Behringer MIC200 Tube Ultragain

Very simple device, easy to use. I am new to the amplified music world (played acoustic instruments all my life--saxes and percussion) but everything is pretty straight forward. I first expected the level indicator show something regardless of the output volume, but I guess it's not the way it works. Not a problem, just have to keep in mind that the level depends on the combined settings of gain and volume. Indicator is very bright and easy to read on dark stage even from the distance.
The unit is very light and compact, not a problem to carry around.

I used it for my newly acquired AKAI EWI4000s, so I could have some headroom control playing live and not be dependent as much on the sound operator. The unit is absolutely silent (turned out to be the quietest peace of equipment on stage; I don't even have to turn the volume down, when it isn't in use, just keep it on all night). It does improve the sound of the synthesizer, I think (more on some settings, less on another); I am rather happy with the way it sounds. One just have to play with gain/volume to find the optimum settings.

haven't used it for a long time, but it seems to be made well; aluminum case, hard plastic knobs. The power cord clip is flimsy and feels very breakable, but you don't have to use it, the cord stays in place just fine. I guess it might break if you step on it really hard, so don't. I expect it to last, however, I am normally good with things.

Didn't use yet.

Can't get a better deal, honestly. I am pretty sure there are tube mic/instrument preamps which are better and fuller sounding, but I did a lot of research before buying this one and quickly realized that anything of an upgrade will be at least four-five times more expensive, and, quite frankly, I seriously doubt you'd hear the difference playing live. I was on stage once with a violinist, playing with an acoustic pickup through Presonus BlueTube DP (that's where I got an idea to get myself one of sorts), and the fiddle first sounded really nice (during soundcheck), which then changed to plain horrible during the show, because the sound guy did something stupid on his end - no guarantees ever - so why spend more than you have to? And you can't really see BlueTube DP's level indicators from the distance.
I play pretty much anything, mostly jazz and fusion, on tenor sax and AKAI EWI.

This is very easy to use. There are a couple of additional features ( +dB settings, phase revers) that I don't worry about but other than that, click your choice of setting, gain and output and away you go.

Excellent. I bought this purely to get a bit more warmth in my sound. I have a Gibson Country and Western Acoustic and a '98 MIM Fender Stratocaster that I play into a Fender Pro 185 and this adds exactly what I want. No noise. Setting the gain around 9 - 10 and the output around 12 depending on what I am chasing. The Gibson was very brittle before I put this in the rig. Playing through the amp I am using is not ideal for the acoustic but this make a hell of a difference. With the strat it similarly warms the tone and fattens out the highs a little bit. I haven't played much with all the different modeling and other settings as I was only after the warmth and the valve sound and it delivers.

No worries so far, had it about a year.

dunno

I like playing general acoustic folky-blues and pretty straight rock and blues with a little bit of natural overdrive and this is great in both circumstances. I've been playing on and off about 30 years. I've also got a MIJ Squeir and it works nicely with that as well.

I'd buy another one straight away if it were lost or stolen.

I love the sound it gives me and is definitely a big help to getting the sound I want.

This is a bog-standard MIC200, except I changed the valve for a JJ 12AX7 as I love this brand. I use the 'Warm' 'Valve' setting after my effect pedals for electric guitar.

I mostly play live through an '87 Strat into Boss pedals, the MIC200, a noise gate, then into a Fender Pro185 amp. I mostly play clean, but when I coax out the overdrive, this unit definitely 'adds something'. With the JJ 12AX7 in it, I can get 50% more gain with no noise. I run the gain at 12 o'clock, and the volume at 9 o'clock. Clean sounds are beautiful, with individual strings sounding cleanly and a very warm, clean tone. Picking softly sounds beautiful. I have also played my ESP loaded with Dimarzio Evolution pickups through this set-up for fantastic warmth and harmonic tones on sustained notes, without much distortion of overdrive needed at all!

I bought the unit second hand and I've played it for over 100 hours, in practice and big live gigs with no trouble at all.

This wee unit sounds great whatever I play. It certainly adds something to the sound, which saves me having to lug around a valve amp all the time. I'm looking forward to recording with it, and to try vocals through it. If it caught fire, or went missing, I would buy one agin without hesitation.

It's pretty easy to use. Once you fiddle with the presets and figure out which one works for you, then you'll be alright. There's different settings for voice, guitar, drums and keyboard. I just leave it on "Valve". I want straight tube tone. The manual is short and clear, if you need it.

I'm a keyboardist, so I use this with my Yamaha PSR 1500. The drawbar organ simulator is halfway decent with an OK Leslie sim, but this preamp really puts icing on the cake. It also gives umph and depth to piano and string patches.
It comes with a Chinese 12AX7A. That tube was simply dreadful. At first I was disappointed because it added very little warmth and was fussy, so it would easily overdrive, and terrible screeches came from the keyboard when the gain was set too high. The distortion was just plain disastrous. Buzzy and irritating, it sounded more like a cheap solid-state in-amp overdirve effect.
But as soon as I replaced it with a NOS General Electric it was high sailing. Superb warmth and pure, deep, classic, American Overdrive at its finest. It gives it that grungy Steppenwolfe Hammond overdrive that I adore so much.
I have also run it through my hammond to a small 20 watter for a little John Lord. There is a slight hiss, which is normal for most tube-based equipment, but it is not annoying or distracting.

This thing has been dropped, beaten, kicked and cooked with out fail in performance. I couldn't use it without a backup if I wanted to. My keyboards all have extensive DSP's with multiple types of distortion. I use these when the tube preamp isn't around. They are decent, but seriously, the only good overdrive is tube overdrive. But for the sake of argument I would not gig with a backup, however I would bring extra tubes.

Never dealt with Behringer

I've had this preamp for a few months, and I really like it. It adds that hurts so good tube sound that I've been looking for. I would definately buy it again if I lost it or it was stolen. My only qualm is the crummy tube it comes with. Replace it ON THE DOUBLE!

It's easy to use, even a child knows how to use this.

I'm using a marshall mg100dfx and it does make that amp sounded tuby like. My setup is guitar -> boss tu2 -> bad horsie2 - > line6 uber metal - > digitech digidelay -> boss ge7 - > behringer mic200 -> marshall mg100dfx. I set the gain slightly below 12o'clock and I always make sure the led light didn't go above 4 or you'll get that distorted sound, Actually it really warms up the sound of my effects, my effects are quit digital sound, (line6, digitech) but it just makes the tone alive with this tube preamp.

This is where it is weak, my friend drop his and some of the presets are spoilt, I'm not taking mine around though, I just stick it in my pedalboard.

Never dealt with them.

Overall I'll give it a 9, it's just an important tool for every guitarist, bassist, vocalist, everyone who's playing instrument :)

Did not read the manual. This little box is very easy to use. Turned the gain and vol at 9o'clock and chose the valve warm setting and go with it. It's no overdrive so I don't set the gain at full.

I use it between my POD and the PA to warmup the signal a bit. Fender strat with Lace Sensors-Pod2.0-mic200-PAamp-two little home made speakerarray's (a la Bose Pas system) with each 4 x 4" speakers.
A little hiss come thru, but without my Pod there is no hiss at all.
Played yesterday in the band, a very loud RockBlues band, and it blew our ears away. Just fantastic. Pressure like a real tube amp! Cutting through the mix like never before. Palmmuting is very beautiful with it. Sounds much better than my Aphex aural exciter which I used till now. It doesn't collor the signal much but just warms it up and give me the feeling of playin through a real tube amp. I had a tube amp. (Fender deluxe) but had never this tuby sound to my ears.

Don't know, just played it once in the band. Have it for a month or two and used it daily in my musicroom. It still works. I am carefull with my gear so I think it will go a long time. Me and my son have a lot of Behringerstuff and it never failed.

Never dealt with them, so no opinion.

I did not try other tube preamps, simply because this mic200 was laying in the shop for a very little money, so I took it. I was not searching for anything like this. Just an experiment which turned to be a keeper. fantastic cheapo effect. Our Harpplayer did try it too during the reharsel. He is going to sell his V-amp pro and ordered a mic200. GreenBullitmice-mic200-PAamp. just great!

I am submitting this because I want to suggest that this is a simple and great overdrive between my electric guitars and my Fender amps. It'll turns that Princeton into a Boogie!

I don't fool with the settings that use the limiter. The other half of the settings all offer some very usable tones. I do not find it to be noisy in the least. It is genuine tube overdrive for $60 whereas most all other real tube overdrives pedals marketed for guitarists cost about 3x as much. I thought I would have to put a quality 12ax7 in there, but whatever it came with sounds very good indeed. This thing gives me everything from a clean boost, to edgy crunch, sweet drive, or flat out distortion.

I wouldn't treat this like a stomp box. I would suggest that it go into a pedal board or on the top of the amp.

N/A.

I wanted to have something to warm up my signal chain for non-amp appplications, but I ended using this in my amp chain. After years of lookinf for a simple affordable tube overdrive that wouldn't ruin my tone, this was it - for $59. Give it a try. I savor my tone, and this thing is a nice complement to my set up.

Very easy to use. Since there are so many preamp modes, it might take you a while to figure out the best setting for Behringer Mic 200.

I have been using Behringer Mic200 for more than 18 months. Thru all the test we tried before comparing to Amek Neve 9098. Here is the best setting you can approach it:

1) Gain = Do not set it higher than 1:00. VERY IMPORTANT.

2) Preamp Mode = Valve Warmth. It is the less distorted preamp mode. It gives you some good thickness and smooth.

3) The original Behringer Tube has a dark sound. If possible, replace the original Tube to:
a) Electro-Harmonix 12AX7: for higher gain and more high frequency;
b) JAN-GE 5751: for medium gain but more harmonic. It's my favorite;
c) Philips 12AT7: for lower gain but cleaner signals.
d) If your mic sounds similar to Studio Projects B1, B3, C1, I recommended you replace the original tube to Philips 12AT7. It will smooth out the sharp high frequency from microphone.
e) If you mic sounds similar to ADK A51, Audix CX-101, 111, 211, Nady SCM 900, 910, 920, 980, MXL V67G, MXL 2001 or Cascade M20. Try Electro-Harmonix 12AX7 Tubes. It brings more dynamic and hotter signal.
f) JAN-GE 5751: It works on all the mics. Comparing to Behringer Tube, it has more open sound but more expensive than the other two tubes.

4) Output level = It doesn't affect the signal unless you turn it over 4:00

5) If you like dull and clean signal, set preamp mode to neutral. It sounds more like general mixer preamp. The sound image is small.


These tips won't make your behringer sounds like Amek 9098, but it will give you cleaner and less distorted signals. It sounds fantastic for the value.

The preamp still works fine.

Never deal with.

If you only have less than 70 bucks, get a Mic200.

Two knobs and some little buttons, EASY, BUT remember the output from this box is "LINE LEVEL" not mic level.
The input for this box is "mic level XLR" and "hi-z (guitar)level 1/4".Alot of people need to learn that not all XLR connectors (output) are "mic level" some are "line level" also. Infact most output XLR's are "line level" with some exceptions of course....

This box sounds really good. Clear well balanced tone with many options including phase,20db pad, low cut,etc...
After reading so many reviews from people who dont know the difference between "line level" "mic level" "hi impedence level"
no wonder they say it has alot of hiss. I found that the only hiss I heard is from some of the pre-amp tone switch settings because of increased treble response through the mic (large diaphragm condenser)which caused the mic to pickup more of the ambient noise in my apartment (computer tower fan noise).
TIP: This box is mainly designed for mic and guitar input. Regardless of what the manual says, dont connect the output XLR to a mic input on your mixer, the output is "LINE LEVEL". Behringer dropped the ball on that one...
Finally after reading all the reviews here I was reluctant, but tried it anyways and am VERY HAPPY with the sound and everything works perfectly!!!
A\B comparisons with mic strait in to XLR mixer input revealed excellent warmth and presence from the mic200 without volume difference. Not using the mic200 sounds dull and "midrangy"
Guitar strait into the mic200 sounded very sweet and "round"
with a bounce that reminded me of a "tube amp" ( I own one..)
Regular DI's are very flat sounding.
whew...

I expect no problems, this is my third Behringer product and NO problems at all so far. (even bought some used!)
My M8 also has many Behringer products with no problems at all!

no experience with them

The sound is great. Very low noise ( if you know how to connect it properly...LOL)So many options for different tones. Price is unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
**Connections:
XLR input mic only, 1/4" input guitar only
XLR output "line level" do not plug this into the XLR input of your mixer, use the 1/4" "line level" inputs of your mixer with an adapter cable (XLR to 1/4" balanced)
1/4" output "line level" connect this directly to the 1/4" "line level" input of your mixer.

Very small box, very simple design, 2 knobs to fiddle with, a few buttons you can push in or out, not much to it. You can get a noticeable sound out of it, but its incapable of getting a really killer sound. You get what you pay for.

I'm using it with a Peavey KB/A 15 to play various acoustic guitars through, I use other effects including an old Tapco 6000r mixer, bought because it has spring reverb. The Behringer is fairly clean and warms up the signal a little bit. Nothing professional, just a minor tweak for the amateur musician.

I assume it will die sooner or later, hasn't happened yet, no big deal when it does. I guess you could gig with it, but I assumed it was really marketed toward the home musician.

I don't intend to call them, I bought this used off of E-bay and for some reason the seller never received my Paypal payment so I got it refunded, the Behringer was free.

I play acoustic guitars and congas. I use the Behringer to amplify a tres cubano. I bought the Behringer because I was concerned that acoustic guitar piezo pick-ups would make my signal sound harsh or trebly. The Behringer has a tube to warm up the sound a little bit, and it does just what I wanted it to do. Of course its not a great lush warm tone, it warms it up a little bit.

I wish it had a $100,000 fully equipped digital studio attached to it, but I guess I'll wait for next year's model.