• WARNING: Tube/Valve amplifiers use potentially LETHAL HIGH VOLTAGES.
    Building, troubleshooting and testing of these amplifiers should only be
    performed by someone who is thoroughly familiar with
    the safety precautions around high voltages.

Recommendations for a small or rack mount budget tube pre-amp

I play a lot of Dub Reggae and I want to warm up the sound a bit so the bass is a little bit more bouncy.
Does anyone have any recommendations for a budget pre. I don't mind swapping out the tubes if it will make a difference or even chasing up an old pice of kit. It either needs to be small and discrete or able to mount into my rack.

I am currently looking at the Douk P1 with a possible valve swap, but open to other suggestions or even replacement tube suggestions.

Thanks
 
"Warm up the sound " that usually means making it more "tube like " --smoother-rounded etc.


But you want "a little bit more bounce " that usually means a more dynamic sound which is the opposite of that --more solid-state like.


Those are opposites tonally .


Looking at your choice of Douk P1 I think you should listen to one first which has 6J5 tubes which I know well from ,40,s USA communication receivers .
As far as "warmer " is concerned try replacing the 6J5,s with the earlier 6C5,s (same base connections) and you don't even need to change any components they have higher inter-electrode capacitance and will certainly be "warmer ".


If I have picked you up wrong could you please try to put it another way ?
 
Duncan, I probably explained it wrong, but it is definitely a more tube warmth I am after. Thanks for the advice about the tubes, my current amp is a T-Amp 4-700 and its just a bit to clinical. I do have a Behringer NX4-6000 turning up next week so will see what that sounds like first.

Indaco, thanks for the recommendation I will take a look at that one as it may be used on a T-amp.