PreSonus Studio Channel Tube Microphone Preamp

More than just a mic preamp, the Studio Channel lends warm tube character to your tracks and helps shape your sound with a VCA compressor and three-band EQ.

$359.99

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    $45.00
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    6 x  
    $60.00
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    $90.00
Overall User Ratings (based on 52 ratings)
  • Overall:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(52) (see rating details)
Submitted July 3, 2018 by Kyle M

"If you need a Strip, this could be it!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I bought this to fill out a mobile recording rig to use for vocals and I can't complain. It sounds decent, has LOTS of gain, most if not all the knobs you could expect for a single space unit, and looks good doing it!
Sound
It's difficult to say how the preamp sounds as it passes through the tube, comp, eq, master, any patches, interface, headphones/speakers. BUT...with a little tube warmth and grit, some light compression (easy on the makeup gain, 4 more stages to go), some lows, mids, highs to taste, and finally a master output, this will add some flare and character to whatever goes through it! My one knit pick is with all the gain stages in one unit that can only provide so much overall it doesn't take much to bring up the noise floor noticably on this unit. It's really not that bad but it's there. I can't remember exacltly but I think Ableton showed between -60 and -50. Disappears in a live sound situation.
Features
So much gain in this thing, overall. Very easy to overdo it. Tube with a knob to blend it with the clean signal and on down to the full featured compresser with soft knee option, pre/post EQ, and bypass. An illuminated VU meter that can show the output level or gain reduction. Full featured EQ section with freq, level, and Q dials as well as bypass and finally a gain knob. I probably forgot something too lol. Oh yeah, THE WALL WART.
Ease of Use
For newbies, and that's probably most of us buying this, it's not point and shoot but it's not trigonometry either. The manual provides graphs and explanations of each section and safe settings for general applications and the rest is on you. If you know how to use similiar plugins to good effect then this won't be an issue.
Quality
Metal chassie, very shallow. Platic knobs and VU window. It feels just solid enough but you can tell where they cut costs and I'll take it for the feature set. But I can't figure out why they wouldn't put the power supply inside, it has a cheap inline inverter (or whatever) with a power switch on it for some odd reason taking extra space in an already crowded rack. Only real complaint with this thing.
Value
This unit is the sweet spot of features and build/sound quality. There are other just above or below and to me that means it would be difficult to go wrong here. It's served me well and I can say I'm glad I didn't spend less, or more for that matter. It travels with me and has been faithful. That's worth every penny.
Manufacturer Support
I haven't needed it yet and I hope I never do. I'm very impressed with PreSonus and interested in many of their other products!
The Wow Factor
There's a lot of wow factor in your first analog channel strip for most of us. This is a great unit from a great company and turned me on to other offerings from PreSonus who I hadn't really considered before. This thing is usually paired with an MXL4000 (Mogami Edition) and the vocals have stepped way up in the recordings and mixes. Case and point.

Musical Background:

Recording, Mixing, Live Sound, Drums, Guitar

Musical Style:

Rock, Metal, Rockabilly, Blues
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Submitted June 21, 2012 by Oscar D in Copperas Cove, TX

"Must Have Item For Any Studio"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I picked this lil puppy up, plugged it in and starting turning knobs......WOW!!!! The sound that came from my mic (AKG C214) was awesome and it reduced the amount of effects needed in Pro Tools. For what this baby does, it could easily be priced 3 times as much. I don't really mess with the tube drive that much but depending on who I'm recording, I will add a lil tube to their vocals. The only improvement I would make to this unit is adding the power button on the front or something. Why? Because my rack is full now so in order to turn it off I have to go behind the rack and turn off the power. (My quick fix to that is having the entire rack plugged into a power strip....that way I can just flip the switch on the power stip.....not sure if that's a good idea though). Overall, you can not go wrong with this unit; especially if you want clean, transparent vocals.

Musical Background:

18 years as a artist/producer/engineer

Musical Style:

Hip Hop/Rap/R&B
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Submitted January 9, 2014 by Corey Cross in Lexington, KY

"Blown away!!!"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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I'm a singer/songwriter and just finished my debut LP with a new record label in LA. I am a 'Showtime At The Apollo' winner and have sang for as many as 100,000 people. I take vocal 'sound' very seriously, especially in my own writing and recording. I wasn't able to get a good vocal sound out of my gear easily. Often times some vocal takes would distort because I was using built in Mic Preamps. Then I read the reviews on the Presonus Studio Channel Tube Mic Preamp and decided all of those great reviews couldn't be wrong. Boy, was I rewarded! This thing has changed everything for me in my home recordings. I just set it up for vocals according to the specification recommendations of the manufacturer and gave it a try. Unbelievable! No distortion, clear, warm, and simple. Exactly as advertised. Don't even think about buying another mic pre for your home studio or for your studio. This thing ROCKS! Guaranteed!!! And thanks to the folks at Zzounds.com for making purchases easy.

Musical Background:

Professional singer/songwriter

Musical Style:

URBAN A/C, POP
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Submitted March 13, 2009 by a customer from gmail.com

"presonus does it again for a great price.."

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Sound
great sound especially if you learn to tweak it to your kind of music, its a very good product for your buck seriously.. ive use avalons etc.. and trust me this delivers a very good sound. not because i own one. worth every penny.

Musical Background:

hobbyist, active musician

Musical Style:

hip hop, rock, jazz
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Submitted April 7, 2016 by Mike May in Pine Bluff, AR

"Takes my vocals to a new level"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I really love the sound that I'm getting from my vocals using the Studio Channel. Recording with a little compression sits everything right in the mix, making mixing the vocals a breeze. I haven't used the eq, I feel that's best left to deal with in the DAW.
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Submitted June 22, 2017 by Aran A in Kenosha, WI

"Outstanding Piece"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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If you're looking for a decent preamp to give your mic that extra boost that you're not getting out of your interface, this is a fantasitc and affordable way to go.

Musical Background:

Piano and Sax player, Recording and Mix Engineer, Instructional Video Content Provider and Editor

Musical Style:

Hip-Hop and R&B
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Submitted November 24, 2015 by Steve J in Youngtown, AZ

"Presonus Studio Channel Tube Preamp"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
The Presonus Studio Channel has made a big difference in my vocals. I use to use a cheaper Art tube preamp and then run it through an alesis 3630 compressor just to hold down some of the real powerful dynamics on some songs. Not only can you do that with the Studio Channel (which in my opinion is a better compressor) but you can also dial in as much of the tube as you want for more warmth, and it also has pretty good EQ (although I prefer to EQ vocals in my DAW). Overall This is an awesome preamp.

Musical Background:

I've been playing guitar for about 50 years, I have a music ministry, I play at my local church, and also play at jams

Musical Style:

Southern Gospel
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Submitted October 22, 2012 by John R in Novato, CA

"CLARITY"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I am very happy with my purchase.without the no interest payment plan,I might not have been able to get my well needed preamp.zZounds is where it's at!

Musical Background:

1st year/home studio

Musical Style:

HIP HOP and R and B
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Submitted June 19, 2014 by John K in Sacramento, CA

"Great at first put now I seem to have an issue."

Overall: 3 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
The unit functioned well for about 2 months. I don’t record vocals much, may have used it 4 times since I’ve had it.It is easy to use, and sounded great. The only problem is somehow their is an uncontrollable noise floor. At first I thought it was my mic or cable, then I plugged my mic directly into my interface and clean signal.It sounds as if someone is running a needle across my mic. little scratchy noises. it is noticeable in the recording so for now I am just using my interface. I will be contacting Pre-sonus for assistance.

Musical Background:

I have been producing 14 years, recording 12 years, home studios, Facilities, churches, universities, I have recorded many songs

Musical Style:

rock, hip-hop, electronic, Trap, Jazz, Pop
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Submitted October 6, 2014 by a customer from gmail.com

"not bad at all"

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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Not bad, not bad at all. Used with an AT-4040 for entire project. No issues with the unit. The vu meter does work, the gain just needs to pushed for it to work (strange). However, if you stack vocals this unit probably isn't what your looking for. The sound quality breaks up when stacking.for truly professional sound I prefer the tonebeast tb12.
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Submitted December 18, 2016 by JASON JASVEN in HAYWARD, CA

"GOOD S***"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Imedeatly was happy the second i heard it. I use i for my vocals, and already have an album done. I use it for metal. It's kinda makin' me want to buy a new neumann. See how good i can really make it sound. Right now i'm using an audio technia at 40/40 and like i said, way noticible difference. I their defense i can't honestly rate their customer support. But if i ever have to contact them i'll proably be a little mad about the problem.

Musical Background:

PLAYING 26 YEARS VOCALS 20YEARS GUITAR AND BASS I SELL ALBUMS AT GOOGLE PLAY, AND GET WHAT I GET.

Musical Style:

80 STYLE HELL/DEATH
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Submitted February 24, 2014 by paul g in south shore, MA

"PreSonus studio or PRO VLA II?"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I own 2VLA II's and one PreSonus Studio Channel.. preface .. I bought 2 VLA from the big "A' new and both were used.. they went back in a hurry.. got 2 NEW VLA's ZZOUNDS and the were new as could be.. then I purchased a B-stock PreSonus from ZZOUNDS and it was a mess.. after a ten minute warm up it made my cheap Dean Bass notes sound like a honey.. very very good for bass. but after 20 minutes it fizzled and the push buttons didn't light. So I returned the problem one and bought another, this new from ZZounds who were very patient, sorry about the B-stock junker sent me a pre paid shipping label and I must say at no time did I worry things would turn out fine which they have. Now to the matter at hand. I have one VLA dedicated to my MicroArranger (KORG) the other to a great stereo mike which sits in front of a cab w/two twelve' and powered by 2 Greta's (Fender) 2 watt amps isolated in another room as is another condenser which I switch between the Bass and another mike .. mono. Its really a tough call but I do know every thing that comes out of the KORG especially the drum patterns are terrific.. very easy to mix down and get em into my computer program. It use to be difficult to bring up the drums as the sound through my monitor speakers because of clipping.. no clipping now.. I have dialed in the 10 knobs and its like Pink Floyd sounding (drums) the voices are sweeter and that's a bonus.. sometimes I bypass one channel and tube the other and adjust the volume-pan on the DP 32 s and that's great also The VLA's are built like the proverbial tank.. The base sounds great but I give the nod to the PreSonus. It really is great to have the bass does not hog the spectrum of frequencies and mush up the kick pedal. The PreSonus has 16 knobs and twelve push buttons .. phantom tube gain Tube Drive compression and eq. These features are not just ornamental they actually make for big changes and they are incremental which I like. The VlA's are not, just a tight clean sweep. Also the VLA's have no phantom power as the STUDIO CHANNEL does. I bought a ROLLS external phantom for 50 bucks. doesn't add any noise and does the job.. of course your adding extra cable in but it is what it is. Should be obvious to ART that a phantom is necessary I have other non tube compressors which do a good job but having tubes you can really tell the different in the mix down.. All instruments stay isolated and you get good imagery in the final production.. I am partial to the VLA's but the PreSonus has more variables to work with and as I said the bass is great thru it. Seems like it was made for bass. Now that I confused you, for the money they both are really good.. I don't have alot of bux so I will be eating plenty of cheap soup for sometime because of these purchases. These are two very good units. If you need help with your bass or vocals I would choose the Presonus. For that matter drums sound good thru the PreSonus but its only one channel, however you can really fine tune whatever you input. where as with the VLA's you would fine tune post production. Overall these units have been a game changer for me.. very inspirational for studio work.. Live.. I don't have any idea. I have visited studio's with much higher end gear, mostly PreSonus but honestly, with my DP-32, the compressors a ZOOM G3 guitar possessor and a few other goodies I would not be embarrassed t at all to compare sonics . I'm sure the nod would go to the mega studios, I'm not that naive but I think diminishing returns would fit the high ends. Finally, once again I say I am very happy with ZZOUNDS. I won't return to "A" onless I need a can opener or something (or MP3's)

Musical Background:

guitar bass drums.. im long in the tooth-sound tracks for MMA teaching DVD's

Musical Style:

Besides being a dyed in the wool blues man.. I really enjoy for my own self Pink Floyd type "wavy" stuff ..
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Submitted March 11, 2014 by Fernando S in Houston, TX

"PreSonus Studio Channel Tube Mic Preamp"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I normally don't have too much time when I'm recording one of my demos at home. This little pre-amp makes my vocals sound awesome...usually in one take!

Musical Background:

Professional musician over 30 years, guitar player, vocalist.

Musical Style:

Tejano Country Rock
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Submitted February 23, 2013 by a customer from gmail.com

"i love this preamp i"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
it goes a good job i goes reall well PreSonus AudioBox 22VSL USB Audio Interface
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Submitted June 10, 2021 by a customer from gmail.com

"Its okay."

Overall: 3 out of 5 stars
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I use this thing mainly for bringing down transients when recording. I like running heavy vocals through this tube. My only problem is that the Light went out on the VU and I cannot get ahold of PreSonus to get it fixed! The number they have says the call cant be completed. I've only had it for about 2 years. Things should not start failing yet. Altho at the price, I guess you get what you pay for.
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Submitted September 20, 2019 by Tim G in Glendale, AZ

"Worst piece of gear ever"

Overall: 1 out of 5 stars
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When I first got this I didn't try to use it for a couple months. When I did there were all kinds of cracks and pops. In order to RMA I had to pay shipping so that cost me 20.00 after several painful attempts to get support. When I got it back I noticed a *LOT* of noise. I didn't have time to mess with it so a few months passed. When finally starting to try using it the noise (static) is so bad you could never use this in a real recording. Pure garbage. It's sad because I do use Studio One 4 and Studio 192 Mobile. All you have to do is read any of the reviews anywhere and you I would have been warned about this upfront.

Musical Background:

Play in bands and engineer

Musical Style:

Rock, Hard Rock, Metal
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Submitted May 28, 2017 by Ibrahim S in New Carrollton, MD

"PreSonus Studio Channel Tube Mic Preamp not a good equipment"

Overall: 0.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
The product did not work, has a lot of feedback when I record an audio. There were no support from the manufacturer and now I have an equipment costing me 299 dollars sitting in a corner with no use. What a waste.

Musical Background:

jam at home

Musical Style:

reggaeton, hip-hop
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Submitted February 18, 2009

"Eureka's got a baby brother!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I was recording straight into my 8-track recorder using a large-d condenser(vocals and acoustic guitar)I had no mic-pre or control of dynamics other than fader riding.I was getting very decent results,but now with the studio channel I'm getting great results.This unit will bring your home recordings to the next level.
Sound
With this mic-pre,my vocals are HUGE!The compressor does a great job taming my very loud and beefy vocal style.I also love the flexibility of the compressor.EQ works well on the voice,but i'm still working with it on acoustic guitar.(i probably should change my strings) Anyway,great product and with the pricetag @ around $300.....it's a steal.
Features
The features on this baby are awesome.I love the soft-knee option and gain make-up on the compressor and the shelving/peak-dip on the EQ.The preamp has some handy features as well.
Ease of Use
This is my first piece of front-end gear and it was very easy to figure out.
Quality
I accidently dropped it when taking it out of the box and it's worked fine ever since. Well built.
Value
Great buy!
Manufacturer Support
Had questions about product when first purchased.Technician was very helpful and friendly.
The Wow Factor
It does look cool mounted below my multi-tracker.The VU meter is classic,but I needed everything this unit had to offer for quality sounding recordings and it has and does still deliver.

Musical Background:

musician

Musical Style:

acoustic/electric roots rock
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