Cheap, Quiet Mic preamps

[swarfrat]

Apparently they quit making solid state standalone preamps some time ago.

I'm looking for 2 channels of budget mic preamp. I don't need anything esoteric, I just need phantom power, phase reversal, pad, and clean low noise gain.  From what I've read, the M-Audio DMP3 was the ticket, but it's not readily available used, and the Audio Buddy phantom powering is anemic enough to cause potential problems.

I have an SM57, and an AT2020. Basically I want the preamp so I can feed my compressor and apply some mild compression/limiting before it hits the ADC. Any compression for effect will be done in software later.  The 57 at less than rock n roll volumes needs some help.) My interface is an M-Audio 1010LT, which only has 30db gain, and no phantom power, so I need something either way.

Is there anything readily available that fills the "cheap, low noise, utilitarian mic preamp" bill? I'm considering  rolling  my own based on Phil Allison's Project 66 (Elliot Sound Products), if I can't find anything suitable. (I have a few minor changes I'd like to incorporate, like balanced XLR out, hpf/lpf, etc..) I'm an experienced DIYer but in this season of my life, buying would be preferable, as it's time I could be playing with my kid.

 

[Cagey]

You might want to consider a Mackie 402VLZ4...

Gets you everything you asked for plus some things (see specs at link), and it's less than $100 for a high-quality part.

 

[Cagey]

If you're not going to travel with it, Behringer has a similar but nicer unit that even adds a USB port for direct connection to a computer, for even less money (~$80).

 

[mayfly]

If you want to roll your own I recommend:

http://www.seventhcircleaudio.com/

I've built the Neve N72 clones and they are great.  The T15 mic pre might be just the ticket for you.

I hate to see someone using a Behringer for recording...

 

[swarfrat]

I'm not above using Begringer but the mic2200 from what I here is 1 noisy. 2 starved plate. 3 eveb gas leds to enhance the tubeglow,  I'm just kinda shocked that ALL the standalone cheap preamps currently on the market are low voltage tube versions.

The led trick kind of sealed its position as gimmick,

 

[Cagey]

I'm just kinda shocked that ALL the standalone cheap preamps currently on the market are low voltage tube versions. 

I'm not. I think the state of the art improved to the point where now many mixers include some pretty high-quality preamps with low noise, wide dynamic range and solid power, so the aftermarket just fell apart and what's left is mostly gimmicky.

 

[swarfrat]

wow, one hand typing on tabletkeyboard, inside my near focus distance, while holding a slleping but squirmy 1yo,

eveb gas = even has

 

[drewfx]

I'm just kinda shocked that ALL the standalone cheap preamps currently on the market are low voltage tube versions. 

I'm not. I think the state of the art improved to the point where now many mixers include some pretty high-quality preamps with low noise, wide dynamic range and solid power, so the aftermarket just fell apart and what's left is mostly gimmicky.

Yeah, since most mixers and audio interfaces provide as good of a built-in preamp that you're going to get for a reasonable price, the market is for either higher end or "colored" preamps.

And they're not really tube preamps - they're actually SS preamps with a starved plate tube distortion stage added. If you can turn down (or defeat) the tube stage, you end up with a basic SS preamp.