Good designs maintain a consistent frequency response of, say, 10Hz to 30kHz (+0/-3 dB) at all gain settings. To address this, some preamps include a switchable 20dB pad, though you can also buy separate inline pads.Ī preamp's operating bandwidth is linked to its gain. If the preamp's minimum gain is 20dB, it could be overloaded. When placed close to a loud source (for example, a powerful amp, or a drum), many capacitor mics can generate signals at line levels. In practice, 60dB covers most typical studio-recording scenarios, even if more may occasionally be helpful. For insensitive vintage ribbon mics or quiet, distant wildlife sounds, 80dB of gain can be useful, but when recording loud sources with high-output capacitor mics 40dB may be more than enough. Most manufacturers provide the gain ranges for the mic, line and (if applicable) DI inputs, the vast majority settling on 60dB as a practical maximum gain, but some providing only 40dB and some over 80dB. Still, preamps can also be judged by how they sound when 'pushed' towards overload and more elaborate and sophisticated designs often do better in this respect, as well as boasting more facilities and higher-quality controls and construction.īut what about the technical specifications? Let's start with gain. SOS Technical Editor Hugh Robjohns replies: Few modern mic preamps are 'bad' - even the simplest implementation in low-cost equipment can deliver a level of clean performance that easily matches the state-of-the-art consoles of the '60s and '70s, as shown by our mic preamp comparison - in SOS October 2012. I know you can pay a lot of money for a great mic preamp, but when buying audio interfaces at the more 'budget' end of the market, how do I tell which preamps are good and which aren't? Are there any particular specs I should I look out for?
MAC MINI MIC PRE AMP PROFESSIONAL
Such corners as have been cut don't affect the sound quality, and the valve circuitry adds class to the sound without making itself too obvious.In terms of clean gain, the onboard mic preamps of most affordable professional audio interfaces are fine for most applications - though it can still pay to keep an eye on the technical specs, particularly when it comes to noise. Because it can double as a valve DI box, it will make a useful front end in any small system. In brief, I think the Mini Pre does what it sets out to do with style and economy. Nevertheless, the lack of proper metering does mean you have to be quite careful setting the Gain control.
I don't think the sound has quite the same star quality as the Channel One, but it comes a lot closer than I'd have expected for the price, and noise was never an issue when close‑miking vocals. I compared its subjective performance with my SPL Channel One, and was pleasantly surprised by the transparent, lively sound. The Mini Pre has a frequency response that is only 3dB down at 45kHz, and its 125dBA signal‑to‑noise ratio is only a hair worse than you'd expect from an all solid‑state design. Note that there's no mic/line switch and, while the the XLR and jack inputs seem to be live simultaneously, you can't use the preamp to mix mic and line signals, because the line level drops significantly when a mic is plugged in - presumably because of the large impedance difference. A Phase button and an Output Level knob complete the control section, with up to 10dB of additional output gain available. A green LED indicates that the unit is powered up, and 48V phantom power can be switched in when necessary, though this has no status LED. A single red Peak LED monitors signal clipping, and it is recommended that the gain be adjusted so that the peak LED only lights briefly on the loudest passages.
The input Gain control provides up to 60dB of mic or instrument gain, with the option of switching in a 20dB pad if the input signal is too hot. Both XLR and jack outputs are fitted, and may be used with balanced or unbalanced connections. The PSU plugs into the rear panel and a small plastic hook helps secure the cable. Ruggedly built from sheet steel, the Mini Pre offers both a balanced XLR mic input and an unbalanced line/instrument input on a jack with a 1MΩ input impedance. This arrangement means that the dual‑triode 12AX7 valve circuitry doesn't run at the same high voltage as in traditional designs, though many low‑voltage valve circuits have been built that produce a musically satisfying sound. The Dbx Mini Pre is a simple and inexpensive mic preamplifier with phantom power, using a hybrid valve/solid‑state mic preamp housed in a compact desktop package, and powered from an external PSU.
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