ART Tube MP Studio V3 BK

First of all, I have to say I love the looks of this piece of equipment with its old-school VU meter. Aesthetically it looks much nicer and like a more expensive machine compared to the higher grade Art preamps.
There are a number of presets with the main difference in sound between them being different eq profiles, principally more treble or less. The other difference is whether you want the (preset and non-user-adjustable) limiter to work or not. Honestly I couldn't tell the (very subtle?) variations between the "neutral" and "warm" versions of the presets.
It's a good active DI as well.
It does add a subtle pleasant sonic aspect to the sound thanks to the magic of the tubes--this magic mostly consisting of a natural soft compression inherent to the design of the tube itself. I used it for recording and even during practice to alleviate the digital harshness of most of the equipment we get to use these days. Recommended for both its sonic properties and DI usefulness.
However it's not quiet like a thousand-dollar piece of gear and there is a great difference in the input level of the presets with the limiter always on as opposed to the sounds without the limiter. Their outputs are not matched well and the VU meter and the red overload light function at completely different levels. The decay time is quite long on the limiter facility so you want to make sure that the signal never triggers it greatly as the significantly squashed sound will result in poor recordings.

You'll definitely don't find this preamplifier in a professional studio sound chain. This having been said, let me recognize that you'll find it every time in the pole position of my home studio record line. This will be true for voices, acoustic guitar and electric guitar... Some may say that they don't hear any difference in the sound when using this tube preamplifier. That you need a real big sized valve to get this precious old times vibe. Well, let me be subjective and tell that the Art Tube makes me happy. Of course not in the amount as a sixties Marshall combo would make me, but anyway. Specially when acoustic guitar is involved, it nicely warms up the sound. With the voice it does it in a more subtle way. With the electric guitar, turning the input knob clockwise you get a beautifull overdrive. Do the opposite and you get clean levels... Then, some may not care about the old fashioned needle pointer. Then again, I love it. When adjusting recording volumes it's a lot easier to notice the clips with this than with leds... The preadjusted control for different inputs helps quickly to get the desired result. That's all.

I've read a lot of negativity about ART Tube preamps, but I have no complaints personally. I needed a small portable preamp for home studio recording & this little thing does the job and more. It's extremely portable & can be used for a DI also, which is an added plus. I decided to go with this particular model for the added voicing effects & VU meter -and it did not disappoint. There's plenty of options to lock in any tone you're looking for, whether it be for vocals, guitar bass or keys. One thing I will add is that you must understand how the input/output knobs work; I read a lot of complaints about fuzz noise & hissing sounds. The trick is knowing how to dial in the output level so that the signal isn't too hot. Also, you get what you pay for -this is an entry level preamp. That being said, do not expect it to sound like a 10,000¤ Avalon preamp. If that's the quality you're hoping to achieve, then this preamp is not for you. However, if you're searching for something small, reliable and well-built, I recommend the V3 all the way!