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A preamp is an essential device that will help you process the signals and waves produced from a microphone or a musical instrument to give them a much more polished and processed output.
Adding the right type of preamp for your vocal microphone will help warmth and a significant character and dimensions to your voice, whether you’re singing or doing podcasts.
The problem is, a lot of preamps on the market can easily set you back up to thousands of bucks, which makes them a little hard to buy on a tight budget that still offers decent quality for its price.
In today’s article, we’ll assist you with this process by walking you through a variety of affordable options to help you pick the best cheap mic preamp for vocals. So without further ado, let’s jump right in!
| Image | Product | Feature | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
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TOP Pick
 
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Presonus TubePre v2
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A warmth sounding preamp with simple interface, great for beginner, very affordable. | Check Price |
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Trending
 
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dbx 223xs
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A preamp with wide frequency response range, it features special compressors and enhancers. | Check Price |
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Trending
 
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Rockville PPA20
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Great built quality preamp that features a low cut switch make sure it remain clarity while being loud. | Check Price |
|
Trending
 
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Behringer Xenyx 502 Preamp
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An increditable budget preamp with great features, well built quality. | Check Price |
|
Trending
 
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Mackie 402VLZ4
|
A versatile dual preamp mixer, it comes with unmatchable low distortion. | Check Price |
Our Recommendation of Best Cheap Mic Preamp for Vocals
1. Presonus TubePre v2 Tube DI Box Preamp
What We Like
- Excellent performance for its price
- Slick and compact design
- Simple interface for beginners
What We Don’t Like
- The lights might dim with time
Kicking off the list with one of the most balanced options on the market. The Presonus TubePre adds an incredible level of color and warmth to your sonic signal without being excessively pricey.
The device contains a tube-based 12AX7 preamp with a solid-state input stage. This offers a smooth high pitch and a deep low one.
The device is incredibly compact and will fit even the smallest recording sets easily. It also looks quite nice and gives your setup a professional look.
The interface is pretty simple and comes with 4 buttons and 2 knobs, which is ideal for beginners who don’t know preamp controls.
2. dbx 223xs Stereo Mono 3-Way Crossover
What We Like
- Features special compressors and enhancers
- Wide frequency response range
- Low noise and remarkably high gain
What We Don’t Like
- Can be a bit pricey for some
The dbx 223xs is a simplified version of the 286s, which is used by a variety of professionals to record vocals with crystal clear quality and zero distortion.
The mono 3-way crossover stereo preamp comes with a wide frequency response that ranges from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
It also comes with precision filters to pick the right frequencies as well as an onboard compressor, which helps in clarifying the sound for singers and musicians.
The preamp is a single-channel and solid-state, which is good enough for beginners and intermediate-level users.
3. Rockville PPA20 Professional Preamp
What We Like
- Affordable price tag
- Wide frequency range
- Relatively compact design
What We Don’t Like
- May produce some low ground hums after connecting the mic
If you’re looking for a preamp that comes at a notably low price while offering decent features for beginners, you should consider this one.
The build quality on this preamp is truly exceptional. It has a professional design that still holds the elements of simplicity, making it an excellent choice for serious beginners.
The mic preamp has low distortion with a noticeable clarity despite being also loud. All that is possible thanks to the low cut switch that lets you separate and exclude unwanted frequencies while recording with multiple devices, such as subs and turntables.
The layout of the preamp is super smooth and pretty self-explanatory, so you won’t have a hard time figuring it out.
The preamp also has one of the widest frequency ranges at such a price class, which ranges from as low as 5 Hz all the way to 30,000 Hz. Moreover, you can adjust the gains and highs of the frequency through the device’s control panel.
4. Behringer Xenyx 502 Preamp
What We Like
- Ideal for buyers on a budget
- Equipped with a Neo-Classic equalizer
- Well built and designed
What We Don’t Like
- May produce minimal noise
Next up we have one of the most popular preamps that comes at an incredibly low price, making it ideal for those who don’t want to spend a lot of money on their preamps.
The Behringer Xenyx 502 has a remarkably low noise level for its price and provides excellent headroom with the mixer.
The preamp comes with a wide range of inputs and outputs, which is ideal for separating the sound or hearing your vocals easily over the music.
However, the only drawback of this affordable option is that the mixer may produce a remarkably small amount of noise that shouldn’t be a problem for most beginners.
5. Mackie 402VLZ4 Mixer with Dual Onyx Preamps
What We Like
- Available in a variety of channel options
- Highly affordable for a dual preamp mixer
- Features a wide gain range
What We Don’t Like
- The knobs aren’t super grippy, so they tend to slip easily
Last but not least, if you want a versatile option that suits your budget level, you should also keep the Mackie 402VLZ4 Mixer in mind.
This one comes in a huge range of options. For example, you can choose anywhere between 4 to 32 channel models.
Additionally, it’s one of the most affordable mixers that contain two preamps and 4 channels, giving you a huge bang for your buck!
The two Onyx mic preamps are of excellent quality. They have a remarkably wide gain range that is about 60 dB. Additionally, it has under 0.0007% distortion under its wide range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
What to Look for While Buying a Mic Preamp for Vocals
Let’s have a quick look at some of the features that you should keep in mind while buying a budget mic preamp.
Tube or Solid State Preamp
There are two types of preamps that you can find at such a price level, which are tube and solid-state preamps.
Ideally, tube amps are great if you want a louder sound, so it’s ideal for a singer who needs their voice louder than music.
On the other hand, a solid-state preamp is a much more reliable pick because it uses a modern architecture that allows it to last longer and take a beating.
Some devices, known as hybrid preamps, might include one or both, so you have to choose carefully.
Number of Channels
Another essential aspect to consider is the number of channels you want in the preamp. The more channels that your preamp has, the more microphones you’re able to connect to it.
The more channels that your preamp has, the higher the number of preamplification layers that the preamp is able to go through.
However, you should know that more channels don’t necessarily make a huge difference if you’re not a professional.
So, if you’re a beginner who’s looking for an affordable preamp, you can still get by if you use a single-channel preamp.
Inputs and Outputs
The number of inputs and outputs gives you the versatility needed to play your vocal on a variety of devices. It’s also essential to use multiple microphones along with the channels in the device.
Ideally, if you’re a beginner, you don’t need that many. In fact, if you only have one microphone, then you probably need a preamp with a basic number of ins and outs.
However, for bands and those who use separate mics for their instruments, a multi-channel option with various inputs and outputs should be better for you.
Wrap Up
There you have it! A brief guide that walks you through a variety of options, so you can find the best cheap mic preamp for vocals out there.
As you can see, even with an extremely limited budget, you can still land a pretty decent mic preamp to improve the quality of your vocals significantly.
If you want a decent preamp that is highly functional as well as affordable, you should consider the Presonus TubePre v2 Tube DI Box Preamp.
However, if you’re a beginner and looking for the cheapest option on the market that can still get the job done, you should go for the Behringer Xenyx 502 Preamp.
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