Behringer TUBE ULTRAGAIN MIC500USB Audiophile Vacuum Tube Preamplifier with Preamp Modeling Technology and USB/Audio Interface

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.

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%.

Sounds great and easy to use. Didn't know it did not have an on/off button which makes that part annoying. I don't want to leave it on all the time so I pull the cord out. Otherwise the sounds is great for the price.

if you are into tube amps in general, this is the best little piece of equipment.makes a huge difference, compared to the price. spending thousands on mics will not make as much difference. smart (parametric) EQing is close, but tubes warm things up less 'mechanically' (which sounds more natural). for EDM music, maybe listeners don't care. but i'm sure kraftwerk used em to make their 1970 analog synths sound gorgeous.using a tube pre-amp for mic's in recording is good. a guitar and bass playing through tube amps is good. but in a recording setting, a gizmo that switches between these (and about a dozen) jobs is wonderful! i can have a tubed mic on the kick drum, that is (subtly) different from the mandolin.plus, i don't have room (or. the spare cash) for all these tube amps. this little unit solves it. in fact, it is almost too small, and gets yanked from its spot to easily. i use velcro to hold it on the shelf.like any pre-amp, you _can_ have the dials set to create lots of noise. likely that is the way you'd set the dials on say a marshal stack to get great distortion. this isn't made to peak like that. but for most situations, that's actually a good thing. you wouldn't want over-drive on your piano, for every song. (if you want tube distortion, get a separate unit for that -- one does not replace the other.)[there's no doing it 'wrong', but if you don't want noise: set the volume too a low number. put gain to 'enough' to see it on your recording levels. then raise the output volume to just what your mixer needs. then if there's too much noise, it's probably from your connections (cheap wires will do it). takes a bit of practice to hear/see it.]what is fun, is that there is no reason not to use this live. say, you play guitar for a gig one night and the next night a gig w a different band where you play bass. just turn the dial. you don't need to own/haul two amps. it might even fit in your case. (again, distortion is something separate, to [optionally] add to the chain)from the outside, this seems built well (steel casing, sturdy dials, etc), so am guessing this will last a long time. (i had a similar built tube amp that lasted 30+ years). i just desperately hope that, when this unit finally goes, they are still making em. though it may outlast me.

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

Nice warm sound

If you're an acoustic guitar player and you find yourself playing with a Piezo through a PA system you want this. Smooth it out to the point where you never want to play without it again

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.

Soddisfatto dell'acquisto, sia della qualità del prodotto sia la transazione, tutto molto professionale.

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

Excellent product. A piece suggests to recording musicians. Only negative point is mode selector is delicate. Power adaptor is not durable. price is higher with Amazon.(sweat water cheaper by nearly Rs 3000.

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!

Good quality From Behringer...Worth the price..Wish it had more number of channels