use I was hoping for something more concise and ergonomic, hence the EHX pedal I began this topic with. If this was just for home studio use i'd order the ART's right now, but i'm going to look a bit more for that magic stereo tube box or pedal or something. Maybe that EHX pedal just needs the right tubes?

[Griffinator]

Yeah, a pair of the ART Tube MP's is definitely an option but since this is mostly for live use I was hoping for something more concise and ergonomic, hence the EHX pedal I began this topic with. If this was just for home studio use i'd order the ART's right now, but i'm going to look a bit more for that magic stereo tube box or pedal or something. Maybe that EHX pedal just needs the right tubes?

 

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/presonus-bluetube-dp-stereo-dual-path-microphone-instrument-preamp-with-12ax7-tube/184132000000000?src=3WWRWXGP&kpid=mf184132&gclid=CJ2YzJyA9rUCFe12cAodgjwATQ

 

Done deal. Happy starved-plating. Best part is you can now send XLR to the FOH, which will make the sound man happy too...

[Tusker]

Happy starved-plating.

 

I picked a presonus starved plate thing for tone and all I got was noise:

 

All it seemed to do was add a little noise.

 

Maybe the Art's have a better designed starved plate, but I'd need to hear a demo, because of my previous bad experience. I'd rather run a signal through a moogerfooger and get good quality soft saturation from the drive parameter on that. Just my $0.02

[Rockhouse]

I have had luck with the ART tube MP for warming some things up. Worked with an XK1, not so much with a V5+ .

 

This.

 

I run one of these on a "effects loop" on my Hammond L100. So, it drives between the preamp and the power amp stages internally, giving me extra grind through the organ's internal speaker.

 

It's a very simple connection. If anyone is interested how to do this, let me know. I do not pretend that this connection is to be considered safe for the equipment or the user, but it works. It also allows for quick line-out use for recording direct.

[Griffinator]

Happy starved-plating.

 

I picked a presonus starved plate thing for tone and all I got was noise:

 

All it seemed to do was add a little noise.

 

Maybe the Art's have a better designed starved plate, but I'd need to hear a demo, because of my previous bad experience. I'd rather run a signal through a moogerfooger and get good quality soft saturation from the drive parameter on that. Just my $0.02

 

By all means.

 

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/art-tps-ii-2-channel-variable-impedance-tube-preamp

 

Happy ART starved plating!

[Bossbandbob]

What would be the point of adding the tube preamp(s) post-sim? Is the effect stronger? I was advised to put it before the sim with a clone on another forum as the preamp on a real Hammond is obviously before the Leslie.

[Griffinator]

We're talking about someone who doesn't want to use an external sim.

[Bossbandbob]

We're talking about someone who doesn't want to use an external sim.

Oops,I re-read OP.

Maybe I should always only reply post-coffee!

[resigned]

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/presonus-bluetube-dp-stereo-dual-path-microphone-instrument-preamp-with-12ax7-tube/184132000000000?src=3WWRWXGP&kpid=mf184132&gclid=CJ2YzJyA9rUCFe12cAodgjwATQ

 

Done deal. Happy starved-plating. Best part is you can now send XLR to the FOH, which will make the sound man happy too...

 

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/art-tps-ii-2-channel-variable-impedance-tube-preamp

 

Happy ART starved plating!

 

I am finding some not-nice little things out about both of these "stereo" preamps... like both devices actually share a single tube for the stereo channels, the BlueTube unit uses a red diode to illuminate the tube, etc. Some love them both, some hate them both. I appreciate the suggestions but we haven't found the "done deal" yet, if there is one...

[JMcS]

Each 12A_7 type tube has two complete circuits inside. So each half of a stereo circuit has its own "tube" to go through.

 

AX, AU, AT, AV etc.

[timwat]

FWIW, I wouldn't necessarily presume "tube = warmth" in the same one-to-one relationship as the guitar / bass amp world.

 

At the higher end (Summit products, for instance) high voltage stuff I've heard really does yield punch, warmth and bloom. But especially with keys, all my low cost "entry level" tube purchases have yielded more "gross, hairy noise" than musical improvement.

 

I hear (but have no anecdotal experience) that well-designed solid state preamps do a better job of yielding great results (API, Overstayer Instrument Driver) - that has been the finding of Dave Ferris, whom we all greatly respect round this board.

 

Of course, I'd suggest that if your main thing was warming up your SK2, you'll probably not do better than the Speakeasy preamp stuff. Very pricey, but I'm told there's not much better.

[Griffinator]

At the higher end (Summit products, for instance) high voltage stuff I've heard really does yield punch, warmth and bloom. But especially with keys, all my low cost "entry level" tube purchases have yielded more "gross, hairy noise" than musical improvement.

 

I hear (but have no anecdotal experience) that well-designed solid state preamps do a better job of yielding great results (API, Overstayer Instrument Driver) - that has been the finding of Dave Ferris, whom we all greatly respect round this board.

 

I completely agree. However, people here have reported positively about the ART Tube MP, hence I point them to similarly built and designed products in the same price range.

 

It'd be pretty foolish of me to link someone up to a Great River dual channel tube pre when they're already content with a $60 box and just want a stereo version of it...

[zoooombiex]

I don't know if anyone has tried it on keys but EHX also makes the 12ay7 mic pre, which is not a starved-plate design.

 

http://www.ehx.com/products/12ay7-mic-pre

[timwat]

 

It'd be pretty foolish of me to link someone up to a Great River dual channel tube pre when they're already content with a $60 box and just want a stereo version of it...

 

Yeah, there's something obscene about using a $2500 preamp with an $800 DP.

 

Of course, that's the kind of obscenity we live for on this forum...

[Baldwin Funster]

 

It'd be pretty foolish of me to link someone up to a Great River dual channel tube pre when they're already content with a $60 box and just want a stereo version of it...

 

Yeah, there's something obscene about using a $2500 preamp with an $800 DP.

 

Of course, that's the kind of obscenity we live for on this forum...

 

Gearslutz overlap. Keyslutz?

[ITGITC]

Gearslutz overlap. Keyslutz?

 

...or just slutz?

 

My apologies to any ladies on the forum... especially you, Mr. Forceman!

 

ITGITC?

 

 

[John Tweed]

I've gotten some good sounds by running my SK1 thru an SM Pro Audio TB101 tube preamp in mono. The preamp compresses the signal somewhat, so rather than accentuating the pulsing effect, it diminishes it. However I decided to go with the Vent as it's got some advantages over the built-in sim (eg it runs slower on the fast speed) and it's more robust than the preamp for carting from gig to gig.

 

John

 

 

[resigned]

An update on this thread... I managed to get a used Electro-Harmonix LPB 2UBE stereo tube preamp pedal to try out with my Hammond SK2. I hooked it up to my organ and my little Motion Sound KP-100s practice amp and promptly blew my eyebrows off ! It really pumps up the volume cleanly and it dramatically increases the presence of the SK2. No coloring and not a lot of overdrive to speak of but a nice rounded sound and a bunch more spl out of my amp. Unfortunately EHX puts Sovtek cheapo 12AX7's in this device and I'll be ordering better tubes right away. But my first impression was a very satisfying increase in volume without hardly any increase in noise and a slight fattening of sound that makes the instrument stand out more in the mix.

 

What the 2ube did not deliver was that warm growly overdriven Leslie 122 sound that I was hoping for but again, better tubes may help. I tried combining the SK2's internal EPAmp overdrive sim with the 2ube pedal's "drive" turned up and it didn't impress me much. I also tried using the SK2's "tube" overdrive and it just sucks with or without any help from the tube preamp. But the good news is that the 2ube fattens my SK2's electric pianos nicely and gives the organs more punch.

 

The main reason I held out for the EHX 2ube was for the pedal form factor. It's a fairly large pedal that sits nicely below my SK2. It's a true discreet two-channel device. And it didn't cost what many stereo tube preamps do.

 

I'm a little surprised that I may be the first to post a mini-review of this pedal with a keyboard because it is ready made for keys (it has a switch for low and high signals) and this pedal is very popular amongst guitarists. But whatever. It's not going to make it into every keyboardist gigbag but it's got a home in mine. Now to shop for tubes...

[zoooombiex]

Just a question/observation - the sk1 doesn't have an fx loop, so any overdrive is going to be post-leslie, which I imagine would sound a bit odd (though maybe it'll be just what you're looking for?) in my experience that tends to flatten out the leslie sound and make it more phasey.

 

the only way to get od > leslie is to get an external drive AND leslie, and at that point the vent would be the obvious choice. i know you said you don't want a vent, but if you're already adding an external unit for drive it might be worth considering it - it'll do a great drive and (IMO) a better leslie than the SK1.