Voodoo Lab Preamp

really effective all around. easy to figure out with the shared eq on the rythem and lead channels. although external switching jacks would have been nice as an alternative to having to use the footswitch. knobe are very responsive. although the gain saturates a little to early. i run the gain at 9:00 usually no more.

this is a kickass preamp. all tube and its a no ******** machine. i use wcr pickups which are amazing. it has a very good range of tones possible. from punchy forward crunch , nice and tight, to ridiculous distortion amounts if you like that sort of thing. it is very quiet. i switched the tubes out with a pair of jj ecc83s's and a pair of EH's not sure if thats a good choice or not but they sound really good. this preamp is an awesome tone machine. dont let the fact that its not a boogie or a marshall fool you. i have both a dual rectifier and a marshall, and the voodoo lab hangs in there with both of them. probably sounds closer to the marshal.

just got it.

their customer support is very good. very helpful and knowlegable.

been playing a long time and this preamp hangs in there with the best tones ive ever had. i use it with a mesa 2:90 power am which sounds great as well.

This is just to kind of (hopefully?)possibly shed some light on the negative review for this piece of gear...

The eq controls on this preamp...from my experience...are close to what you are describing...the treble can be overbearing. I almost got rid of this last one I received, and glad I did not. Try some 12ax7EH to tame the fizz. Also, you may wanna try diming the bass, and putting the treble at about 45%..and work up from there. You might find usable tone and eliminate the fizz...for really high gain stuff, I keep the mids at about 20%...gives the scooped feel, but still with some meat....You can't get a really, really super scooped mid sound with this preamp anyway according to my ears.
The Lead and rhythm are very, very close. The rhythm is a bit more like a Scorpions type tone..the lead is a little bit less focused..a bit more open and fatter...a tiny bit more gain.
The clean channel requires some pplaying..it is not the greatest..but certainly usable..and yes, you have to set all the trebles kind of up on it to try to approximate anything resembling "twinish" cleans. I find it usable...doesn't impress me either overall. I guess check your presence controls, etc. There are a lot of variables...I do not think this preamp sounds good right out of the box.The eq is very interactive...so..adjust mids versus trebles incrementally. Very small increments at that!
Try fiddling with it a bit more...if not..maybe you got a lemon...sorry!! Good luck!

This preamp is touted as having 3-channels. But anyone with a pair of ears will realize that channels 2 & 3 are identical, except that that channel 3 has ever-so-slightly more gain. There's no change in character between the two.

I don't use effects, so I didn't mind the lack of an effects loop. Direct out is cool.

I really don't understand the rave reviews here.

The clean channel is rather dark and dry unless you turn the mid and trebble all the way up, and engage both the bright and punch switches.

The rhythm and lead channels have WAY more gain than necessary, with hardly any dynamic range--by the time you hit 10 o'clock you're drenched in messy, grainy, loose distortion. I tried replacing the stock Sovtek 12AX7's with Chinese tubes. This tightened it up a bit, but it was still harsh. I then tried a 12AT7 to tame the gain a bit, which worked, but still didn't tame the fizz and harshness. Finally, I tried a pair of 5751's... and then I just gave up. Amazingly, the only way to tame the harsh fizz on this thing is to set all EQ knobs to zero. Of course, this gives the kind of tone you'd expect in a garbage can under water.

Built-in cabinet emulation for direct recording is a cool feature, but with such crappy tone it's rather moot.

If you play straight forward rock or blues, then you can probably get away with this preamp on lower gain settings. For anything beyond that, this box is useless.

Built well.

So I'm the lone nay-sayer. This preamp is unusable. I really wanted to make it work, but just couldn't get over the grainy distortion. I'd rather use a sterile Line6 POD than this.

Don't know what year this was made...very versatile. Jazz to metal. 3 channels..clean/rhythm/lead. No effects loop...:( but truly...not a problem. I run a Digitech GSP2101 for effects into a BBE Maxcom for compression/gate/Sonic Maximizitating...then into a Carvin T100 poweramp. This setup friggin' rocks. This preamp has plenty of power to push a poweramp. Has 4 tubes total...of course running it into 6 more in the Carvin...and 2 more in the Digitech..hmmmmm....

This is the 3rd Voodoo Lab preamp I have had..All of which were used.I even submitted a previous review...That unit had no lead channel working...I returned it...turns out it was a loose solder...(One which I could not see when I returned it)...the second one was TRASHED when I received it..had it repaired...spent like 200bux...barf...sold that one too. There was always something about the sound that stuck with me..and there was always an element of regret at getting rid of them. The lead and rhythm channels both have fluid high gain....searing, liquid, super modded Marshall tone even out of the rhythm channel. Unreal. I was getting ready to get rid of this one too...until I threw my Keeley Tubescreamer in front of it with my Strat (stock American std strat...with an HS-3 in the bridge) Wow. So alive. Using the low gain p/u with it was the key...it just needed more front end distortion gain.I had been only using it with the strat..and it did not have enough gain when going straight in...I followed with my humbucker equipped guitars... My Les Paul has more than enough gain...I actually have to turn down the gain on the preamp and not run anything in front of it....and yes..I am a gain junkie...That has PRS Dragon ll p/u's...coil split...Yamaha something or other model...similar to the Ty Tabor model...has Jb and 59's...sounds fat as hell with this setup too... like a lard-a** violin tone...almost sounds like there's a Big Muff in front of it...but more focused...and that is without even having the gain dimed. Pretty cool. Pretty Eric Johnson actually...close to his older tone.
Overall, the distortion IS brutal...but at the same time, creamy...smooth...dee-lish....lol
Sorry...lame descriptions...but this is one of the few rigs that (to me) actually sounds that way! This suits my style...I can play any heavy rock style...and still sound like myself....I have a great fusion tone and find myself fantasizing about cranking up my amp when I am not playing...holy krap...I'm having an affair with my preamp....gasp.....:)

It is a bit noisy...but I run it thru the BBE Maxcom...and the gate is ok...decent enough to control the slight hiss...and not kill my tone if I set it lightly. Very important...change the crappy stock tubes. I have the rhythm and lead channels with 12ax7EH and the clean and inverter with Tungsol 12ax7...sweet. Believe it or not...I like the Electro Harmonix better for high gain than the Tungsols. Less fuzzy... (Don't get me wrong..the Tungsols sound great as well...but the EH are smoother)

Dunno...I have had 2 other units with issues..who knows...maybe I got the s****y ones...lololol
I have TWO backups for a gig...:)

I have dealt with them before. They are great!

Been playing too long for how not great I am...lol... Have a decent amount of gear...Vintage 30 cabs...all the stuff I mentioned before...a few other guitars,amps, modellers...blah blah blah.
I love that it has a sound that is truly alive. It does not play itself..but d**n, it is harmonically rich...and makes me wanna just shred. And true inspiration is priceless. Still wish it had an effects loop...but not a showstopper.

Three channels, single input, 4 12AX7's, independent EQ for clean and shared EQ for Rhy and Lead channels. Clean has bright switch, and punch switch that adds more mids and rounds off the tone a bit. Rhy and Lead have independent bright switches, and a shared mid shift that boosts the mids that would be ideal if it were foot-switchable, but it isn't. Rear has direct XLR out that activates the Cabtone which is just awesome. The Cabtone replicates either a 4x12, or 2x12 cabinet both open or closed back. Two 1/4" outputs to go to power amp, or effects, etc.

Using both Les Paul's and Strats through this amp all sound simply amazing. I was impressed with the tone and voicing of the preamp, but couldn't stand the noise of the Rhythm and Lead channels. The stock Sovtek tubes 12AX7WB's are just terrible in this preamp, and I don't know why Voodoo Labs uses them. They are very sterile, and are a very commercial grade lacking tone. I fixed that instantly by replacing all of the tubes with brand new Mullard reissues by Groove Tubes. The noise almost disappeared, and the tone became even more amazing. It smoothed out all of the channels, but didn't take any of the gain away. Those tubes are really incredible. This preamp was designed in part by Bogner, but the only thing that resemles a Bogner is the midrange voicing. It definitely has it's own character, which rivals any preamp on the market. This pre does not feel like you're playing through a rack setup, but feels like you're direct into a head. The cleans are very clean, warm, and rich, and can easily suit any playing style (jazz, blues,etc.). The rhythm channel is my favorite, and covers blues to metal all while retaining clarity, super tight Marshall-tybe bottom, and big full sound. The lead channel has tons of gain, and like the rhythm channel has clear, tight bottom end, and sustain for days. I've used this preamp with many amps and power amps, and prefer it through the return of my Marshall JCM 800. I also own a VHT 2150, and a VHT 2-50-2 which sound incredible with this preamp, but that's my taste. Overall, I think this preamp will cover any style of music.

Voodoo Labs makes rock solid gear. I own several pedals and a couple GCX units that work flawlessly, and that is after many years of touring and abuse. I don't worry about it, but I have a backup anyway. The stock tubes may last forever, but they sound terrible when you finally put in some good ones. The catch is, good tubes don't last long, so bring extras with you.

Some of the best in the business. Very helpful.

This is one of the best sounding preamps I've ever used in 20 years of playing. That is really big to say, because I own several amazing amps (old Fenders, a Diezel Herbert, Bogner Ecstacy, a bunch of Marshalls, and a THD Flexi), and some of the best preamps available(CAE 3+SE, Bogner Fish, Soldano X88R, Mesa studio). This preamp and the CAE are very similar in tone and gain. The Fish is just amazing, but is a bit "squishier" on the high gain channels. The Soldano is very good, but has a very different voicing, and the Mesa has a very nice bouncy clean which might be better than the Voodoo Lab, but doesn't come close on the high gain channels. I rate this preamp up with all of the big famous preamps, or even amps out there, and the cost is much less.

It's a basic three channel preamp, but that's exactly what I wanted. After fighting with the feel, tone and balance of several MIDI programmable units (Mesa Triaxis, Peavey Tubefex, Rocktron Voodu Valve, Yamaha DG-1000, VHT GP3, etc.) I was looking for simplicity and great tone. I use my TC G-Major to switch channels via a MIDI floor controller and now play more and tweak much less.

Using the stock Sovtek 12AX7's I could not get the gain structure that I was looking for. I wanted a lower gain from the crunch channel for a classic Fender rythm tone. I emailed Josh Fiden (President) at Voodoo Labs and received the following reply almost immediately, "The outer tubes V1, V4 are the clean channel and buffers, the center two V2, V3 are the rhythm and lead channels. It sounds like the rhythm and lead channels have generally too much gain for your taste. I would try swapping either or both V2, V3 for lower gain tubes. 12AT7 would be a good start. 12AU7 will work as well.".

After swapping two 12AT7's into V2 and V3 and changing V1 and V4 to EH 12AX7's the unit came alive with flexibility and great tight classic tones. The Lead channel still had plenty of gain but now I had the flexibility of the Crunch channel to dial in a Fender Tweed for rythm tones.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the tone and simplicity of the unit. I would prefer seperate tone controls for the Crunch and Lead channels but that's not really an issue, since I use the G-Major to tweak tones post-preamp. My criteria in buying the unit was a one-space unit with knobs for editing and the best tone possible.

The direct recording out (mono Cabtone) is great and I plan on using it a lot. It has a very similar tone to the my Mesa 20/20 and Mesa 1x12 cabinets. I compared it my H&K Red Box and preferred the tighter, more responsive feel of the Cabtone output.

I wouldn't worry at all about this unit. Simple design, sturdy contruction and great support. I know that the unit is only available now as a custom order from Voodoo Lab with a six month waiting time. I would definitely look for another one if it was stolen. The only other units that I might consider would be the Groove Tubes Trio, Egnator IE-4, or Custom Audio 3+ SE which are much more money and would not include the Cabtone cabinet simulation.

Excellent response from the President of the company. How many manufactures can say that? I think that this thing will be a classic in the years to come. The only down side is that it is out of regular production and only available as a custom order.

I've been playing for over 30 years and have been searching for a preamp that will give me a great ampy tone at low volume or direct to console, but still have the balls to be convincing at higher volumes. This is it!!! After having a Triaxis I wish that this unit could be MIDI programmble with continuous control of certain functions, but that would probably kill the great basic tone. I'm happy with it's limitations since it just makes me play more, tweak less, and sound great. Thanks Voodoo Lab!!!

3 channel rack mounted preamp. the one i was using only had 2 channels working,so this review is based upon the clean and rythym channels.3 band e.q.,for clean,3 band shared for rythym and lead. no effects loop, but very well voiced cab simulator/direct out.

using gibson les paul classic,carvin dc-127, and strat copy with lace sensors.this shows the different character of each guitar. this unit did suit my musical style, giving a range of crystalline cleans with very versatile e.q.does not distort at high volume (unless you dial in more gain that way.)to a brutal distortion even on the rythym channel.( i did not have the lead channel working so i cannot give an opinion.)the rythym channel has lots of gain, working all the way up to a pretty snarling lead tone.this preamp is a little noisy on the high gain settings(esp. with single coils), but the stock tubes they had are usually a bit noisy (sovtek 12ax7wt) there are probably some other tubes out there that would quiet this down a bit. i would give this a 9 for sound, but suince no lead channel, no opinion....

don't know. didn't take it.it looked reliable, and the soldering was very neat.i had purchased this thru someone on this site, and it may have been damaged in shipping...i don't know. see customer support>

can i give a 20 here?? these guys really stepped up to the plate.i have yet to experience better customer service from any musical company i have ever dealt with. first i spoke with john aycock. a very knowledgeable and considerate guy who explained what could possibly be going wrong with the gain channel and addressed some extremely stupid questions of mine with great patience. i tried the suggested tube changes that he gave me, and when they did not work out, he gave me to john in their tech dept. yet another great example of customer service...this guy sat there and explained everything thoroughly to me even though i am not the original owner of the preamp, and he also sat there and told me about some great new products they have in the cooker. the best example of how these guys stand behind there product is the fact that they were going to honor the warranty even though the waranties are not transferrable. i am duly impressed.i chose not to keep the preamp because i got impatient ( i have been trying to get this done for a couple of weeks) but arranged it so that they would fix it and send it back to the original owner. they have a very grassroots mentality on customer service, and they are extremely flexible in business practices. these guys deserve to be succesful!! anyway, i don't want to knock the preamp. it DID sound great, and maybe i'll buy a brand new one in the future. ( just wish it had an effects loop...)

very good sounds. great service.in future consideration for a purchase. i just didn't feel like waiting. but you can feel confident that they will stand behind their products.

Just to update my last review -- THE CABINET EMULATION FEATURE ON THIS THING IS SO GOOD, THAT I'LL PROBABLY SELL ALL MY AMPLIFICATION/SPEAKER CABINETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (And that's a LOT of money, because the amp is VHT all-tube, and the cabinets were custom made.) I was amazed when I hooked it up to a PA system at Guitar Center and BLASTED it. (Big thanks to the Guitar Center staff for letting me do that, because fucking Sam Ash wouldn't even let me plug in). Plus, with the mixer's EQ, I was able to get that ultra-scooped thrash! Anyway, the rest of my band -- and sound techs at live venues -- will probably LOVE me now! And best of all? NO MORE LUGGING AROUND GIGANTIC GUITAR CABINETS AND A BACK-BREAKING RACK FULL OF AMPLIFICATION AND EFFECTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still haven't had it long enough.

Once I told them about the busted rhythm channel switch on the foot controller, they sent me a new switch within days. My neighbor repaired it. They're nice on the phone.

Contact me if you're interested in buying a VHT 2X50 watt all-tube GORGEOUS power amp, a pair of 2X15" custom-made speakers that DWARF 4X12's in both looks and especially sound, and an 8-space SKB shock-mount rack case. ALL IN LIKE-BRAND-NEW condition!!!!!!!!

Got it in June 2002. 3 channels with a shared eq between rhythm and lead. It's got a few tone buttons like bright, shift and punch to vary the voicings a bit. Two main outputs, two direct outputs with cabinet simulation. Footswitch for channel switching. NO effects loop. NO MIDI capabilities. This is the most basic preamp you can buy. For the money, I think they should've given the rhythm and lead channels independent eq's.

This preamp gets quite a satanic sound -- not the ultra-sooped-out-thrash that I'm used to, but I was pleasantly surprised by it's flame-throwing tone. I guess it sounds a bit like a Marshall, a Boogie, and a Soldano rolled into one. So it biting, deep, AND creamy! It can drive my power amp REAL hard. I haven't messed with the clean channel much, but with 3 Duncan pickups and 5-way switching, plus the punch and bright switches on the preamp, I'm sure I won't have a problem finding a variety of great tones from that channel.
If mid-scooped thrash is your thing, try this out -- I think you'll convert too!

The rhythm switch on the foot controller went out on me at Carnegie Hall!!! (Yes, I played metal at Carnegie Hall.) Luckily the problem was short-lived and occured during dress rehearsal. I would've freaked if that happened during the show. I'll get it fixed soon. Otherwise, the unit itself has proved reliable. I wouldn't use it without a backup, but unfortunately I can't afford another one! I just bring along my Peavy Bandit 112 just in case.

Haven't dealt with them.

Been playing for 8 years. I started a metal band called Scorched Angel, fronted by a gorgeous Black female rapper/singer!!!! This preamp is ABSOLUTELY PERFECT for my metal, and for the band's overall sound. With all the double-bass drumming and blast-beats we have going on, the LAST thing I need is a scooped-out tone that gets drowned out by the bass and drums. I thought I'd be an ultra-scooped-out thrash fanatic for life until I discovered this thing! I compared it to Mesa Boogie's new Rectifier preamp and Triaxis, And Marshall's preamp, and this thing blows those away as far as tone goes. Besides, why would you want to sound like everyone else anyway? I just wish it had an fx loop!

Not sure what year this was made in, but it used on a Harmony-Central classified. A basic preamp that is setup to get 3 killer sounds, it is NOT feature laden at all. The cabinet sim is OK, but still sounds nothing like playing through a great tube power amp. No reverb, that's all it is missing for me, and I sort of wish that the rhythm and lead channels didn't share EQ controls.

I use this with an ESP/LTD H300 (really nice guitar for the price) and the sound is great. I really dig the clean sound, you can get a really good reggae sound out of it, and I can get every clean sound I am looking for (Sublime/Marley/RHCP). The rhythm channel is really cool as well, and responds well to the use of the volume knob. The lead channel is killer for any type of music although I am partial to Tool, Soundgarden, Hendrix, etc. The lead channel can get a little noisy with lots of gain, but all amps do and the notes keep their clarity at all volumes/gain levels. Great overall sound.

Nothing has gone wrong with it so far. Bulit solidly, and the footswitch is a tank.

Haven't dealt with them.