M-Audio Audio Buddy

This works well for my application which is mainly location recording to computer or camcorder, etc. it is definitely better-sounding than any of the builtin stuff on either the computer or camcorders.

One thing to note is that it does not offer a pad, with loud sources you will likely want to use an xlr inline pad to attenuate the input a bit and not overload it. I record a full band from the pa speakers 10-20 feet away typically and I usually use a 20db inline pad. Otherwise the input can clip. Rating a little low for lack of a pad switch.

This is not the greatest preamp ever, but is just fine with low noise, good clarity, and good bandwidth for my use. Again, most definitely better than any builtin computer or camcorder preamp.

Very reliable, handles the abuse of live settings very well, has been mounted with duct tape, zipties, velcro, etc. Sturdy metal case can withstand traveling in various bags with cables etc no problem.

Great for the price, only caveat for me is that you will need an inline pad if you are recording a loud source.

Simple, two knobs for gain, and an output clipping light.

I ran into a problem using the audio buddy for recording: clipping on the input. No matter where the gain knobs were set, there was clipping in the signal when recording guitar amps running at about drumset volume level, and when recording a bass amp set about that loud. Mics were an SM 57 on guitar and an Audix D4 on bass. Moved "up" to a Beri board and no more problems with clipping (Beri's preamps are OK, but their reliabilty and long term durability is a problem, IMO)

I'm giving this a 3 because recording guitar amps with a 57 is a pretty basic task for a mic pre. If you do that you will probably get clipping which you cannot fix in the digital world. The audio buddy is more suited to podcasting or recording other quiet things like acoustic guitar and vocals. It is a poor choice for recording loud rock.

This one is real simple, input/output/gain, that's all u have to touch, and that's all you can touch, the rest of them is preset. The manual is not good, it comes in a box with a piece of paper, how lame, it's MSRP is 100~ and they're giving u a piece of paper for manual, rediculous.

Sounds pretty good, it's got good amp power, this is not a tube amp, so no tube distortion or anything like that, just amp, w/e your mic sound like it'll amp it up. It's actually not that noisy unless you turn the gain about 1/2 way, for normal use you'll turn it about 1/4 of the way for condenser, for dynamic mic it's about 1/3.

It's casing is made out of thick plastic painted like steel, like most electronic i guess if you don't throw it like a baseball it'll be fine, i only have it for a month or so, hopefully it don't break because i have no money to replace it.

M-audio make good product, but looking at the manual of this and their sound card (i bought the 192), i don't think their customer service is great, but i haven't tried yet, so no opinion here.

If it get stolen i'll probably get some money and buy something better, it's a good cheap amp but there's no point buying the same cheap amp again. One problem with this is that the phantom power is not 48V, this is pretty bad news because when it said phantom power it suppose to be 48V but this is not, i believe that some have measure it to be around ~41 to the high 30s, while other measure there and actually got over 44V+, so i guess it's random, 1 thing is for sure, if you plug in both input, the phantom power votage drop, the best solution is to use only 1 channel of the amp, that way you're sure to get higher votage. Mics don't need all 48V to work, this is why a bunch of people use this with the MXL 990 and it's fine, in fact there have rarely been any reports of any mic not working with this.

This is very very very easy to use. I'm brand new to the recording world and I had no problem with getting started.

Well... Let's separate this into two sections Direct and Thru-Mic:

Thru-Mic it sounds excellent (mind you I'm running thru MXL 990/991 mic)
However on some of the (very distorted) guitar I've recorded the sound its very muddy but sounds fine when not recording... This most likely is my fault due to lack of experience in the recording field.

Direct I've only recorded a super low end bass... for obvious reason that came out aweful.. haha so I can't go into much detail about that...

Now I've read about this hissing when turned past 3 o'clock.. this maybe true or may not. I personally haven't heard it but then again i cant ever recall going past the 3 oclock position which leads to my next statement.

I've also heard that it isn't very loud. Now i have no clue what these people are doing) my guess recording a pin dropping thru 5 feet of concert walls and a mile away) However, Its volume is perfectly fine. For what i have done ive always had to keep the pre amp at bay because its pretty dang powerful Thru-mic or Direct .. the volume of the instrument is naturally all the way up... the amp if any is at a volume so low that possible you cant hear it in the next room and i dont have problems.

Im giving it an 8 just because of my lack of experience and a crappy bass so chances are its not its fault

its metal... ive dropped it before i got it home it.. the package was open when i got home so im suppecting it to be used (lord knows what they've done to it).... bang the box off of everything in my car while whipping around corners :P and ... its fine

unknown to me never used it

its pretty dang good if your short one money and need a good preamp to record this is all you.

The audio buddy is easy to use. Plug it in and go.

READ TILL THE WARNING AT
With self powered mics, it is a clean sound. Here, you get your 90 dollars worth.
I used it to go into a computer sound card. perfect for this.
self noise remains a non-issue till the dials are at about 3'o clock.

THE PROBLEM:
Phantom power. The unit has phantom power. You think 48V?
NOPE. It's 41 volts with one microphone, and DROPS to 31 volts with two mics. This means that if you have a high end microphone, where proper phantom power is critical, you can't use this mic. It will make all kinds of crazy noise, etc.

Sorry - because of the phantom power issue, the Audio Buddy gets reduced to TOY status.

Seems reliable.

Via email, it's poor. They don't respond for 48+ hours (ironic somehow) and then try to blame your microphones for the problems.

Film scoring, classical music, solo violin, Jazz and rockabilly guitar.

This is a super easy pre-amp. If you need help with it I suggest rushing to psychoanalysis.

I use this as my main pre-amp although i also have a Radio Shack tape recorder shell that was converted into a high quality pre-amp with tubes and all. The thing is NOT noisy. all the other equipment is noisy. the pre-amp thus picks this up with the mic. Phantom power is the standard 48. All in all it sounds awsome. I've recorded with this in a pro studio while making an album with an artist i wont name. I was making a demo so i could work on a rough mix at home and then come bgack and do a real mix the next day. This pre-amp killed the studio's tracks. Now that might just mean that i know what i'm doing but let's just say that we used my tracks in the end. so the pre-amp is good for almost any use.

Made of metal. tough. I have the MIDIMAN version. I dont know if that is better or not but the new one looks cooler.

I do just about everything musically and this works for what i do.
if lost or stolen i would probably get another as well as as new behringer mixer. I wsh it had more inputs but then again i've seen realy expensive pres that fail me on that point so that is just the way it goes.

Easy. Plug it in, turn the knob.

I record using an SM57, MXL 990/991 set, and use this direct for bass, keyboard and drum machine. It's easy to clip the input, as has been stated, but that's not a big deal. Just sing or play as hard as you can, turning it up until it starts clipping, then back off a hair. Adjust the volume on your mixer accordingly. I got this and the MXLs for $99 and Guitar Center, and consider it a great deal. I wanted a condenser and need phantom power, and this package got me all of it for cheap. As far as sound, it tramsits my sounds just fine. I don't notice any coloring or noise. Of a couple of points for little headroom.

Have had it for a few of months, and it hasn't left my music room in that time. It seems sturdy, and I feel like I could travel with it no problem. No rating cause I'm still new to it. But it's built well.

Never needed it for this, but did for my M-Audio sound card, and they were repsonsive to my emails. The communication was not the best, and I'd much prefer a conversation with a live person, so going 7 here.

All kinds of music for 17 years, recording for at least 7 of that as a hobby. This thing is easy on the wallet, does what it's supposed to do, and doesn't give me any problems. You get two mic preamps with phantom power for real cheap. I have no regrets with this deal. If this were lost or stolen, I'd probably look for something else if I had the funds, but would have no qualms with purchasing this again in a pinch.

If you know the basic design and purpose of a mic pre, this should be a breeze for you. But seeing as how the Audio Buddy is the first preamp for many aspiring guitarists and home recordists, you as the user might not figure it all out at first. But trust me, it's easy as pie.

Two seperate channels, with two seperate gain knobs for each channel, two Hi-Z ins (1/4" inputs...for standard instrument cables), two XLR (microphone) inputs on the back, a phantom power switch, and an on/off switch.

It also has a clip meter but it really doesn't serve a purpose as it doesn't portray clip accuracy and doesn't work that well.

Oh yeah, and there's two outputs in the back (which is simple...you have your instrument on channel 1, you just output it from channel 1 on the back; instrument in channel 2, well...you get the picture).


All in all, pretty simple. I give it a 9.

This was my first preamp. It still remains in my arsenal as my main unit (until I upgrade to something like an FNR or Grace Design). My guitar setup goes like this :


Fender Strat > (numerous) effects pedals > roland micro cube (input) > rec. out of micro cube > audio buddy [channel 1] > channel 1 out > sound card.



Drums (yes, mechanical drums):

Zoom RT-123 > Audio Buddy > Sound Card.



Bass:

P-Bass > Audio Buddy > Sound Card.



Anything Mic'd :

MXL 990 or Shure SM57 > Audio Buddy > Sound Card.



I use a pair of Alesis Monitor One reference monitors to mix with.



It seems to take everything pretty well that I feed it. So how IS the sound quality on this unit? Well, let me explain.


Compared to a higher end pre with more headroom, naturally, this pre sounds dark and undefined. However, when compared to other preamps in its' price range, I'm sure it blows them out of the water.

You aren't going to get that luscious, full, studio sound with this preamp. You'll touch the tip of the iceberg (depending on your recording and engineering skills), but you won't actually step in the door. It's darker than its bigger brothers ($500 and up), but that's okay, because it's marketed under $100, and doesn't claim to be the brightest, cleanest, warmest mic preamp ever created.

There is a slight hiss and noise floor with this preamp if the gain goes up past 3 o' clock. I've found however, that I rarely need to turn the pre up past that point, because most of my input gear has a loud enough gain level as it is. I don't like the noise, but I will have to live with it until I get a Grace.

It's made out of high quality durable chinese "would you like dog bag with thaaat" plastic.

The FMR RNP is made out of tough, iron-gritted metal (in fact Harvey Gerst ran over one with his truck to prove this, and it came out working fine), but the RNP is about five times the price of this little guy.

I've dropped the preamp a couple times and hauled it back and forth...it still works fine. The knobs are solid, but if you have a toddler around, make sure you set it up high, because the gain knobs could pop off in an instant.

All in all, the Audio Buddy is the ideal piece for the rookie recordist. If you're finally thinking about entering the dark, scary world of recording (even if it is for simple demo promotion or just to have fun), the Audio Buddy is the ideal mic preamp for you. Why? It's explained above. Simple, easy, durable, and yields semi-professional results.

On a side note, I did record a full-length album with this preamp (which is due in stores this August), and the results are not bad. I had to mix the crud out of it to get it the way I wanted it to sound, and yes, I did have to boost the high end on the EQ quite a bit because of this preamp's dark-natured character. In the end I realized it wasn't my mixing techniques, or my playing, that lacked the studio definition of my favorite albums...it was the medium of which I was going through; this preamp. Hopefully mastering will clean and brighten everything up for my album, but as the old saying goes, you can't polish a turd.


And for those who think they can get by with a simple PC sound card :

The Audio Buddy sounds TEN times better than any stock PC sound card, and is much easier to work with than plugging and unplugging from the back of your computer. It gives your signal some character and headroom as opposed to a stock sound card, which sounds flat, lifeless, and transparent (you know what i'm talking about!). The Audio Buddy rounds that out and makes it sound a little better.

So all in all, the Audio Buddy is just this :

It's a simple design with two channels and two simple knobs. This preamp was born with the rookie home recordist in mind. It's practically fool-proof; it doesn't take up much space, it's built out of durable plastic, and there's no confusing meters, command parameters, or onboard compressors and limiters to deal with. All you have to do is plug in, and go.

So if you have a spare $50-$75, pick it up on the cheap at a used music store or on eBay. It's a terrific value. It won't get you Guns N' Roses' Appetite For Destruction or Pearl Jam's Ten, but it will definately yield pleasing results for your novice ears.

Controls are self-explanitory.

It is very quiet. SNR is 95dB A weighted. The problem is that the input stage clips with even a fairly low output dynamic mic when you bear down on it, in my case an Electro Voice ND257. The clip LED will indicate clipping at the output, but you can easily clip the input with the gain control near minimum and the clip LED nowhere near lighting. The mic pre's in my cheapo Behringer mixer are absolutely clean with the same mic. I can't believe that nobody else noted this problem.

It seems reliable to me. PC board mounted pots and jacks without support nuts never really inspired confidence in me though.

M-Audio answered my emails. They contacted the engineering department to give me specs that weren't listed in their documentation, such as the SNR.

Depends on the mic you use and how loud you sing. If you have a low output mic, then you really can't beat it for the money. Alto makes a comparable product, but it has a tube.

Two XLR inputs, Two 1/4" jacks, and 2 outs. There is one Gain knob for each channel (2), and there is also a phantom power button. And don't forget the on/off switch. Easy.

This preamp is very quiet. Quiet in noise (hissing), but also quiet in output. This is a bad thing. The recordings I've done with this preamp are SUPER CLEAN, which is excellent, I love this, but in order to actually hear the recording you have to boost the waveform 20dB. That's down right ridiculous. Even with the gain turned completely up, waveforms don't even show up. Yes, I've tried messing with the Line In controls and the sound module. I have a good quality sound card as well.

I have trouble with both a mic, AND running an amp (Roland Micro Cube) direct from the Recording out on the amp. I have used an SM57 and an Audio Technica ATR-20 with this Preamp, and the SM57 is slightly louder than the ATR-20, but ONLY slightly.

I would not have a serious problem with this preamp if it weren't for the gain problem. Especially in ProTracks, if you boost the levels high enough to hear them, there is a BAD BAD BAD hiss, i mean the hiss is louder than the music almost...it's horrible. So the clean nature of the preamp doesn't really do much for me. If only the gain stages would perform at a proper level, this preamp would really be something. I mean for under a hundred dollars, it is really clean...it sounds professional and DIRECT. I worked with a Yamaha MG10/2 Mixer for several months and I never got this kind of sound quality out of it.

I'd also like to say I have the older midiman version, which I heard was supposed to be better than the M-Audio re-release, but maybe I was wrong.

tough as nails, but light as a feather. it weighs under a pound.

I used this preamp with a Fender Stratocaster into a Roland Micro Cube, mic'd with (as I said above) an Audio Technica ATR-20 and a Shure SM57. I've also used the recording out on the Micro Cube. Neither option seems to bring out much volume. I've also tried mic'ing my Taylor acoustic with the SM57...and to be honest, I get a higher output when I run the Audio Technica Mic straight into the computer when I mic my acoustic without the Audio Buddy. It's just strange really. But if you can figure out how to fix the output level problem then you're on your way. This thing is incredibly small, less than 6" in length. It will fit almost everywhere, including your jean pocket (well, sort of). It's as big as a personal diary/notebook that you can fit in your shirt pocket. No bigger.

So overall, if you're curious about this preamp, it wouldn't hurt to take a chance and spend $50-$70 on it, afterall, you can get a pretty good resale value on this if you don't like it. Satisfy your curiousity and see if it fits your needs, ...But as for me, I'll continue to try and work out these output level problems.

God Bless!

easy as it gets. the fact that this unit has an on/off switch compared to some other preamps (art i am speaking to you) is amazing.

for the price i would give it a 10. compared to expesive ones i'd give it a 5. so i'll i'll comprise on an 8. this, thing is pretty bright and you aren't going to get -128db on ground floor noise like a pro one. its probably twice as quite as an art tube mp. that being said...

at first i thought this thing was probably only going to be good for a preamp for overhead symbals because its so bright that i had to turn my mic to 3 o'clock to avoid symbilance when recording vocals. it didn't sit well in the mix (all add that this could also be caused by my compression settings, the guy was really dynamic). shortly after buying this i also bought an art di/o analog to digital, digital to analog converter that has a tube in it so i could utilize the digital ins on my vs-880ex. the tube in the converter really made this baby shine! now vocals are sitting oh so nicely. real warm. if they made an audio buddy with a tube it that would be a dream. i might not be tempted to buy another preamp ever again.

hmmm, its pretty solid, built of metal, but i do wonder about the buttons. they travel a little to far and are a little loose. all in all i bet this thing will last me 10 years physically. i can't speak of the electronics. i'll go ahead and give it a 10 because it hasn't given me any reason not to.

haven't had to deal with them. don't know. heard it good though but i have no opinion.

they got this thing on zzounds for $79. for that price you can't go wrong. if are a home recordist you need to run some overheads or maybe mic a cab. even if i owned a large studio i'd have a couple of these for emergencies. you are might want something to warm this baby up for vocals though but that could be just my ears. i'm no grammy winning producer. my next thing is to use it to record overheads, which, i expect, will come out great do to its brightness. if i lost this and only had $100 i'd get it again. my long term goal is to save up $500 for a FMR audio RNP preamp and never buying another one again. this preamp will hold me over till then.

Stick in the cables and go >>>>>> !

Crystal clear. I like my tube effects but this bad boy is crystal clear and man what amazing gain !

Built like a rock. I use my on stage as a direct box (no back-up needed)! Everything is very high quality. I wish everyone made gear like this !

Never contacted them.......

I use this as phantom power / preamp on stage in conjunction w/ my digitech vocalist and shure 87a condensor mic. I run the mic into the audio buddy and then into the digitech vocalist harmonizer. Very clean !!! That's what I need. Since this is two mic preamps in one, I also plug my Simon & Patrick acoustic/electric guitar's into this unit. Since there is only 1/4" outs, I run 12" cables (1/4" male to xlr male) and then run longer xlr mic cables to those. The unit is attached via velcro (on top) and is securely attached underneath my digitech unit (all of this attached right on my mic stand w/ the digitech mic stand adaptor). Best $79 I could possibly have spent. It rocks!!!

I just got it the other. Seems easy to use. The manual was very simple. It would be nice if there was a little more information.

Wow, my initial recording seemed really clean. What a difference from my previous recordings using my old Tascam cassette multi-track mixer. A good clean signal is just what I needed and I seemed to have gotten with the Audio Buddy. I'm using a Studio Projects C1 mic

Seems to be built well.

I haven't had to deal with M Audio yet.

I play R&B, jazz and pop. For the past few months I haven't been happy with the sound I've gotten from my condensor mic. But the Audio Buddy seems to boost the level perfectly to my iMac, Pro Tools Free recording setup. I'm stoked about the purchase. I was considering other tube mic preamps, but the concensus was to go with the Audio Buddy. I'm glad I followed the advice.