Almost every home has devices such as a microphone and headphones. The first is used for recording musical works, talking with friends on the Internet, singing in karaoke, etc., the second is needed for listening to songs or talking. Very often, even ordinary users are faced with a problem such as a low signal level. Because of this, the microphone does not work well even in karaoke, and the headphones do not allow you to hear the middle frequencies, and the low and high ones are heard rather poorly.
The microphone preamplifier will help to solve this problem. Even good quality dynamic microphones are characterized by low sensitivity, so they are not functional on modern computers, where sound cards perfectly perceive only electret devices with high sensitivity. You can’t do without a preamplifier, because only it can amplify a low signal to a linear level.
Most audio interfaces and mixers already have built-in devices that enhance the sound, but they do not provide the sound quality that a preamp for a microphone provides. When choosing this device you need to be careful, because each device sounds differently. It’s not enough to buy an expensive device with the best features, it should still fit the microphone.
If a professional recording studio can afford to purchase several such devices and experiment with sound, then for home use it is most often an unprecedented luxury. Therefore, when buying a microphone preamplifier, you need to pay attention to certain of its technical characteristics.
Devices are tube and transistor. There is an opinion that the tubes give the sound velvet and warmth, but this can only be said about the most expensive models. You need to choose a microphone preamplifier with a certain number of input channels. It depends on the purpose for which the device is intended to be used. Ultimately, you need to calculate how many microphones you plan to connect to it at the same time.
Most devices provide phantom power, but still make sure it is available, otherwise condenser microphones will not work. You also need to pay attention to the presence of a low-pass filter, which will allow to cut off unnecessary low-frequency noise and remove the effect of barrels and nasal. There are a number of characteristics, but their choice is a matter of taste for each consumer. To get a good mic preamp, you need to listen to it first. After a trial application of several models, it will be clear which device is better. Please note that it is better to check the preamps with the microphone with which it will work in the future, that is, with yours.
If the microphone is responsible for the sound recording quality, then the headphones are responsible for its reproduction. Only a high-quality model will allow you to listen to the work and analyze it. But the problem is that expensive models have a lot of resistance, which is why some frequencies are not audible or very weak. The headphone preamplifier allows you to properly adjust their sound. Also, the device allows you to start sound on several headphones at the same time, which is convenient for listening to audio recordings of two to three people.