what would you recommend for a single channel preamp???

[coldcoldhands]

I'm looking at the presonus single channel tube pre and the JHS colour box. Which one would you chose? Or is there something else I should be looking at in that price range.

[selig]

I can't comment on these preamps, but in my experience something that is designed to give you "color" often doesn't sound that good (IMO, of course) and this "effect" is typically exaggerated so that the folks who have not heard a higher quality tube preamp will definitely "hear" the effect. IMO, a tube preamp should be able to sound 100% clean (in addition to adding color) to be truly useful, as this is they way you'll probably want to use it most of the time. 

It's like buying the cheapest tape machine in order to get that professional "tape" sound, which of course is not why folks purchased the tape machines that made the records that made you like that sound.

Analog tape machines, like tube mic pre amps, are originally designed to NOT give you color (as much as that was possible), so buying one designed to give you color is a fairly recent concept. So all I can add is to say to be sure you want that sound on all your recordings before committing to that direction!  

[Ostermilk]

I can't comment on these preamps, but in my experience something that is designed to give you "color" often doesn't sound that good (IMO, of course) and this "effect" is typically exaggerated so that the folks who have not heard a higher quality tube preamp will definitely "hear" the effect. IMO, a tube preamp should be able to sound 100% clean (in addition to adding color) to be truly useful, as this is they way you'll probably want to use it most of the time. 

It's like buying the cheapest tape machine in order to get that professional "tape" sound, which of course is not why folks purchased the tape machines that made the records that made you like that sound.

Analog tape machines, like tube mic pre amps, are originally designed to NOT give you color (as much as that was possible), so buying one designed to give you color is a fairly recent concept. So all I can add is to say to be sure you want that sound on all your recordings before committing to that direction!  

Perfectly stated.

[JNeffLind]

This is interesting to me as I hope to someday upgrade from my USB mic set-up. Taking what Selig said (which makes perfect sense) into account, what are the best options for a low cost pre-amp? Anyone know?

Is there anything low cost that can give that vintage tube sound (not exaggerated for the amateurs like myself as Selig alluded to) while also allowing a clean sound?

If not, is there a good low cost pre that sounds good clean? (sacrificing tube capability for low price point)

[normen]

This is interesting to me as I hope to someday upgrade from my USB mic set-up. Taking what Selig said (which makes perfect sense) into account, what are the best options for a low cost pre-amp? Anyone know?

Is there anything low cost that can give that vintage tube sound (not exaggerated for the amateurs like myself as Selig alluded to) while also allowing a clean sound?

If not, is there a good low cost pre that sounds good clean? (sacrificing tube capability for low price point)

TBH, ANY preamp you can buy these days (yes, even behringer preamps) are MUCH cleaner than any of the usual "vintage" suspects like the Neves, Telefunkens etc. of this world. If you want to do nothing wrong, get a current Focusrite, Lexicon, Mackie or Uaudio interface. But apart from signal to noise ratio I challenge anyone to make out a difference between current preamps, really.