PreSonus BlueTube DP v2

Equipped with instrument and mic inputs and built for serious gigging, the PreSonus® BlueTube DP V2 dual-path mic/instrument preamplifier is a great choice for guitarists, bassists, singer/songwriters and more. Compact, affordable and capable of a stunningly wide range of tones, the BlueTube DP V2 offers two independent channels with combo mic/instrument inputs and unbalanced ¼-inch and balanced XLR line outputs. You can use it as a preamp and as a direct box (DI) for guitars and basses. Singer-songwriters can run the vocal through one channel and a guitar through the other, feeding both to the PA - no guitar amp needed.

Each channel features one of PreSonus' famed XMAX Class A solid-state preamps, followed in the signal path by a 12AX7 vacuum-tube stage that's hand-selected and carefully tested for top audio performance. When the Tube Drive control is clicked off, you're using the solid-state preamp for quiet, clean transparent amplification; when engaged, your signals flow through the tube preamp, and you can achieve anything from gentle warmth to edgy distortion.

We didn't forget the extras: an 80 Hz highpass filter, phantom power, a -20 dB pad to control hot input signals, polarity reverse and a backlit VU meter. Housed in a rugged case small enough to carry in a gig bag or screw-mount in half a standard rack tray, the BlueTube DP V2 is a great-sounding tool you'll use on a variety of sources.