Best Mic Preamp For Vocals (All Budget Levels)

If you have a microphone to record your vocals, you need a preamp.

The reason is simple.

A microphone produces a very low voltage output that is between 50dB and 80dB quieter than the line-level output from electronic instruments.

The preamplifier boosts the mic-level signal up to the same strength of a line-level signal. It ensures the sound the mic picks up is just as loud as the other sounds.

If you try to record the signal directly from a microphone, without running it through a preamplifier, it will be very quiet.

You can boost the volume, but it will sound horrible.

When you turn up the volume, you also turn up every other sound, like all of the environmental noise, the electrical hum, and any sound from the mic itself.

The preamp boosts only the mic signal and none of the other noises. The question is: which preamp is best for you?

Let’s begin with a comparison of the best vocal mic preamps, followed by brief reviews of each, and a short buying guide.

 

Best Vocal Mic Preamp Comparison Table

11/11/2024 07:26 pm GMT

 

Let’s take a look at a summary of all our recommendations, before going into brief reviews of each preamplifier.

Now let’s take a closer look at each of the models we recommend, to see exactly we we recommend them.

 

The Best Mic Preamp For Vocals Over $1000

This is the best vocal preamp if money is no object.

 

Avalon VT-737sp Class A Mono Tube Channel Strip

The choice of numerous professional musicians the Avalon VT-737sp is as good as it gets and easily the best mic preamp for home studio use. Unfortunately, it has a price to match.

The VT-737sp basically has three main stages: first the preamp, then the compressor and finally a 4-band equalizer (bass, low mid, high mid and treble). It is outfitted with four vacuum triode tube preamps that ensure maximum sonic integrity through all three stages. The unit has XLR inputs that work with both mic and balanced line signals and a balanced XLR output and jack.

The first time you use the Avalon VT737sp, you immediately notice the smooth and warm, but still completely neutral, tone. It doesn’t modify your natural tone, but works with it to make it sound its best. No matter what you run into this preamp (vocals, guitar, drums, etc.), the sound is reproduced faithfully and made to shine.

For most of us, this unit is out of our budget and definitely more preamp than we need, but if you are outfitting a professional-level studio or are lucky enough to not have to worry about money at all, this is the microphone preamp to get. Countless professional musicians agree (it was even used by Steve Hodge to track Michael Jackson’s vocals: story here) and use it in their studios.

Read our full Avalon VT-737sp review for more.

 

The Best Microphone Preamps Under $1000

If you’re on a budget, but you have up to $1000 to spend, then the 3 options below are the top choices.

 

Best For Tranparency: Grace Design M101 Single-Channel Microphone Preamplifier

The Grace Design M101 doesn’t look like much, with a simple design and straightforward layout, all in a lightweight chassis. But the sound packed into that little box is incredible.

This unit was designed to transmit the character of your voice or your instruments faithfully, exactly as it is received from the microphone. And it does just that. The sound is clean and neutral and pretty much perfect.

The M101 has a Hi-Z instrument input, 48 V phantom power switch, gain knob, trim knob, ribbon mode switch and a high-pass filter. It puts out 10–75 dB of gain with a frequency response of 4.5 Hz–390 kHz at the mic input and 2.5 Hz–195 kHz at the Hi-Z input.

One major drawback for some is the external 6V power adapter. This unit does not have an internal power supply, but we feel that is a reasonable sacrifice to keep the price low.

If you are looking for a preamp that will flatter your voice or instrument and add a magical, vintage character, the Grace Design M101 is not for you.

This unit adds nothing to your sound. It transmits everything as cleanly and faithfully as possible. If that’s what you’re after, the sound is incredible. It is easily the best preamp for a clear stereo sound in the under $1000 range. Nothing else comes close.

Read our full review of the M101 here.

 

Best For Coloration: Warm Audio TB12 Tonebeast Microphone Preamp

The Warm Audio TB12 Tonebeast is a high-quality and extremely fun single-channel preamp that lets you choose various levels of coloration and transparency. Few units offer this kind of customization and quality and those that do all cost at least 3 times more. Some compromises were made to keep the Tonebeast low cost, but none are serious.

The TB12 has all the standard features like phantom power, 20dB pad, phase-invert and high-pass-filter.

What sets it apart are several switches that let you choose through which op-amp, capacitor, impedance and output transformers you want to send the sound signal.

Using those switches, you can get an output ranging from very colored (with a warm, vintage tone) to transparent. Usually, you have to buy several preamps to get these different tone options; here you get them all in one unit.

That said, if you are looking for the best transparent sound, there are better units out there (like the one reviewed above). This unit shines when it comes to coloration and the fact that it can also deliver a transparent sound that comes close to the best is just a bonus.

Warm Audio did have to make some sacrifices, though, to keep the price this low. The main one is the lack of an internal power supply. Instead, the Tonebeast relies on an external ‘wall-wart’ type power supply.

Another slightly annoying disadvantage is the LED level meter. It uses different colored LED lights, but the blue one is far brighter than the other colors and distracting to look at, especially in a dim room.

The Tonebeast12 from Warm Audio is one of the best preamps you will find for giving you that sought-after warm, vintage sound. The fact that it can also deliver a quality transparent sound makes it even better.

The incredibly low price, considering all of the above, makes it a no-brainer. If you don’t need multiple channels (see the next model below) or want only a transparent sound (previous model above), get the TB12. You will congratulate yourself on your purchase for many years to come.

Our Warm Audio TB12 review has more.

 

Best With Multiple Channels: Focusrite Scarlett OctoPre Dynamic Microphone Preamplifier

The Scarlett OctoPre Dynamic Mic Preamp is not Focusrite’s most expensive preamp, though it still costs quite a bit of money.

You definitely get what you pay for though. Sound quality is outstanding, with all eight channels outfitted with a very high-quality preamp and a Focusrite Red 3 derived compressor.

The Scarlett Octopre is incredibly well constructed, making it sturdy and durable. It is extremely versatile, with both analog and ADAT digital outputs (up to 96 kHz). This microphone preamplifier is strong with all instruments as well as vocals, making it great for all types of recordings.

The biggest issue we found with this preamp is that phantom power is supplied in banks of four, not to each channel individually. This won’t be a problem in most cases, since dynamic mics generally ignore power on the line, but could become an issue when miking a drum kit.

Also, the first two inputs are only on the front of the unit, which could lead to some messy cabling. That said, having them there makes it easy to quickly plug in a guitar or bass, but it would be nice if they were mirrored on the rear of the unit as well.

Overall, the Scarlett Octopre from Focusrite is about as good as it gets, without venturing into the stratospheric cost territory. It is the preamp we recommend, if you want multiple channels and have the budget.

There is actually a less-expensive version of this musical console available, the Scarlett OctoPre (not dynamic), but it does not include compressors. If you don’t need those, you can save a few hundred dollars. You can find this version as a selectable option on the same product page as the dynamic version.

Read our Scarlett Octopre review for more information.

 

The 3 Best Mic Preamps Under $500

For a budget of up to five hundred dollars, the following models are the best on the market.

 

Best For Transparency: DBX 286s Microphone Pre-amp Processor

The DBX 286 is one of the most affordable studio quality mic preamps/channel strip processors on the market. It is solid state and single channel.

If you plan on using it for live performances, the Enhancer allows you to control the definition and detail of high and low frequencies separately, so you can really crisp up your tracks and add fullness to the vocals (or the deeper instruments). It also has a gate that can reduce headphone leakage or handle noisy guitar amps.

The DBX 286 has a built-in tunable de-esser that eliminates vocal sibilance (i.g. from ‘s’ sounds) or high-frequency distortion from instruments like cymbals. It also has a compressor, which allows you to avoid accidental clipping and distortion and get smoother acoustic tracks and more powerful vocals.

This impressive and modern rack-mount unit also has a wide-ranging input gain control, switchable +48V phantom power, and a 80Hz high-pass filter (to remove low frequency hum, rumble or wind). It features a floating balanced XLR mic input that can take both balanced or unbalanced inputs. In short, it has all the basic features a vocalist needs for mixing and sells for a very low cost.

Our full DBX 286S review has more.

 

Best For Coloration: Golden Age Project Pre73 JR

The PRE-73 Jr from Golden Age Project is a pared-down version of the PRE-73, which was designed to emulate the classic sound of the Neve 1073.

This Jr version delivers that same incredible sound at a fraction of the price. It is able to do that, because the designers saved on features. Luckily, few of us actually need the features that were left out.

Since it is meant to sound like the Neve 1073, this is not a neutral preamp. It will definitely color your vocals, though most would say this is a good thing. It imparts a big, warm, vintage sound to your vocals, a sound for which people pay tons of money. The fact that you get this classic sound for such a low price is what puts this unit on our list.

Sound quality is top notch and the same goes for build quality. Seeing how well-made every single component is makes you wonder how Golden Age Project can keep the price so low.

But, as mentioned, the answer is the lack of features. They’ve only included the bare essentials, though, for most purposes, you really don’t need anything else.

The Golden Age Project Pre73 JR Compact Vintage Style Microphone Preamplifier is a low-cost way to enjoy the classic Neve 1073 sound. This preamp is low on features and only has one channel, but the sound quality and build quality are far above other interfaces in this price range.

If you want transparency, this is the wrong model for you. If you want a single-channel mic preamp that improves your vocals with a large, warm, vintage pro audio sound, this is the best value you will find.

Read more in our Golden Age Project Pre-73 Jr review.

 

Best Multi-Channel: ART TubeOpto 8 Tube Microphone Preamp

The ART TubeOpto is a well-designed and solidly built 8-channel rackmount preamp.

It offers great sound and good build quality (some of the controls don’t feel as solid as comparable gear). Each channel is outfitted with a fully-featured class-A tube mic preamp that offers incredible sonic transparency.

Each preamp has both an XLR and a quarter-inch jack input and up to 64dB of gain, plus controls for input gain and output level and switches for input pad, phase flip and low frequency roll off. The first two channels also have additional front-mounted high-impedance instrument line inputs, so you can easily plug in a bass or a guitar.

The TubeOpto has two phantom power switches: one for channels 1 to 4 and one for channels 5 to 8. We always prefer to have control of phantom power to each channel individually, but that is not a common feature for gear in this price range.

The strength of this unit is obviously the multiple channels. If you only need only one, the other two amps on this list are a better value. But as an 8-channel mic preamp, the ART Pro Audio TubeOpto performs incredibly well.

It does a great job with any type of input, from high-frequency instruments to low frequency ones. It is great with vocals as well. This is easily the top 8-channel mic preamp under $500.

Get more info in our ART TubeOpto 8 review.

 

The 3 Best Budget Mic Preamps

If you’re on a strict budget, you’ll have to make some sacrifices in terms of quality and features, but the following models are still quite good.

 

Best Mic Preamp Under $200: Mackie 402VLZ4

The Mackie 402VLZ4 4-channel Mixer features a high-headroom/low-noise design. It has two high-quality Onyx solid-state preamps with a 128.5 dB dynamic range with low input impedance. They deliver a crystal-clear audio, no matter the input and have phantom power for condenser microphones.

Mackie products are famously “built like a tank” and this model is no exception, despite the ultra-low price. In addition to the solid build, the rotary controls are sealed to prevent dust and grime from getting inside.

If 4 channels is not enough, Mackie make this same model in variations with 8, 12, 14 and 16 channels. The three largest are rack mountable, but this one and the 8 and 12-channel versions are not.

At such a low price (at the time of writing), you expect there to be some drawbacks and there are a few. Luckily, none of them involve quality.

The main trade-offs are: a lack of direct preamp outputs for the two microphone channels, no solo button, no pan knobs and no balanced RCA outs. It also does not come with a standard power cable; instead you get one using a pin system, which is not as durable, because the pins can be bent fairly easily.

Another annoyance is the lack of an on/off switch, so you have to unplug the unit or connect it to a power strip and use the switch on that.

For us, none of those trade-offs are deal-breakers, since they make the low price possible, without sacrificing quality. If you’re looking for a solid preamp on a strict budget, the Mackie 402VLZ4 is your top choice.

If you want pro audio sound, you’re simply not going to find it at this price or anywhere close to it. The 402VLZ4 is as close as you can get.

 

Runner-Up Under $200: Behringer XENYX 1202FX

The Behringer XENYX 1202FX is a 12-Input 2-Bus Mixer with XENYX mic preamps. It is incredibly affordable considering the versatility and the audio quality you get.

The 4 XENYX mic preamps included in the 1202FX are state-of-the-art units that match all but the top standalone preamps.

They have48V phantom power,  an incredible 130 dB of dynamic range and a bandwidth that extends from below 10 Hz to well above 200 kHz. They give you a beautifully transparent and perfectly clear sound.

If you prefer a more colored sound each mic preamp has a neo-classic “British” 3-band EQ that is based on the same circuitry as the British consoles of the 1960s and ‘70s. They lend your music a classical, warm tone with tons of character.

The EQs are only on the 4 mic channels, though. The 1202FX is further quipped with Behringer’s studio-grade 24-bit multi-FX processor. It features 100 different digital effect presets like delay, chorus, reverb and so many more.

You can apply the effects to any channel, to the monitor or to the the main output. And if you already have your own external unit, you can easily just bypass the internal FX processor.

The Behringer XENYX 1202FX offers tons of value (and fun!) at an incredibly low price. Naturally, they had to make some cuts to keep the price this low. The unit only has external power via a “wall wart” adapter and there is no button to turn the power on or off (you just have to unplug it). Apart from those minor annoyances, you’re getting an incredible value here.

Get more info on this mixer in our full Behringer Xenyx 1202FX review.

 

Best Cheap Mic Preamp With Multiple Channels: Alto Professional ZMX862

The Alto Professional ZMX862 is a cheap peamp in price only. It is actually well-constructed and delivers a much better sound that you would expect for a preamp that costs less than $100. It is actually not just a mic preamp, but a mixer.

It comes in three different versions: a 5-channel one, a 6-channel one and an 8-channel one. The 5-channel version has one microphone preamplifier with 18V phantom power, the 6-channel version has 2 and the 8-channel version has 4. These are ultra-low noise preamps that work with both condenser mics and dynamic mics.

In addition to the gold-plated XLR inputs for microphones, you can plug in virtually anything else: keyboards, drum machines, MP3 or CD players, even audio from a DVD player. It has a 3-band EQon every channel and built in FX settings like room and space delays, small and large hall acoustics, plate and spring reverbs, flangers, chorus effects and much more.

Obviously, the Alto Professional ZMX862 won’t be able to compete with preamps in the under $500 and under $1000 categories and especially not with the Avalon, but as long as you don’t push it too hard, it will deliver.

Considering the price, sound and build are great. Plus, it is a mixer, not just a microphone preamp, making it much more versatile than much of the competition, which are often not much more than an audio interface.

 

Vocal Microphone Preamp Buying Guide

We will briefly cover the main features you need to consider when buying a preamp and give the best models that have each feature. If you already know what you need, you can safely skip this section.

 

Transparency vs. Coloration

Transparency refers to how naturally a preamp transmits the input. A transparent preamp does not change the tone at all, while one that colors the sound, changes the tone and gives it a rich, warm, vintage feel.

 

Number of Channels

Both recommendations above only have one channel, which is all you need if you are just recording your vocals.

But if you want to record several inputs, like another singer or some instruments, you would need another preamp for each mic or one that has multiple channels. Ones with multiple channels usually aren’t as good as single-channel models, but there is an exception.

 

Other Features

There are a few other features that might be important to you, like form factor. The main options are rackmount, lunchbox and desktop.

If you have other equipment, a rackmount or lunchbox form factor makes sense. If not, desktop is probably the easiest, but just because a preamp is made to mount in a rack, that doesn’t mean you have to. You can just as easily leave a rackmount or lunchbox style unit sitting on its own.

Apart from that, every model we recommend below has all the standard features you would want for recording vocals. The main decisions you need to make are whether you want transparency or coloration and whether you need multiple channels.

 

Best Mic Preamp For Vocals: Final Thoughts

I know we gave you a ton of options above. But each one of them fulfills a specific need. That means that you should easily be able to narrow all of the options we presented down to one or two models.

Then it is just a matter of buying the one that best meets your needs, while staying within your budget.