ART Digital MPA

Can be confusing if you use the extra functions like the digital or analogue outs. You have to set the sample rate on the box to match your recording mediums. It's not made to be an easy beast.

I bought this a few months ago for my drum overheads. I haven't used it in that setting yet but I A-B tested this unit against my Presonus Eureka which a saleman in the music store argued it would blow this unit out the water.

I must admit. At first I couldnt tell a difference in the quality. But through much testing starting seeing the difference. I used SM 57 mic to test vocals, snares and toms with this unit. The thing I believe that gives this piece of equipment value is the "Imput Impedence Knob". When properly matched with the type of mic it has produced a pleasing sound. I'm being critical!!! I like it. I'm upgrading my whole studio with newer and higher quality stuff and I think I'll keep this. But this is coming from a guy who has never recorded with something like an Avalon 737 yet so I'm not use to platnium sound. But in comparison to a well known small budget item I'm well pleased. Thus far. But to be fair we really can't compare a $300 dollar pre-amp to a $1000+ pre.

Had it less than 3 months. Can't say.

I'm wanting to use this as an Drum Overhead mic pre. I've also considered buying more for kick and snare. But my goal is to get the most accurate sound with my equipment. With that in mind. Thus far this pre-amp has not discouraged me at all. I ordered it from American Musical Supply and I might do it again after more real time testing.

I'll say if your wanting to "go" big time keep searching and go with higher name company's. But if you want "sound" big time I believe with outside converters, high quality cables, and great setups this piece won't notiable diminish your recordings.

I was very leery of buying this because I am very picky about preamps. I was weaned many years ago on a tascam model 5 mixer and a little later on the first mackies that came out. I have an FMR RNP and the preamps on my Aardvark Q10 sound card now and I like the FMR and hate the q10's, I cannot use them for anything. The ART DMPA is really good by my standards. The controls are all easily useable and they make very subtle differences. It is a very quality detailed sound with a broad spectrum and good headroom. The tube aspect makes little difference, but maybe I will hear the difference better as I use it more, but they must be using very high quality compnents because it sounds very good on mics, and bass guitar through the HiZ. There are alot of parameters to set though, which is good if you want them, and you have to be careful on the digital output to match your sample rate and bit depth or you will get strange error messages from your card manager or recording program, (as if there aren't enough of those.) anyway, it is easy to get a good sound, has great accurate VU's also.

Sound quality is good, I have used it with a broad range on mics including oktava, neumann, AKG, T.H.E. ribbons condensers and dynamic, it sound good. My P-Bass works pretty well through it also. The best thing is when you go direct and use the digital out, there is absolutely no noise. Usually you have a little flutter at the bottom of the meter,or worse, but with the digital out there is absolutely no noise on the meter before you send a signaal through. Like I said, the tube and plate voltage functions, do not make a whole lot of difference until the preamp is maxxed, but it makes a good sound on either signal path (solid state or tube) From my point of view it is good

The thig is a tank, it weighs 18 pounds, do not expect problems.

No idea, but fortunately, no problems

I have found it to be very good. I wanted to hold out for a focusrite red 1, 4 channel top of the line mic pre's. But they are 2500 and it would have been a month or so before I could have bought it, also there is no digital out on those. For me that is nice because I can plug it in to the back of my sound card breakout box and forget it, and I still have all 8 analog channels free and I do not have to mess around with my patch bay. It is good. In pretty much all applications I prefer it to the FMR which is a good pre. So I am satisfied, and greatly relieved because I was afraid it would be a piece of junk and it is not.