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