M-Audio Audio Buddy 2-Channel Preamp

by M-Audio

Product Details

• Item Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B000CZ0RZG
• Item model number: 9900-50776-00
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #15 in Electronics > Accessories & Supplies > Microphones > Preamps
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 13, 2004

Product Description

M-Audio Audio Buddy Microphone PreAmp

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Uncolored sound with very little noise., September 19, 2005

By 

T. Cox - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a great preamp for the price. Small, rugged, looks good too. It comes with two channels, each one taking either XLR or 1/4" instrument inputs. The XLR is low impedance, the 1/4" is high impedance. Sound output is uncolored and quiet. Signal is strong and clear.

If you have a microphone with a 1/4" plug, switch to an XLR cord instead -- the low impedance on the XLR input means you'll get a much stronger and clearer signal. Plugging in a guitar works well except for noise from the cord and guitar itself which only shows up when using distortion effects via computer software. You can use a noise gate or notch filter between your guitar and the preamp if necessary, then follow up with a software noise gate to remove hiss. This is not necessary for just chorus, flanger, or reverb software effects...then the AudioBuddy is perfect. If you want distortion, just mic your guitar amp...place your mic three or four inches away and set the preamp gain.

Unfortunately, the supplied phantom power is only 41V instead of 48V so it might not work with some condenser microphones. That's why I'm giving it four stars instead of five. I haven't tried any condensers yet to know which ones work with the AudioBuddy and which do not. If you already have an external phantom power supply, then no need to worry.

My setup is a dynamic mic into preamp into 12" powerbook's line-in jack. You can do stereo recording this way with the proper cord, just a 3.5mm stero male to two 1/4" mono male. Recommended microphone would be anything between $60 and $100 such as the Shure SM57/SM58 or the cheaper condensers like Behringer B1 or MXL990 (although I have heard people using these condensers with the Audio Buddy, I haven't tried them yet myself...but will soon).

Overall I am happy with this preamp. It is more reliable than a tube preamp and has less noise as well.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Inexpensive No Frills Preamp, July 17, 2006

By 

Mitchell Small (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

I realized I needed to boost the input from the microphones I was using if I was going to get a better quality recording. Since this is a home studio setup, price was a major consideration. The M-Audio Audio Buddy met my most immediate needs and provided some bonuses as well. Only after I became a little more educated did I experience any dissatisfaction with this piece of equipment.

The Audio Buddy has a lot going for it. It provides two input and output channels, something I was hard pressed to find in other microphone preamps in this price range. For input, you have a choice of either XLR or the common ¼ inch plug for either channel. For any given channel, you can use either, but not both at the same time. This is standard, so this is not a gripe with the unit. Output is ¼ inch plug only. In retrospect, it would be nicer to have XLR output option as well.

The sound from the unit is clean. There is very little coloring added to any input. There is plenty of gain to be had from this little box and the sound stays clean, even when the signal is really boosted. This is also a no frills device as there are no built-in effects. Then again, this is a low price preamp, so you get what you pay for.

One immediate dissatisfaction was the knobs controlling the gain. They are not as smooth as I'd like and setting the desired degree of boost is a little tricky. Once set, however, the unit holds firm. I would have like bigger control knobs.

Once I started reading, I was disappointed that I have to be tethered to a transformer. I am using this box in conjunction with recording to a PC. Now I've discovered there are units that draw their power from the USB port on the PC. Since I may go mobile and record with a laptop, this reliance on A/C power could be a real bother for me.

All in all, I am satisfied with the Audio Buddy. It meets the goal of providing a clean preamp signal at a low cost. If you remember this is a no frills unit, it is very good. If you want more features, and are willing to pay for them, you may want to look elsewhere. As it is, I'd rate it as a solid four star choice.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect performance for a great price, December 27, 2009

By 

Stephen Siler "silers" (Alabama) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: M-Audio Audio Buddy 2-Channel Preamp (Electronics)

Absolutely what I expected after reading the reviews. No frills, but great low-noise pre-amp for home recording. Using this to home record with a Shure 57 mic with absolutely no problems. I agree w/ the previous reviewer that the knobs aren't quite as discrete as you'd hope for, but for the price this pre really performs. I really appreciated the previous reviews as they pushed me over the edge on this particular unit.