Best Software Preamp Tube for Microphone

[Capoeira]

This is what I was recommended to versus buying a better microphone:

http://www.samash.com/p/Presonus_TubePr ... nQodhGsApw

It's the Presonus Tube Pro-- and will give that nice classic tube sound that makes vocalists sound professional. Using my microphone without anything is a pretty dead flat sound that doeesn't mix well with the guitar portions of my tracks. That's what got me on the hunt. At first I thought it was just that I needed to add Reverb, so I used Rackarack and that just sounded weird. Anyway, my question is would the Presonus Tube Pro or any hardware at that level be miles above anything I can do in software emulation via something like Guitarix. Or is the difference so nil, that I shouldn't spend the extra $130 dollars to do it? I am using the M-Audio Fast Track Pro USB interface for sound card, but may keep the one AutoStatic recommende above if I can get it to work with Jack.

man, I think you are going in the wrong direction.
Use some soft EQ and don't use guitarix to put a reverb on a vocal track. use st like the calf plugins. play around with frequencies above 4Khz with the EQ.

You misunderstood, I said I initially used Rackarack and didn't like it so that is not an issue. You don't like the Presonus above? That is what is recommended to enhance voice recordings at the music store. What is EQ, if equalizer then, from what device or software?

First: What audio device you use? since you allready recorded it has a microfone pre-amps.

I don't know the mentioned preamp, but one thing I can tell you. If you want some effect over your vocals you wont achive this by using a diferent preamp.
Try out the many many lv2 and lspad plugins. Learn how to influence sound with an equalizer. use a compressor ( not to much). All this you got with the many plugins available. you got "wamth" plugins, too. And I guess there are even "tube" plugins.

[autostatic]

There are plenty of tube like plug-ins. The C* (Caps) suite contains like a dozen of preamps, amps and tube emulators. Then there's the Calf Saturator plug-in and linuxdsp's VC2B plug-in. You could even use Guitarix as a LADSPA plug-in. Plenty of options. I'd try those before buying a separate preamp. Besides, I'm not sure if such a preamp will give you the sound you're looking for. Radio stations use different mics already (like the Shure SM7) and they use quite some compression.

[aeb105]

Looking for the sound that Elvis and Roy Orbison used to record. Colorful with Reverb I guess. What programs would I use that LADSPA plugin with? I currently am using the Tango Studio Linux distro. Wondering if some of the programs there would be able to use? Also, I tried Guitarix last night and I am noticing alot of like noise with the effects. I am only using Tube 2 and some Reverb but get this real digital like fuzz when I sing or touch the microphone.

[Capoeira]

Looking for the sound that Elvis and Roy Orbison used to record. Colorful with Reverb I guess.

again I suggest you have a look at convolution and impulse responses for a vintage reverb. "normal" plugin reverbs won't give you a 60ies sound.
you could first try out hybridreverb2: http://www2.ika.rub.de/HybridReverb2/
they also got a impulse response database: http://www2.ika.rub.de/HybridReverb2/Hy ... tabase.zip
don't know though if they have some "vintage like" impulse responses.

you have to try out a lot of plugins to get the sound you want, that is normal

[aeb105]

Thanks. I guess I would plug that stuff into Guitarix when I get it. My other big question is the noise I get with the effects in Guitarix. Is that normal? Its real noticeable. I am using the Sterling ST-51 microphone.

[brummer]

use a noise gate, followed by the expander, before the amp. use a compressor after the amp or after your additional effects.
for reverb use the included zita-rev1 plug-in.

[autostatic]

Or use a "real" plug-in host like Qtractor with the ir2-lv2 plug-in. But Guitarix is a good option too since it has a convolver unit. I'd disable the preamp though, so unselect any tube configuration and set Preamp as low as possible and Drive to 0.

[aeb105]

Brummer-

You are talking about in Guitarix? Where is the Expander. And how would I go about doing it after versus before?

Autostatic-

I would download that plugin thru Qtractor right? Also why do I have that horrible digital noise breakup sound when using Guitarix with mic?

[brummer]

yes, the expander is under the "Guitar Effects". The order in the rack is from top to button. So simply place the expander above the amp will set it before the amp in the effect chain.
I don't know which version of guitarix is actual in Tango studio, and I also didn't remember in which version I have added the expander, so if you didn't find it, you may need to update your guitarix version. Our last release is 0.24.0 which also include LADSPA support. May you like to give AV Linux a try, there is all the stuff mentioned here pre-installed.

The noise you get, because your mic capture the noise. You have two solutions for that, first is, use a hardware preamp like Capoeira suggested, or, learn how to use filters and effects, to solve it in the digital domain. A noise gate is the first step, a expander reduce also the noise in the source. Compress after amplification, will bring you a bit nearer to the sound you would receive.

Also, let me suggest you to select the 6DJ8 from the tube menu, this tube is mostly used in Hi-Fi amps. It sounds a bit clearer then the 12AX7 in the high end.

[aeb105]

Actually like Tango Studio as it was very difficult to get this desired setup in AVLinux. So, now I am trying to update Guitarix as my version is older. .11.1 So, I am trying to use apt and yum. "sudo apt-get update guitarix" Error says--- "The update command takes no arguments". When I try yum it says " No package guitarix available" Any better way to get it?

[brummer]

Uff, 0.11 is really old, and haven't much to do with recent version 0.24 , to bad that such a old version is still distributed
Sorry, I cant help you on that, as I said, try a up-to-date distro, or build your app's by yourself from source, is all I could suggest you here, sorry.

[autostatic]

Tango Studio has Guitarix 0.20 in lucid-unstable.

[aeb105]

I guess I can do that via Synaptic Package Manager as well. Will research. Interesting also to learn that Ardour has effects. But you were saying your Qtracotor is better because you can plug in the latest greatest right? Like lv2 and such.

[autostatic]

Qtractor is not a better DAW than Ardour, but it is in my opinion the best plug-in host available for Linux at the moment. It can handle LV2, LinuxVST, DSSI and LADSPA.