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Benny Cruz
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2025
Worked for me
Yu
Reviewed in India on May 16, 2024
Captures clean and loud input signal.All Preamp modelling tech are useful.In this price range its a best to buy.
UnicorMaid Frankenstein
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2022
It sounds great! It is subtle, not like an effect - but the recorded sound really cuts through the mix better than my previous (inexpensive) solid state preamp/mixer even with the same microphone. It actually can do two inputs at the same time, or switch between them in your DAW. The various settings do sound different, accenting particular frequency bands perhaps? I am basically using this as an audio interface- though using it this way presents some challenges (a separate volume/level for the monitorand playback device would make it easier) but honestly, it sounds so good i am happy to fiddle with it a bit! Worth every nickel!! UMF
ahmed a.
Reviewed in the United Arab Emirates on May 11, 2022
its a great product but i didn't work with sm7bwhen you put the gain on max you can hear the hissingi know the shure sm7b is a gain hungry mic but this didn't work well with i even tried chaining it with an interface no use
Riccardo G.
Reviewed in Italy on March 26, 2020
Soddisfatto dell'acquisto, sia della qualità del prodotto sia la transazione, tutto molto professionale.
Placeholder
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2019
This is my second TUBE ULTRAGAIN after initially purchasing the MIC 100. This MIC 500 USB is a wonderful tube preamp. Ordering another as we speak Please Note: This tube pre. will initially have some internal "Hum"when first turned on as the tube is warming up. Turn the unit on. Allow it to pre-warm for at least 10-20mins. or longer. Any noticeable hum disappears and the unit comes alive with incredible performance.This unit is amazing for the value. Using it with an Aston Origin, Blue Spark and Blue Yeti Pro microphones.Without any doubt, it definitely brings all these mics alive with presence, tube coloration and warmth.They all sound incredible. Great investment for the money.
K. Andrews
Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2019
The preamp is more noisy than I would have liked. Supposedly you can improve the tone and reduce the noise by replacing the tube with a higher quality one, but I'm not about to futz about trying to find out if that will work and how well.The gain can't be set at low enough levels, and the tone dial thing has only minimal effect. On the plus side, it's nice to be able to control the headphone volume separately. Windows picked it up plug and play without any trouble.The 48v phantom power, 20 db pad, low cut filter, and LED level meter and clip warning all worked flawlessly and are very useful features. Line level input and zero-latency monitor (with on/off). At this price point, this is a great little pre-amp, and USB / audio interface. Simple to set up and use. easy to operate, and budget priced. The noisy pre-amp was the deal killer for me though.
Rian Riot
Reviewed in Canada on January 31, 2019
The first thing I did was read the manual three times.Also my prior audio engineering experience proves useful.The Mic500 is a superb pre-amp when used correctly for the intended use.Basically call this.. Not "jack of all trades" but a nice multi-tool.Here's my chain off of it to help explain some uses..Starts with my Jackson Dinky with powered EMG's (built in preamp on a switch) going from the "direct out" to my amp, which has extra ins/outs.Let's just say I use the amps internal overdrive.. SO.. I now run a line from the 500's "phones" out to my vintage style Reverb tank that has its own built in in/out preamp anyways, so none required! (Because the "USB side" of the 500's interface is in no way preamped!! Read the manual!!) Now when I activate the "monitor" switch that channel runs through the tank and out into my amps secondary- input. The 500's "output" dial essential turns into my reverb mix now and can have it slight and complimentary with my guitars clean/overdrive channel from the "direct out" so it can take lead, I do that by controlling the volume directly on my guitar's knob.During a solo I can pull the built in preamp and suddenly the tank is double preamped and gives off a really demonic verb behind an ultra powerful main channel, tight thanks to the tube. (However yes that's a fake light but don't worry, as you'll feel the tubes definitively working) By turning my guitar almost off and cranking the tanks gain I can play very ambient type cave sounds that are very unguitar sounding and achieve twangs and other effects by hitting the strings differently when dialed in appropriately.Its not am essential component in my very simple but effective effects chain.The option to have a USB audio interface is appreciated for working with drum tracks on the desktop mostly for when laying down into my separate multi tracker. PLEASE NOTE, there is no true ASIO driver for this, simply ASIO4all which you can basically use on anything. You will not achieve 2-4ms latency and their for is NOT appropriate for use as a digital instruments brain or for live effects processing. I'd suggest the higher end Zoom 3.0 interfaces if you're going cheap.. Sorry. Heh.Still, everything here has abuse and is made high quality.The limiter uses are more noticeable when setting peak levels and is appreciated. Not always needed but works.Get used to having the 20db button activated.That is MINUS 20bd when activated BTW.Do that so you can still boost the tube up properly.Also you probably should use the direct out for anything weak and digital unless you know what you're doing and utilizing the limiter. Or headphones.You can damage things.. YUP.Like your ears. Lol.So yea everyone, read those manuals.Don't use the mic in and hi-z at the same time.Have fun.Thanks behinger you guys are the beat on the street!Much love!
Shashank Sherkar
Reviewed in India on January 18, 2019
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Ralph L. Bundy
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2019
I use an UtlraGain in front of a Zoom R8 and find the audio quality superb. The device has both XLR and quarter-inch inputs, and a healthy voicing palette. There are input and output gain controls, phantom power, a 20 db pad, VU meter, and two outputs. Can't say enough about how happy I am with this device.
Customer
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2018
I wanted to share my thoughts on the MIC500USB.Reviewers before said it’s “useless” as a preamp for headphones.But I have to admit for my “basic needs” it is working fine.Prior I owned a Behringer UMC22 and a AT2035 MIC, which was fine.I got a deal on some Beyerdynamic DT990 and realized too late that they were 250Ohms.250Ohms are fine if you have the right equipment for it. Preamps USB powered only do not have enough juice for 250Ohms headphones, as I had to find out the hard way. With the UMC22 I had to crank the volume to 100% and still was barely hearing enough.I was skeptical while purchasing the MIC500USB if it would make a difference at all.However, I was surprised in a good way. The MIC500USB has more juice on the headphone output compared to the UMC22 and the MIC sounds much nicer as well.When I had to crank up the volume up to 100% earlier, now I can keep it comfortable around 30%.
Mary R
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2017
First, the good:The MIC500USB is basically it's little brother, the MIC200, only with a USB audio interface stuffed inside. It does OK as a basic mic amp, with respectably low noise and decent sound. Using the USB interface to record to a computer also works well, though it suffers a little by topping out at 16bit/48khz. The build quality is great, and the design is attractive, albeit a little large.The MIC500USB has worked well for my Shure SM27 mics, as well as an Antlion Modmic passed through a phantom-to-bias adapter from Naiant Studios.And then, the bad:The USB interface allows you to output audio from your computer through the headphone amp, but while it technically works, in reality it's complete garbage. The USB audio system puts out a tremendously hot signal, so that even when the output fader knob is all the way down at negative infinity, your headphones are still at a comfortable listening level. Bump the fader up even a little, and it immediately becomes overwhelmingly loud. There's a noticeable amount of hiss on the headphone out port, but it's hard to tell if that's the headphone amp, or just the USB audio always running.Also, when using "Direct Monitor" to pipe the mic preamp right into the headphones, you cannot adjust the relative volume of the mic vs the USB audio, so you cannot listen to both at the same time. The direct monitor of the mic is a reasonable volume as you'd expect, but the USB audio is so much louder that they'll never be close to the same level.In short, for a simple USB mic interface with 48v phantom, this'll work great. If you don't need a USB interface, just get the MIC200. If you want a USB interface, but need either a) high bit rate and depth, or b) a usable headphone amp, go for something like the UMC202HD (although the UM2 might work). If you want to be able to adjust the headphones balance between mic monitor and USB audio, you probably have to pony up for the UMC404HD.Keep in mind that the UM2, UMC202HD, and UMC404HD have some competitors in the Focusrite Scarlett line, so make sure you look those over before settling on a Behringer.
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