The Best Mic Preamps (2024) for vocals

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If you know what to look for, a good set of best mic preamps can be the most useful addition to your recording studio. Finding the ideal microphone preamp can be challenging due to the wide variety of products available, each of which emphasizes a unique set of qualities.

With the help of best mic preamps, we may employ a larger variety of high-quality microphones, some of which require their own power and so can boost audio quality all the way up to professional-grade levels.

The best mic preamps are required because microphone signals must be amplified to line level, the typical input for recording devices. Guitars and keyboards, which have larger output levels, nonetheless require a little amount of boost from a preamp when used straight.

Best Mic Preamps Comparison Table

Name	Features	Platform	Price	Official Website
Neve 1073 DPX	Dual-channel microphone preamp and EQ with Neve’s classic sound	N/A	$4,499.00	Visit Website
Black Lion Audio B12A Mk2	Single-channel microphone preamp with transformer-coupled input	N/A	$499.00	Visit Website
Presonus TubePre V2 Preamp	Single-channel microphone preamp with tube circuitry	Mac, Windows	$149.95	Visit Website
Focusrite Scarlett Solo	Single-channel microphone preamp and interface for home recording	Mac, Windows	$119.99	Visit Website
Black Lion Audio B173	Single-channel microphone preamp with Class A circuitry	N/A	$799.00	Visit Website
Behringer U-Phoria UMC202HD	Dual-channel interface with preamps and 24-bit/192 kHz converters	Mac, Windows, Android	$139.99	Visit Website

Neve 1073 DPX

Specs	Details
Preamp Type	Solid State
Number of Channels	2
EQ Type	3-band with high-pass filter
Input Connectors	XLR, TRS
Output Connectors	XLR, TRS
Phantom Power	Yes
Frequency Response	20Hz-20kHz
THD	<0.07%

The Neve 1073 DPX best mic preamps is an updated version of the standard Neve 1073 series, with a dual-channel, two-unit rack-mount design and various convenient upgrades, such as:

Each channel’s front panel features a high-quality Neutrik combo connector that can be quickly switched between mic (XLR) and instrument (TRS) inputs. Front-panel high-impedance (Hi-Z) input. Dual XLR inputs on the back panel.

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Black Lion Audio B12A Mk2

Specs	Details
Preamp Type	Solid State
Number of Channels	1
Input Connectors	XLR, TRS
Output Connectors	XLR, TRS
Phantom Power	Yes
Frequency Response	10Hz-30kHz
THD	<0.1%

Black Lion Audio, founded in Chicago, is one of the best mic preamps manufacturers that focuses on creating a genuine sound without the retro-chic. The API 312 mic-pre was featured in the highly sought-after API consoles.

It served as the inspiration for the B12A MkII. For the price, you don’t get a lot of bells and whistles, but the sound quality is where this thing really shines.

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Presonus TubePre V2 Preamp

Specs	Details
Preamp Type	Tube
Number of Channels	1
Input Connectors	XLR, TRS
Output Connectors	XLR, TRS
Phantom Power	Yes
Frequency Response	20Hz-20kHz
THD	<0.01%

This compact device is a single-channel best mic preamps ideal for recording a single instrument or voice over for use in a larger production. It would also be useful for vloggers who need voice overs. Both a balanced male XLR and a quarter-inch.

TS jack are provided for instrument input. High gain is possible without adding excessive noise because to the combination of an XMAX Class A preamp input stage and a 12AX7 dual-servo vacuum tube output.

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Focusrite Scarlett Solo

Specs	Details
Preamp Type	Solid State
Number of Channels	1
Input Connectors	XLR, TRS
Output Connectors	RCA, Headphones
Phantom Power	Yes
Frequency Response	20Hz-20kHz
THD	<0.0012%

It’s not just microphones that work with this best mic preamps. Inputs, gain, and monitoring volume are the bare minimums required by any user. Gain adjusts the level of audio coming in, and monitoring lets you listen to what’s being recorded.

If your condenser mic needs an extra 48V of power, the Focusrite Scarlett has you covered there, too. If you want your recordings to have more of a crisp, clear quality, you can choose the “air mode.”

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Black Lion Audio B173

Specs	Details
Preamp Type	Solid State
Number of Channels	1
Input Connectors	XLR, TRS
Output Connectors	XLR, TRS
Phantom Power	Yes
Frequency Response	10Hz-30kHz
THD	<0.1%

There are plenty of possibilities to get something that is there or approximately if you can’t afford an original Neve. Because the best mic preamps is B173 and its not meant to be a carbon copy of a 1073, Black Lion did not implement Neve’s innovative Mic/Line gain-control setup.

Both this and the second Black Lion mic pre seen here adhere to the company’s credo, “Sound is King,” rather than any kind of retro-chic design aesthetic. Like genuine 1073s and other vintage solid-state designs, the B173 is not an ultra-clean.

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Behringer U-Phoria UMC202HD

Specs	Details
Preamp Type	Solid State
Number of Channels	2
Input Connectors	XLR, TRS
Output Connectors	RCA, Headphones
Phantom Power	Yes
Frequency Response	20Hz-20kHz
THD	<0.005%

This rack-mounted best mic preamps looks like it might include more than two channels, like more expensive interfaces for recording instruments. This includes a bandwidth of 10Hz to 200kHz, well beyond the range of human hearing.

The tone and volume may be adjusted with more precision thanks to the built-in parametric equalization and multi-LED output level display. A second clip LED indicates whether or not the signal has become garbled.

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FAQs

Do you need a mic preamp?

But, a high-quality microphone preamp will serve many more purposes than simply increasing the volume. With more gain, less noise, less distortion, and more headroom, the signal it transmits will be cleaner and more precise.

For a microphone, what features should a preamp have?

A condenser microphone requires +48v phantom power, which can be supplied by a preamp with a variable input strength of at least 60dB. This is crucial for boosting weak or faint signals from distant sources or microphones to a usable volume.

Can the sound be improved by adding a preamp?

When using a preamp, the sound quality is preserved and even improved even when the gain is turned up. This helps preserve the entire tone even at high gain levels, which is especially useful when recording with certain types of low output dynamic microphone.