Tube preamps for lush-sounding vocals, guitars, and more
Improve your sound. ( John Hult via Unsplash/)Until the introduction of transistor amplifiers in the 1940s, tube circuits were the gold standard in audio amplification. Tubes are still commonly found today in high-end stereo receivers, instrument amplifiers, and microphone preamps largely because of both their prevalence in recorded musical history as well as the pleasing warmth and depth that they impart to otherwise plain audio signals. If you work with audio in any capacity, from live to studio and in between, a tube preamp is a quick ticket to getting bold, natural sounds that are pleasing to the ear.Here’s a list of our favorite tube preamps for live and studio use.Legendary single option. (Amazon/)This single-channel preamp from Universal Audio is a modern, cost-effective version of the legendary 610 preamp from the late 1950s, designed to bring a timeless tone that’s since been used on everything from Frank Sinatra to Arcade...