Tube Preamp in a Virus?

[Jesus Knievel]

Hey everyone

I've been using my Virus KB for over a year now and I couldn't be happier with it. It's a very well designed machine and like everyone else here I think the sound is very, very close to the analog monsters of years past.

Over the past few months I've been reading (in this forum) what people would like to see in future Virus models (real analog filters etc). All of these seem to be trying to address the close-but-not-quite-analog sound of the Virus.

Well, I'm also a nut about vintage tube electronics and I have more than a fair share of them lying around my studio. Lately I've been running the Virus through a vintage McIntosh tube preamp (before mixing) and I've found it fattens the sound up really nicely. I'd be really interested in the idea of bypassing the internal solid-state preamp of the Virus and putting in a tube unit.

Good idea or bad? Any tips?

Best,
JK

[Juho L]

I'd be really interested in the idea of bypassing the internal solid-state preamp of the Virus and putting in a tube unit.

Good idea or bad? Any tips?

Actually there isn't "offical" preamp in Virus input (at least not in B model. Not sure about C). Theres just gain adjustment, which can act like a preamp with high values, but it'll hiss like hell.

I'll recommend you'll build an external amp box because if things go wrong you just have broken tube amp, not broken kB.

[marc]

Over the past few months I've been reading (in this forum) what people would like to see in future Virus models (real analog filters etc). All of these seem to be trying to address the close-but-not-quite-analog sound of the Virus.

Well, I'm also a nut about vintage tube electronics and I have more than a fair share of them lying around my studio. Lately I've been running the Virus through a vintage McIntosh tube preamp (before mixing) and I've found it fattens the sound up really nicely. I'd be really interested in the idea of bypassing the internal solid-state preamp of the Virus and putting in a tube unit.

i don't think that the virus' preamp has a big influence on the allover character of the virus. take an Indigo TDM with a digidesign 192 I/O converter (which is state of the art) and compare the sound. you'll realise that for most signals the difference is barely audible.

as for replacing the virus' internal preamp - don't even try. you'll end up with a broken virus. you really don't want to connect a Tube directly to a A/D converter.

the hiss Juho mentioned is only because the BOOST parameter amplifies the signal digitally. you only should use this paramter is case you cannot boost the signal elsewhere (e.g. with your desk/preamp).

using a valve preamp is a good idea to add character input signal sound.

hope that clears things a bit up

marc

[dries]

i play on an audionote tube hifi system and it sounds great.
as a tube for the virus we could use the same philips as in my d-a converter, its small not so hot and has a lifetime of about 100,000 hours.
but its easier to emulate the tube sound in cubase and i think the virus sounds very analog already.