Voodoo Lab Guitar Preamp

This is a basic 2 channel guitar preamp with shared EQ for distorted rhythm and lead and a dedicated clean channel with it's own set of EQs.

FRONT PANEL:
1. Power switch
2. Cabinet Simulator – In/Out
3. Cabinet Simulator – 2x12 Open/4x12 Closed
4. Green Volume – volume control for Clean channel
5. Green Treble – treble EQ control for Clean channel
6. Green Mid – midrange EQ control for Clean channel
7. Punch Switch – changes EQ curve of Clean channel to accentuate the lower-mid frequencies
8. Green Bass – bass EQ control for Clean channel
9. Green Bright Switch – enhances high frequencies in the Clean channel
10. Green Gain – gain control for Clean channel
11. Channel Select – Select between Clean and Rhythm/Lead
12. Channel Select – Select Rhythm or Lead
13. Yellow Volume – volume control for Rhythm channel
14. Red Volume – volume control for Lead channel
15. Red/Yellow Treble – treble EQ control for both Rhythm and Lead channels
16. Red/Yellow Mid – midrange EQ control for both Rhythm and Lead channels
17. Shift Switch – shifts EQ curve of both Rhythm and Lead channels to accentuate the lower-mid and lower-high frequencies
18. Red/Yellow Bass – bass EQ control for both Rhythm and Lead channels
19. Yellow Bright Switch – enhances high frequencies in the Rhythm channel
20. Yellow Gain – gain control for the Rhythm channel
21. Red Bright Switch – enhances high frequencies in the Lead channel
22. Red Gain – gain control for the Lead channel 23. Input jack – standard 1⁄4" instrument level input


BACK PANEL:
1. Footswitch Jack – 1⁄4" TRS input jack for footswitch
2. Direct Out 1 – balanced XLR with Cabinet Simulator
3. Direct Out 2 – unbalanced 1⁄4" with Cabinet Simulator
4. Preamp Out (2) – standard 1⁄4" outputs
5. AC In – AC power input jack – this is a standard “IEC-style” connector

UTILIZATION

It's got the same amount of knobs a regular combo or amp head would have, so if you have experience with regular amps you'd be very familiar with this one as well. Rack stuff is a bit more complex most of the time as there's more connections, ins and outs to work and most of the time they're all in stereo configurations. I personally was never into the rack stuff, owning the vooodoo labs preamp was an experiment of possibly getting into it for me.






SOUNDS

Ok the sounds but first, for anything modern like modern metal or whatnot, this is not the preamp for such a thing. There is enough gain on tap to accomplish metal tunes but the sound of the preamp is very thick and also has a very prominent mid range. So this amp isn't really meant to get super high gain, scooped death metal tones.

Ok now that we got that out of the way. As far as I remember, the sounds were quite good for bluesy/vintage/classic rock stuff. It's generally, a very smooth sounding preamp. Leads are nice, warm thick and lush. Rhythms are fat and thick as well, CAN get a bit muddy depending on how you set it, again this amp's midrange is very big and almost exaggerated so you kind of have to take that into account. The cleans are very clean, lots of headroom and plenty clean. They aren't super bright and twangy like a fender but they are still very good. The bright switch helps to get CLOSE to that ballpark but not exactly, more like just adds a bit of sparkle to the top end.

OVERALL OPINION

Overall it's a very good sounding preamp for classic rock and good cleans. It's got a warm vintage sound with plenty of midrange. It also is a bit dependent on what poweramp you use but overall this preamp is geared towards a smoother sounding overdrive/distortion. Definitely not for the metalheads. But if you want nice tube analog distortion and wanna try something different from everything that's out there today and like simplicity in a rack, this is a good one to look into!

4 12ax7 tubes..PCB.. 3 channels.. Clean, dirty... and more dirty. Shared eq, separate volume on rhythm/lead channels (good to set lead boost) These two channels are very,very close.. Powerful signal..can push poweramps pretty hard. Direct out/XLR direct out, 1/4 outs.. NO effects loop. (Yuck) Mid boost button for distortion channels, bright switches for all 3 channels.
No effects. This is strictly tone shaping and gain.

UTILIZATION

Very simple. Knob turners dream. Buttons reeeeally easy to push. A monkey could figure this out. Getting a good sound.. well, you have to know what you like. This amp has a fair amount of complex mids... I don't know if you can dial these out completely like you could with a Boogie Recto for example. The eq is very responsive..I find myself dialing back the trebles overall since I am always striving for the smoothest sounds possible.. (while having loads of gain) The manual is easy...I think it is like... 3 pages.

SOUNDS

It does suit my style. The sound overall is smooth.. creamy.. and still heavy heavy. I can play metal.. dial back my volume to hard rock-ville.. add some slight overdrive on the front end and it screams. Using Les Pauls, Strats, Tele's, a few other types with this. Carvin T100 poweramp, Digitech GSP2101 for effects.
Overall, I would say the character of this amp is somewhere between a Soldano and Marshall tone.. A bit smoother than the typical Marshall tone.. ( I play next to my rhythm players Marshall TSL stack) but with just as much attack. (and more character)
I need to run the gamut of tones for my originals. From crystal clean to molten gain. I run this thru parametric e.q.'s.. loads of effects.. and it retains its character.
The gain channels are the standouts here. Searing, yet smooth, detailed, but with enough hair on it to let you know it's heavy. The clean channel... uh. Hmmm. Honestly, this is rather 2 dimensional. The least exciting part of the amp, but with a parametric you can get a good approximation of Twin tones. If you are using effects, it is certainly more than adequate. It is not a "bad" tone... just not as good as the distortion channel counterparts.

OVERALL OPINION

I have had 3 of these... Yeah, yeah. I know. I have gotten rid of them, then repurchase them, etc. I am not a pack rat regarding musical equipment. If I don't use it.. I get something else. Been using them for about 6 years now. Something has always stuck with me regarding the tone. It has a certain "alive" quality that I have not gotten with other amps. I still continue to experiment with lots of other gear... You know. We musicians have our ideal tone for about 5 minutes.. then need to buy something else. I do not like the fact that this has no effects loop..I connect directly between this and my poweramp.. but it would be nice to have a little more interface. For the price this is a good value.. considering the preamp options that would actually compare to this.. typically range in the $1000.00+ category. These are hard to find used.. usually in the $600-700 range when they actually show up.
If I decide to sell this one...I'll probably be a yo-yo and buy it again later...my track record has shown that I do... hopefully the 3rd time is a charm..

Notice MP3 Inside!

Prampli lamps (http://www.voodoolab.com/preamp.html) Designed by Bogner (http://bogneramplification.com/) for Voodoo Lab!
4 lights visible through the grate above the Darat rack
3 channels (2 + 1) in 1 rack unit quite shallow (it's the same size quune TCE G-Major) with footswitch supplied.

Connections:
- 2 output jack "preamp out"
- 2 outputs "Direct Out" to live with lenregistrement simulator HP Intgr moon is in the format Jack (asymtrique) lautre format XLR (symtrique), they are identical!
The speaker simulation lenregistrement to live: you can choose between "Open" (2x12 open) and "Closed" (4x12 closed)

Channel 1: Volume-Treble-Bass-Mid-Gain + switch "Punch" and a switch "Bright" which adds treble.
Channels 2 and 3 share the same EQ but their volume and gain knob as well as the "Bright" respectively!
Channel 2 possde a knob "Shift" and more.

The Shift by Gillou: "This is the dplacement (shift in English) of a certain band frequency drives a little hollow down.
Imagine a graphic EQ, 1 / 3 octave. The band is 2 KHz - 3 db. By pressing the Shift, you entrust your 0 2 KHz, but you dig a 3 dB band of 1.5 KHz. It's like a hole in mdiums dplaces you ... "

8 because it is not south.

UTILIZATION

This prampli ntant not use Midi rvle is simple: a traditional head dampli finally!
The manual does not serve a large chosedailleurs I do not lay dballe
The sounds are more difficult to get what quavec nimporte head lamps quil is plugged into an amplifier and a speaker or live sound card!
The Lumire (diffrent one per channel) continued the help channel activ

10 There is no simpler.

SOUNDS

The clean channel is gnial especially with the micro strata simple sound slamming trs friendly
It has a warmer sound with the P90.

The crunch (Channel 2) is friendly, warm and bluesy desire whatsoever with the simple or P90, with 81 on WO limpression DTRE on channel 3

The distortion (channel 3) is identical to the final crunch (they share the same EQ!) With a little more gain ...
With EMG 81, the gain block and a V-EQ was something a little mtal but this is clearly not the purpose of this pramp ... It's still a bit messy (well I am not a god but with an EMG 81 is the limit!). That's my opinion and I am ide of what must be a distortion mtal!

Channels 2 & 3 are in the spirit trs Marshall, but of quality: Reynold Bogner Marshall as a fan of this explains it

I'll let you listen to MP3 (https://fr.audiofanzine.com/produits/mp3/index% 2Cidproduit 2C29002.html%)
The Voodoo Lab silent branch via its XLR recording output in my pramp ART (just to have enough output level) is itself plugged into a sound card M-Audio Delta 44, all recorded with Cubase SX.
Guitars used: Gibson LP (P90), Vigier Marilyn (EMG 81) and XPM Start (Kinman Single)

Saving Sareceno Blues on the official website (http://www.voodoolab.com/mp3/preamp-song.mp3)

8 because it seems a good trs pramp in its class.

OVERALL OPINION

I want to thank Gillou prt of the Voodoo Lab

Jai ador clean sounds including the stratum
The sounds of Channel 2 and 3 with the LP also a record blues / rock
In fact the only "default" is the similarity between channels 2 and 3 finally almost identical, but there is a Volume and a Gain diffrent what is practical scne

Finally a good trs pramp provided they do not seek mga disto Midi and programming, I think Quil is its price (lamp when it's all same), especially if you go in AudioTubeTech (http://www.audiotubetech.com/) as a member of AF

PM

3 tube preamp channels (clear, crunch, lead).

Connectivity quite simple:
- Input Jack
- 2 output amplifiers
- 2 outputs for direct console

Channel 1: Volume-Treble-Bass-Mid-Gain + switch "Punch" and a switch "Bright"
Channel 2: Volume-Treble-Bass-Mid-Gain switch + "Shift" switch and a "Bright"
The Channel 3: Mid-Treble-Bass (same as the 3 channel 2)-Volume Gain-switch + 1 "Bright"

We regret that it is not MIDI but comes with the pedals. If you have a MIDI switcher or a G-major, your problem is resolved.

UTILIZATION

Simpler than that ... are not. You turn the knobs and found sound very easily. Not need the manual

SOUNDS

V We start with the weak point of this preamp ... simulator output with HP. I play a lot in the Home Studio, and these outputs are at best to troubleshoot. Better to have an ADA Microcab (I own) or a micrometer. Here, for against, it's heaven.

Channel 1: Very slamming but simultaneously quite versatile. The EQ is very effective. this channel has a tendency to drown in the mix with the other instrument, but once you get the right setting is that of happiness, either for arpeggios or funky scocottes

Channel 2: My favorite. The ideal is to lower the gainau third. Start it on a sound rock'n'roll / blues amazing (listen to the solo of "Lie to Me" by Bon Jovi, with his strat's what). Do not really push too much gain on this channel (in any case, the lead channel is there for that). I use a "Tube Factor" H & K to boost that channel when I need ... that is where I play most

Channel 3: Quite close to the channel 2 with more gain. It is extremely typed rock'n'roll / hard rock ... if you like the sound of a JCM 800 led to the Whitesnake / Van Halen / Aerosmith / George Lynch, you need this preamp ... Again, I with my boost on the Tube Factor solos and it takes off ....

OVERALL OPINION

I préamli the past 6 months ... I'm not ready to let go of. I had a lot (Rockron Voodoo Valve, Marshall JMP1, Tubeman + H & K, Mesa V Twin, ENGL 620 and 530, Peavey Tubefex ...) of preamps. In pre-amp, only the ACE I spilled more than one (but not the member price and I have not tried the big Soldano). I am ready to keep it very long, but only because its sounds are exactly the style of music I play.