3/20/2012

M-Audio Audio Buddy Budget Microphone Preamp - Preamplifier Review

M-Audio Audio Buddy Budget Microphone Preamp - Preamplifier
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This is a great preamp for the price. Small, rugged, looks good too. It comes with two channels, each one taking either XLR or 1/4" instrument inputs. The XLR is low impedance, the 1/4" is high impedance. Sound output is uncolored and quiet. Signal is strong and clear.
If you have a microphone with a 1/4" plug, switch to an XLR cord instead -- the low impedance on the XLR input means you'll get a much stronger and clearer signal. Plugging in a guitar works well except for noise from the cord and guitar itself which only shows up when using distortion effects via computer software. You can use a noise gate or notch filter between your guitar and the preamp if necessary, then follow up with a software noise gate to remove hiss. This is not necessary for just chorus, flanger, or reverb software effects...then the AudioBuddy is perfect. If you want distortion, just mic your guitar amp...place your mic three or four inches away and set the preamp gain.
Unfortunately, the supplied phantom power is only 41V instead of 48V so it might not work with some condenser microphones. That's why I'm giving it four stars instead of five. I haven't tried any condensers yet to know which ones work with the AudioBuddy and which do not. If you already have an external phantom power supply, then no need to worry.
My setup is a dynamic mic into preamp into 12" powerbook's line-in jack. You can do stereo recording this way with the proper cord, just a 3.5mm stero male to two 1/4" mono male. Recommended microphone would be anything between $60 and $100 such as the Shure SM57/SM58 or the cheaper condensers like Behringer B1 or MXL990 (although I have heard people using these condensers with the Audio Buddy, I haven't tried them yet myself...but will soon).
Overall I am happy with this preamp. It is more reliable than a tube preamp and has less noise as well.

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M Audio Audio Buddy Microphone Preamp; You won't find a better preamp for a price like this! The M Audio Audio Buddy is an extremely quiet, phantom powered dual mic preamp and direct box, designed to accurately interface mics and guitar to line level PC sound cards. If you're looking for a whole lot of preamp on a tight budget, you'll see where the popular Audio Buddy gets its name. Affordability and performance make the Audio Buddy one of the most popular mic preamps in home recording today. You get professional microphone support along with line inputs impedance-matched for ideal performance with electric guitar and bass. Simply put, the Audio Buddy is a workhorse mic preamp that sounds great and won't hurt your budget. M Audio Audio Buddy Features 2 independent XLR, fully balanced inputs 2 alternate, independent 1/4 inch unbalanced inputs Separate gain controls for each of the two preamplifiers Individual signal and clipping LEDs for each of the preamplifiers XLR phantom power can be switched on and off for both of the Mic preamps Phantom power LED indicator Dual purpose independent 1/4 inch balanced TRS outputs Super-small size Extremely quiet preamp With the tremendous proliferation of PC based recording systems there has arisen a new need to interface mics and guitar to line level PC sound cards. Introducing Audio Buddy, the ultra quiet, phantom powered dual mic preamp and direct box. Audio Buddy is the perfect companion piece for any digital audio system. It's the ideal audio gateway for recording the two most significant, non-line level instruments: microphones and electric guitars. AmericanMusical.com is an authorized dealer of M Audio products.

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