Nice little unit. Very compact and functional for the price. Was quite surprised by the warmth and the boost it gave my capsule mic. It can take the heat too. I leave that little sucker on for hours and the sound only gets better!! In other words, the warmer it gets the better it sounds. Go out and get this item... my only wish is that it had a few more little lights and/or meters or something like that... Cool unit though.

I play fretless bass, and when I can't hear myself, it's a long night,
IEM's are just the thing for that - usually. When I can get a proper monitor signal from the sound guy (e.g. - when I am the sound guy...) it's a beautiful thing. Doesn't always happen. But I do always have an available DI out - either from a pedal or from my amp. I like to have the other guys in my monitor mix, but truth be told, I can hear them well enough anyway. The DI signal, however, is not hot enough to drive the wireless transmitter to audible levels. But this is! I had to hit the +20dB switch to get it hot enough, but that's what it's for - more gain when you need it... I needed it. This is not a "standard" application for this product - but it could be - works great. Love it.

I like to do a lot of direct recording, so what I have to say here needs to be taken into account of that fact. Also, I use this for a D.I. Box for bass and guitar. This especially excels in smoothing out electric guitar clean channel input where "pops" of the string cause thin sounding digital clipping

That said, I have had endless preamps, used various methods of recording, and let me tell you, this thing is a MUST as an individual tool, to aid in your studio and other applications. Do not depend on any tool to do everything for you. But, this is one tool you can learn to love. Why?

It does an OUTSTANDING job of naturally limiting your signal without compressing it. I was getting a lot of digital clipping going into the board. With this, using a compressor was unnecessary for it removed hard clips, giving "headroom" to my input signal and doing so with a natural, warm, and transparent sound that a compressor cannot provide. I have ART VLA and MPA units - 4 total, and this thing is every bit as good. Yet it is SO CHEAP financially, and ROCK SOLID in build quality. Changing tubes out is a snap also, only needing to remove 4 screws to open the box.

The dials are smooth, buttons precise, Rock Solid all metal construction and metal jack components... and NO NOISE at all. Just pristine circuitry.

My God, I LOVE ART for making products like this. Again, if you are into buying pedals, and looking for tools, get this. It will find a home with you.

I use the preamp in line with my DAW and it sounds great! Adds a little bit of "warmth" to your guitar tone and also vocals.

I don't use this for its intended purpose. I use this as an instrument preamp running the XLR out from my piezo pickup equipped double bass to go into the PA at at church. I run the 1/4" output to an amp that I use as a stage monitor. I have other battery powered boxes. I wanted something that I wouldn't have to worry about changing the batteries and this device fits the bill. It doesn't have any EQ but that's fine as the sound crew can EQ the house sound from the board and I can use the tone shaping on my amp for the stage sound. I run the output control at about 11 o'clock. After 5 hours the unit was warm but not hot. The device takes out that characteristic piezo honk and crack from impedance mismatch and yields a nice smooth sound.

I keep the gain control set to null. The sound quality when using the gain is poor. I have read that it's because this device using something called a 'starved plate' design to get the over-driven tube sound. It's okay for me because that's not how I use it. I had the more expensive instrument version of this unit which had more features but one day it died.

Overall, it's easy to use and does what I want it to. 4 stars.