M-Audio MobilePre USB Interface with Microphone Preamp

2 XLR inputs, 2 1/4 in. unbalanced outputs. 48v Phantom power.

Item: MDOMOBILEPRE

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M-Audio MobilePre USB Interface with Microphone Preamp reviews

Rate and Review This Product:

132 People rated this product : * * * * * * * * * * 7 out of 10

 

22 People wrote reviews

Read all M-Audio MobilePre USB Interface with Microphone Preamp reviews...
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

"Great product, great price, Very easy to use and set up. Very functional and does what it is supposed to do. Sound quality dep"

Feature:
I really do not need MIDI, but it isn't there if I wanted to use it. Other than that there are ample inputs for any type of user. I did not use any of the software provided except for the driver of course. I use adobe audition, formerly cool edit pro, I have Sonar 4 pro but the adobe software is much more user friendly in my opinion

Quality:
It is plastic, but for a home studio you really don't need a steel casing. It sits atop my computer tower where it is much more accessible than a PCI card on the back of your tower. I can't imagine what a nightmare that would be to have to pull the tower out every time you wanted to make a connection. USB is the way to go.

Value:
For the money, there's really nothing out there with as many inputs and/or sound quality. Sure you can spend more and get better quality but this thing really is a great value.

Desirability:
Uh, not sure about sex appeal. If you create some killer jams with it, you could probably appear to have more sex appeal with the ladies, ha ha.

Sound:
I'm quite surprised at some of the bad reviews. This tells me that either: A: Some of these people do not know how to use the product and/or their software or B: They are using second rate recording/mixing software. The sound quality will be as good as your equipment, mics, guitars, software etc. I have no problem getting beautifully produced tracks from the mobile pre. Input levels are key, you have to adjust your input levels on both the mobile pre and the recording software to prevent clipping, once this is done you are golden. If you're trying to record your entire band with this thing, I don't think that is what this product was intended for. I use it to get solid great sounding ideas to bring to the band. The software I use has so many effects and post production options I can get a great finished product.

Support:
I had a few difficulties at first setting this thing up. Tech support was not toll free but they answered the phone very quickly, were friendly and more than willing to help me out. We found that my windows platform at the time was too old (Windows 98 SE). Windows XP is the best platform to use if you want the mobile pre to work smoothly and trouble free. Never needed repairs and probably will not.

Overall:
It suits my needs in my home studio for getting ideas down that are crisp and clean to bring to the band every week. I can't forsee buying anything new for a long time or at least until technology changes and makes something better and more affordable.

Submitted: 2/10/2005

Style of Music: Rock, metal


9 of 9 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?

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* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

"This product is the best fot!"

Feature:
Ok. balanced or unbalanced 1/4" inputs and xlr inputs. that's really hard to find in similar product for the same price. The xlr has 48v phantom power for condenser mics, also; it's switchable on or off. If you purchased a phantom power box for a mic, that may cost you $50 alone. The gain knobs for each channel show clip level and monitor levels. This is really useful when trying to determine input clip or output clip from different instruments/sources.

Quality:
The money spent on this unit is probably up in the top ten for all musical related stuff i've purchased over the years. I use is practically every day and has never given me trouble at all.

Value:
I did lots of research for other products within the same price range. For the amount of things you can do with this unit, you won't find another competitor being able to match the features and quality. I saw the tascam us-122 unit sells for $200. It has the same features plus midi capability, but heard mixed reviews about it.

Desirability:
I sleep with it every night. There are more holes than I kno what to do with.

Sound:
It has a dedicated headphone output with a volume control in addition to another stereo output. I usually listen back to mixes through headphones, but every now and then, I listen to the mix through my home stereo (the second output). Can't get better than this.

Support:
I sent an email to tech support and received a response that answered my question within a day.

Overall:
If I find another product for the same price that can record more channels at once, then i'd move on. until then, mobile pre forever!

Submitted: 7/7/2004

Style of Music: Country heavy metal with record scratches


6 of 6 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?

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Read all M-Audio MobilePre USB Interface with Microphone Preamp reviews...

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About This Product!
Overview
Description
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From Our Catalog
Portable interface lets your record anywhere!
The independent spirit is alive and well among today's musicians. Instead of paying top dollar for studio time, many bands prefer to "do it themselves" with a computer-based digital recording rig. Today's powerful laptop computers make mobile recording easy. Produce scratch demos out on the road, capture the spontaneous energy of a live performance, or lay down pro-quality tracks for your next CD in the comfort of your rehearsal space. If you've already got a laptop, a digital audio interface is all you need to get started. M-Audio's MobilePre USB is specially designed to help you make music on your own terms, wherever and whenever the mood strikes.

Simple USB operation
This computer audio interface uses a single USB cable for plug and play operation on Mac and Windows computers. Forget about installing internal hardware or confusing software drivers; you don't need them. Just attach the USB cable to the MobilePre and your laptop, and you're ready to rock. The interface is even powered through the USB bus, so there's no bulky AC adapter to trip over. You'll be ready to gather samples out in the field or record impromptu jam-sessions in seconds. Capture high-quality audio right on the spot, then mix and edit it later at your convenience. The possibilities are endless.

Input options
You can record anything using the two independent input channels. Each channel features an XLR jack for microphone input, plus a 1/4-inch jack for high-impedance instruments or line-level input sources. The gain knobs let you dial-in a solid level, with signal LEDs to let you know the channel is active and clip LED's to let you know when you're pushing too hard. Switchable phantom power is available to accommodate studio-quality condenser microphones. Plug a mic in to channel 1 and a guitar into channel 2, and the singer/songwriter is ready to preserve those quick bits of inspiration before they slip away. Run a stereo keyboard into both channels to flesh out the idea and inject a little texture. Add a drum machine, some backing vocals, and maybe a little more cowbell, and pretty soon you've got a fully developed song. The MobilePre USB works with any multitrack recording software, so hook it up to your Pro Tools, Cubase, or Logic setup and layer as many tracks as your laptop can handle. If you prefer to record everything at the same time, a stereo miniplug lets you connect a stereo microphone. Get a good live mix, and the stereo mic will pick up everything, just as your ears are hearing it.

Zero latency monitoring
You can monitor your recordings in real time with the stereo headphone output. The independent level control helps get the perfect listening volume, letting the singer hear the rhythm section as he lays down the vocal track, for example. The speedy USB connection offers zero-latency monitoring, so there's none of the annoying echo heard on other input interfaces. Once all the tracks are recorded, two unbalanced 1/4-inch jacks let you connect studio reference monitors for playback and mixing. Blend your music to perfection, and prepare a two-track stereo master for distribution on CD or MP3 across the web. However you choose to make your music, M-Audio's MobilePre USB has the portability, versatility, and pro-quality sound to put all the creative control in your hands.
MAudio MobilePre 2x2 16-Bit 48kHz USB Interface with Microphone Preamp
MobilePre USB is the perfect audio interface and preamp for your laptop recording needs. A total of three kinds of audio inputs and outputs provide maximum flexibility for any application-including two on-board microphone/instrument preamps and high-impedance instrument inputs ideal for connecting guitars and basses. MobilePre USB is completely bus-powered so you can take it anywhere you need to record and play music-including field recording and sampling expeditions with your laptop. (Of course, you can use it on the desktop as well.) And, M Audio's zero-latency direct monitoring provides you with an easy and professional recording experience.

Features

2 x 2 USB audio interface

Ideal for mobile operation

2 microphone inputs (XLR balanced) with 48v phantom power

Stereo microphone input (1/8 in.)

2 high-impedance instrument/line inputs (1/4 in. balanced)

2 analog outputs (unbalanced 1/4 in. @ -10dBv)

Stereo line output (1/8 in.)

Stereo headphone output (1/8 in.) with level control knob

Gain control knob for each input channel (+40 dB max)

Zero-latency hardware direct monitoring with software level control

Mono/stereo direct monitoring

USB-powered (no wall wart or batteries needed)

M-Audio USB solutions are the shortest path between inspiration and final tracks. Their advanced technology and seamless driver support allow musicians to take advantage of pristine sound quality with plug-and-play ease. No PCI card installation, no muss or fuss. M-Audio's USB drivers also let you independently scale bit depth and sample rate (up to 96k) to deliver the lowest USB latency anywhere.

Whether you use Mac or PC, M-Audio's USB solutions offer affordable, high performance recording, playback and performance solutions for today's compact, mobile musicians. And once you experience a laptop-based virtual studio running with an M-Audio USB interface, you'll wonder how you ever made music any other way. The killer rig now even fits in a backpack so you can make music on your own terms?anywhere, anytime.

Technical Info

Audio Performance Specifications

Resolution: 16-bit
Sampling frequencies (kHz): 8, 9.6, 11.025, 12, 16, 22.05, 24, 32, 44.1, 48
Signal-to-noise ratio: 101dB (typical, A-weighted)
Dynamic range: 101dB (typical, -60dB input, A-weighted)
THD: .00199%

Minimum System Requirements

Pentium II 300 MHz, 64 MB RAM, Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP
Mac G3 or G4 with native USB support, 64 MB RAM, Mac OS 9.1 or greater or OS X

Driver Features

Bit-Depth Supported: 16-bit, Input & Output
Hardware Direct Monitoring: Zero Latency w/ Software Level Control (Stereo or Channel 1 Mono path, Software-set)
Record & Play Outputs and Direct Monitor (Thru) Levels: Software-controlled (Mute & +12 to -50 dB, in 2 dB steps)
Master Output Volume Control: Software-controlled (Mute & 0 to -62 dB, in 2 dB steps)

***All MAudio USB products send or receive version 1.0 USB information but can be used with version 2.0, though will not take advantage of the additional 2.0 benefits.
Going mobile? Leave your rackmount preamp at home, and leave your audio interface with it! The MobilePre combines two mic preamps with a USB audio interface--and it's all bus powered! Inputs include 2 XLR, 2 instrument/line, and stereo mini jack. Mini jack, headphone, and 1/4" outputs. Up to 16-bit, 48 kHz resolution for CD-quality recordings. Includes special version of Ableton Live for Mac/PC.

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