Presonus Bluetube DP V2 Preamp

PreSonus BlueTube DP V2 Stereo Tube Preamp

The PreSonus BlueTube DP V2 is a two-channel microphone and instrument preamplifier with a choice of character on every channel. Each channel pairs a high-headroom Class A XMAX solid-state preamp with a 12AX7 vacuum tube gain stage, and a Tube Drive control sets how much tube saturation is blended in, from clean to heavily coloured. It works as an upgraded front end for an interface, a stereo preamp for keyboards and guitars, and a direct box on stage.

Key features

• Two dual-path channels: XMAX solid-state plus 12AX7 tube stage
• 80 dB gain range with 48V phantom power
• Tube Drive control for saturation on each channel
• 80 Hz high-pass filter, -20 dB pad and polarity reverse per channel
• Combo XLR and 1/4-inch inputs; XLR and 1/4-inch outputs
• Illuminated analogue VU metering in a compact half-rack chassis

Two sounds in one box

Most preamps commit to one character. The BlueTube DP V2 keeps both options open: the solid-state path is the clean reference, with total harmonic distortion below 0.005 percent, while the tube stage can be driven from 0.01 percent up to 30 percent distortion as the Tube Drive control is turned up. A vocal can stay transparent, a bass guitar can take on weight and grit, and a sterile digital recording chain can gain warmth track by track. Because the two channels are fully independent, one can run clean while the other is saturated, for example a solid-state vocal channel alongside a driven guitar or keyboard channel.

Gain, headroom and clarity

The XMAX preamps provide an 80 dB gain range, enough for quiet dynamic and ribbon microphones as well as condensers. Dynamic range is 115 dB A-weighted, equivalent input noise is -131 dB at maximum gain, and frequency response is 20 Hz to 20 kHz within 0.3 dB, extending from 5 Hz to 120 kHz at the -3 dB points. Microphone input impedance is 1.3 kilohms, while the instrument input is a high-impedance unbalanced connection suited to guitar and bass pickups. The result is a front end that stays quiet and open at real-world gain settings.

Per-channel control set

Each channel has its own gain and Tube Drive controls plus switches for 48V phantom power, an 80 Hz high-pass filter for removing rumble and handling noise, a -20 dB pad for loud sources such as drum overheads and guitar cabinets, and polarity reverse for correcting multi-microphone phase problems. Backlit analogue VU meters show input level, with a clip indicator warning above +20 dBu. Nothing is shared, so two unrelated sources can be set up independently.

Connections and format

Inputs are two balanced combo connectors accepting XLR microphones or unbalanced 1/4-inch instruments, and each channel offers both a balanced XLR output and an unbalanced 1/4-inch output with 51 ohm output impedance, which can feed an interface, mixer or amplifier and a stage amp at the same time, the classic direct-box arrangement for bass and keyboards. The half-rack 1/2U chassis measures 241 x 44.5 x 139.7 mm, runs from an external 12 VDC, 1 A supply, and is small enough for a gig bag or a rack tray.

As a first dedicated preamp or as a colour tool alongside an existing interface, the BlueTube DP V2 earns its place by offering two genuinely different sounds per channel in a small, simple unit.