| Author |
Topic: Help please with a Tube Works 9002 Pre AMP |
Marty Broussard
From:
Broussard, Louisiana, USA
|
Posted 20 Feb 2015 6:39 pm |
|
A buddy has loaned me one of these units with the Herby Wallace mod. It is practically new in the box with all docs dated 2001.
I want to give it a fair chance to add some "tubeness" so I'm asking for input on how to utilize it in my signal chain.(I've read some older posts about it distorting in some cases)
My current signal chain is:
Steel>Lil Izzy>Goodrich Pot Pedal>Digital Delay pedal>Digital Reverb pedal>Nashville 112 via instrument input.
I am open to changing things around in my signal chain to get the best performance.
A)Do I put it in place of the Lil Izzy and leave the rest of the chain as is?
B)Do I leave the rest of the chain alone and utilize it via the Pre-EQ Patch on the NV112?
C)Do I set-up the signal chain as: Steel>Tube Works>Volume Pedal>Digital Delay>Digital Reverb>into the Post-EQ Patch and utilize only the Power amp and speaker in the combo? (This is sort of a Hybrid set-up I suppose)
C)--other suggestions ???
D)Should I forget this one and look at the others that are proven to work well with pedal steel?
Thanks for any help.
_________________
RETIRED
"Technique is really the elimination of the unnecessary..it is a constant effort to avoid any personal impediment or obstacle to achieve the smooth flow of energy and intent" Yehudi Menuhin |
|
|
 |
Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
|
Posted 20 Feb 2015 8:44 pm
|
|
Keep in mind that the Tubeworks preamp is actually a solid state, opamp based preamp. It does have a couple of "tube" stages thrown in there utilizing starved-voltage tubes, but overall the circuit topology is opamp based. It was always a misleading product in my opinion. They sound ok, have a little bit of tubeyness, but not much, mostly an opamp - solid state sound.
B |
|
|
|
Craig Baker
From:
Eatonton, Georgia, USA - R.I.P.
|
Posted 20 Feb 2015 9:35 pm
|
|
Hi Marty,
Hope you're doing well. There is a vast difference between having a clean, warm sound with nice pure highs and overtones compared to a shrill sound that almost cuts glass. A friend of mine had a Tubeworks unit and to my ears, it always sounded harsh.
As Brad mentioned, starved-plate tubes or space charge tubes don't get the job done. It takes more than just putting a tube in the line. To sound good, the tube circuit has to be designed to operate properly.
It probably never gets mentioned here on the forum, but one thing harsh shrill sound does is cause listener fatigue. While people can comfortably listen to pure sine waves for an extended period of time, it doesn't take long for harsh tone and distortion to drive the listener away. Incidentally, if you want a really pleasant tube sound, Brad may be able to offer a suggestion.
All the best
Craig
_________________
"Make America Great Again". . . The Only Country With Dream After Its Name. |
|
|
|
Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
|
Posted 21 Feb 2015 3:12 am
|
|
| I agree with what has been said. I had one of these and the tube is just a "buffer" type and not a true tube amplifier. IF you want a tube preamp, this is not what you want. Brad's black box is a true tube preamp. |
|
|
|
Marty Broussard
From:
Broussard, Louisiana, USA
|
Posted 21 Feb 2015 5:05 am
|
|
Thanks guys!! I won't even hook it up.
Brad, I sent you an email. Would appreciate your feedback on it.
Thanks again folks.
_________________
RETIRED
"Technique is really the elimination of the unnecessary..it is a constant effort to avoid any personal impediment or obstacle to achieve the smooth flow of energy and intent" Yehudi Menuhin |
|
|
|
Marty Broussard
From:
Broussard, Louisiana, USA
|
Posted 21 Feb 2015 5:23 am
|
|
For all,
My current thought is to get a REAL tube pre-amp and insert it into my signal chain to get some "tubeyness" going. If a tube fails I could temporarily take it out of the chain and finish the performance, replace the tube(s) and be ready for the next show.
I'm looking for suggestions for a tube pre-amp that will works well with pedal steel. Please provide suggestions for some that are proven.
I've tried the Black Box and the difference was only subtle to me.
I'm hoping one of Brad's other devices(or something) else would do the trick.
Thanks again for the help.
_________________
RETIRED
"Technique is really the elimination of the unnecessary..it is a constant effort to avoid any personal impediment or obstacle to achieve the smooth flow of energy and intent" Yehudi Menuhin |
|
|
|
Marty Broussard
From:
Broussard, Louisiana, USA
|
Posted 21 Feb 2015 5:33 am
|
|
For all,
My current thought is to get a REAL tube pre-amp and insert it into my signal chain to get some "tubeyness" going. If a tube fails I could temporarily take it out of the chain and finish the performance, replace the tube(s) and be ready for the next show.
I'm looking for suggestions for a tube pre-amp that will works well with pedal steel. Please provide suggestions for some that are proven.
I've tried the Black Box and the difference was only subtle to me.
I'm hoping one of Brad's other devices(or something) else would do the trick.
Thanks again for the help.
_________________
RETIRED
"Technique is really the elimination of the unnecessary..it is a constant effort to avoid any personal impediment or obstacle to achieve the smooth flow of energy and intent" Yehudi Menuhin |
|
|
|
Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
|
Posted 21 Feb 2015 8:28 am
|
|
I love my Tube Works equipment. I have a rack setup loaded with it. The 9002 is mainly a guitar pre-amp. For steel you should be using the Blue Tube pre-amp.
If you're lucky you might even find one with the steel mod. I wouldn't be without mine.
If you're REAL lucky you might even locate a Tube Works reverb unit.  |
|
|
|
John Limbach
From:
Billings, Montana, USA
|
Posted 21 Feb 2015 8:35 am
|
|
| Marty Broussard wrote: |
I'm hoping one of Brad's other devices(or something) else would do the trick. |
His Revelation Pre Amp does it for me. I run the preamp output into the power amp input on the 112. The Rev has the BB circuit built in and then do all the EQ in the pre amp and send it to the 112's power amp section. Sounds really nice, particularly improved since I added the EPS-12C speaker. |
|
|
|
Marty Broussard
From:
Broussard, Louisiana, USA
|
Posted 21 Feb 2015 8:20 pm
|
|
Thanks John. That's how I'm leaning right now. Would sure like to get a test-run. Maybe someone will have one in Dallas.
_________________
RETIRED
"Technique is really the elimination of the unnecessary..it is a constant effort to avoid any personal impediment or obstacle to achieve the smooth flow of energy and intent" Yehudi Menuhin |
|
|
|
Tim Marcus
From:
San Francisco, CA
|
Posted 21 Feb 2015 9:02 pm
|
|
why not just use a tube amp?
Then you can get rid of 99% of that other stuff and have a very nice sound with just a few cables and a volume pedal 
_________________
Milkmansound.com |
|
|
|
Chris Grigsby
From:
Boulder, CO
|
Posted 21 Feb 2015 9:24 pm
|
|
| Tim Marcus wrote: |
why not just use a tube amp?
Then you can get rid of 99% of that other stuff and have a very nice sound with just a few cables and a volume pedal |
Great point Tim. I'm always wary of products designed to emulate a tube amp!
To the original poster, is there a reason you don't want to play a tube amp if that is the sound characteristic you desire? If it's weight, perhaps try one of the lightweight speakers from Telonics. I have one in my Milkman 40w tube amp and it sounds incredible.
Best,
Chris
_________________
Mullen Discovery S10, Hilton VP, Kemper Profiler Head and Kabinet. |
|
|
|
Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
|
Posted 22 Feb 2015 3:35 am
|
|
If the Tube Works preamp was a "real" Tube preamp it would be different. But its not. It has a 12AX7 tube in it BUT it basically does nothing.
The same as a Presonus Dual "BlueTube" mic/instrument preamp. I bought one for the tube but as it turned out it was the starved plate type and didn't really contribute to the sound. I dumped it and bought a "real" tube mic preamp for my recording studio. It was a major difference. |
|
|
|
Craig Baker
From:
Eatonton, Georgia, USA - R.I.P.
|
Posted 22 Feb 2015 7:35 am
|
|
When you really think about it. . . why buy a margarine that claims it tastes similar to butter? Why not just buy butter? I think Tim would agree, it's much easier to build a great-sounding tube amp. . . than it is to build a solid state amp and attempt to make it sound like tubes.
You'll never hear an ad for butter that says "it tastes almost as good as margarine" ?
Craig
_________________
"Make America Great Again". . . The Only Country With Dream After Its Name. |
|
|
|
Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
|
Posted 23 Feb 2015 8:58 am
|
|
It's hard to beat a Webb combo amp for steel and it's solid state. They must have done something right!  |
|
|
|
