Presonus Audio Electronics, Inc. 2-Channel Microphone / Instrument Preamp BlueTube DP

End the Debate! Solid-state clarity or tube warmth, which to choose We suggest you stop wasting time pondering that old argument and choose the BlueTube DP dual-path mic/instrument preamp, which lets you apply fat, warm 12AX7 tube tone or go with solid-state transparency. The solid-state path leads to our classic high-headroom, Class A XMAX™ mic preamplifier with 54 dB of gain. The tube path features a high-output, 12AX7 vacuum tube that operates on voltages double that of other preamplifiers in its class, producing lots of headroom and big tone. You get all the secondary features you expect in a professional-grade preamp: 48V phantom power, an 80 Hz high-pass filter, -20 dB pad to control hot input signals, and a polarity-reverse switch. Each channel has an illuminated VU meter so you can visually monitor your input levels. A Tube Drive control provides a wide range of sounds: when it's clicked off, you're using the solid-state preamp for quiet, transparent amplification; when it's engaged, your signals flow through the tube preamp, and you can achieve anything from gentle warmth to edgy distortion. Versatile and Affordable Thanks to its two combo mic/instrument inputs, the BlueTube DP is an excellent choice for guitars and basses, as well as for vocals. With balanced XLR and unbalanced ¼" main outputs, it serves as a dandy direct box (DI). If you're a singer-songwriter who performs solo with a guitar, you can run your vocal through one channel and your guitar through the other, then feed both to the house system—no guitar amp needed. Try the BlueTube DP as a front end for your DAW, as well; sure, your recording interface might already include preamps, but few of them give you both tube and solid-state operation. The BlueTube DP is packaged in a compact, rugged, 1/2U chassis so it can be used as a desktop unit or rack-mounted with the optional 2UHR rack adapter.