M-Audio Audio Buddy Budget Microphone Preamp - Preamplifier Review

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(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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Studio Projects VTB1 Variable Tube Studio Mic Preamp Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a budget preamp, but probably the best in the price range.
It is made to go especially well with the Studio Projects C1 mic.
But it has all-round applications, including guitar and bass as well as mics.
It's HOW you use it (with caution & restraint on vocals, somewhat
less restraint on Git & bass), that counts most of all.
Watch distortion/noise levels carefully, as with ANY preamp,
avoid extreme settings on most vocals (except special FX), & you should do well.
The tube blend "smooths-out" detail somewhat. I don't use it
on vocals much, just git & bass, where it often works well.
The fact about preamps is this:
The biggest, and cheapest, improvement in sound, with preamps in general,
is going from NO preamp to just USING a preamp.
In other words,
moving from NO preamp to say, A VTB1, used skillfully with your
modest studio cardioid condenser mic, will get you at least 50 to maybe
80% of the way to "great fidelity". (Those are my "fuzzy numbers" for illustration).
It's Getting up to 95-99% fidelity that takes the real $$$$$$$$$$$, and names
like Avalon, Neumann, Telefunken, Manley and Grace start popping up.
But the SP VTB1 gets the job done for the home recordist without big buck$,
but maybe a reasonably decent condenser mic or 2,
and the patience and focus to use 'em effectively.

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The Studio Projects VTB1 is an outstanding, full-featured tube mic preamp at a knockout price! The Studio Projects VTB-1 is the ultimate in low cost mic preamplifier technology. Incorporating true class A/B switching, the VTB-1 is a totally discrete circuit. Unique to the VTB-1 is the 'Tube Drive' - a variable drive to a 12AX7, that lets you blend as little, or as much of the Tube Drive as you want. This gives the VTB-1 the most flexibility of any mic preamplifier in it's price class - from a pristine solid state sound, to any combination of Tube Drive you choose... even hard distortion for guitars and bass! The Studio Projects VTB-1 is a real 'must-have', and the perfect mic preamplifier for any microphone! Studio Projects VTB1 Features 48 Volt Phantom Power Phase Reverse Variable Input Gain Control On Detented Pot 1/4' D.I. Jack On Front Panel High Pass Filter Descrete Solid State Class A/B Design TRS Insert Mic/Line Switch VariableTube Blend On Detented Pot Meter Read Select Between Input and Output level Switchable Impedance between 50/200 Ohm 5 position LED metering XLR mic input Balanced outputs on XLR and 1/4' External AC Power Supply For extreme Low Noise Operation (Included) Output Gain Control On Detented Pot Studio Projects VTB1 Applications A superb vocal mic pre with warm transparent character Great for use as a Tube DI Box Great for production, broadcast, and voice over work Perfect for the professional and home project studio A quality vocal mic preamplifier suitable for all vocal styles AmericanMusical.com is an authorized dealer of Studio Projects products.

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PreSonus Tubepre Single-Channel Vacuum Tube Mic Pre Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great starter preamp.
When i first started recording i was using an akg perception 200 and tascam 122L. the 122 is a decent interface but is almost too transparent for its own good. All of my vocal recordings sounded lifeless and detached.
I purchased this inexpensive preamp and found that it certainly did add the subtle harmonics needed to liven up the tone.
I read online that many people thought that while this preamp is decent for the price, merely switching out the stock chinese vacuum tube can really enhance its tone. So I went to G***** C***** and purchased a replacement russian made groove tubes preamp tube and WOW, It really did make a huge difference!(the entire tube switching process took me about 4 minutes, i had never done such a thing before but it was very easy)
So while this is a nice little preamp, a simple $20 upgrade took the quality way above and beyond what you get out of the box.

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The TubePRE is the highest quality vacuum tube preamp in its class. Loaded with PreSonus award winning dual servo preamplifier, the TubePre affordably delivers low noise tube warmth for vocals, guitars, bass guitars, synths and sound modules. The TubePre noticeably outperforms preamps in low cost mixers and recording interfaces making it an easy choice for anyone desiring to enhance their recordings with the magic of tubes.

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ART Tube MP Studio Mic Preamp Review

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(More customer reviews)+ REVIEW +
This is really an excellent little preamp for the money. It's quiet as a mouse, built like a sherman tank, and has some nice little features like an output limiter, phase reverse, a -20db pad, and of course, 48V phantom power for your condenser mic. Great for boosting a quiet source like an electric guitar or a condenser mic, but don't expect it to give you crazy tube warmth like you'd find on higher end units. It's more like a DI box with just the slightest bit of tube character. I've used this thing for vocals and guitar mostly, and in both cases it provides super silent amplification of my signal. My only complaint is that it doesn't push the signal quite as hard as I'd like to get a good level going into my DAW (Garageband or Logic 8).
+ COMPARE TO: Presonus TubePre +
PreSonus Tubepre Single-Channel Vacuum Tube Mic Pre
The only thing keeping me from recommending it over something like the PreSonus TubePre (despite the fact that I gave the TubePre 3 stars instead of the 4 I've given to the ART) is that it's hard to get a high enough level out of the ART -- I've maxed out the volume controls for both input and output with my AT4040 ($300) mic. In contrast, the Presonus TubePre provides a little more gain and allows you to control the amount of signal being sent to the tube via a separate "drive" knob. This is nice because you can boost the signal using the solid state portion, and then add the tube in as desired to color the sound a bit.
+ HOW TO: Replace the tube +
This can be a bit intimidating to some people but it's super easy and you'd have to be pretty clumsy to do any damage. Tubes are meant to be swapped -- they're engineered in such a way that they're very easy to replace. If you don't like the way the MP sounds out of the box, replace the cheap piece of junk tube it comes with. Try a Sovtek 12ax7 or any of the JJ tubes, either of which will cost about $12 at your local music store or Guitar Center. To install it, just remove all of the screws and unscrew the hex nuts around the line level input jacks. Gently rock the top part of the unit it opens like a book. Be careful because there is some wiring near the "spine" of the "book" and you don't want to rip it apart. Rock the tube back and forth until it comes out. Don't be afraid to apply counter pressure and tug on the tube fairly hard to get it moving -- you won't hurt it. Pop the new tube in, put the screws back in, and you're ready to rock. If you're freaked out by the process, as someone at a local guitar shop to give you a hand but don't let them charge you more than $5 because replacing a tube is really not a difficult task.

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The original Tube MP made pro-caliber tube preamping available to ordinary musicians and home studios. The MP Studio goes a step further by adding a VU meter for better level control and ART's OPL (Output Protection Limiter), which controls and maintains the output peak signal to protect hard-disk recording systems and soundcards. The VU meter reflects the impact of the OPL circuitry when it is activated, which allows more effective fine tuning of the audio signal. It is a valuable tool for recording in project and home studios and can also function as a DI box with impedance matching and preamplification for line-level sources. Includes a 3-year warranty.

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