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The Artistic MicPre SE features a fully discrete gain stage with up to 65 dB of gain, handling dynamic mics like the SM7B or powering condensers like a vintage 414B-ULS. The 8-point LED Peak-Meter, spanning a 50 dB range, is a standout feature, offering precise signal monitoring that’s uncommon in affordable preamps. This meter is invaluable for avoiding clipping or fine-tuning gain staging, and pricier modules could benefit from such a feature.
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The low-cut filter at 120 Hz is exceptional, easily one of the best I’ve ever encountered. It eliminates rumble and low-end noise while preserving the warmth and fullness of the tone (I suspect gentle 6 dB/oct slope). When tracking vocals with the SM7B, it cleaned up unwanted low frequencies from the desktop stand without thinning the vocal’s body—a rare achievement. The switchable polarity control is a practical touch for correcting phase in multi-mic setups or DI applications.
With electronically balanced input and output, the preamp delivers a clean, transparent signal. Fredenstein claims a maximum output of +26 dBu, but without specific testing, I suspect it may not fully reach that level. The sound is colorless (reminds me of my Grace m801), clear, smooth and perfectly balanced, less bright than a Neve 1073 and less dark than an API 312, making it versatile for vocals, guitars, or bass DI.
The front-panel 2 Meg Ohm high-impedance DI input simplifies switching between mics and instruments, automatically disconnecting the rear mic input when used. The DI is functional and useful, critics say it lacks character for bass or guitar tracking, but if you need a super clean, uncolored instrument input this is it — perhaps for the output of a modeling stomp-box where you want the pedal to come through without the preamp adding color.
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The preamp’s open-frame design (no full enclosure) didn’t cause issues in my testing (as far as I could tell without breaking out a lotta test gear), and the build feels decent, though component choices raise some concerns. The lack of an enclosure matters most if you swap modules often and this one needed to sit around in storage for any length of time.
A HARDWARE PROBLEM
My unit’s gain pot produced a gross noise at the high end of its travel (sounds like a dirty pot but 25 turns did not help diminish it), necessitating a replacement from my dealer, which suggests potential quality control issues. I hate to bash it entirely for the failed gain pot because in this price range your options are really limited and the problem did not render the preamp unusable. Inside the functional working envelope of the Fredenstein, I could totally record with this preamp’s crisp, clean, full range tone, and that’s the bottom line with any gear you consider — does it work for you?
Likes
- Low-cut filter: Smooth and musical, it removes rumble-noise while keeping the tone rich.
- 8-point LED Peak-Meter: Precise and professional, a feature missing in many costlier preamps.
- 65 dB of gain: Plenty of power for any microphone, including low-output dynamics.
- Clear sound: Transparent and adaptable for various sources.
Dislike
- No output level control: A limitation for fine-tuning levels.
- Component quality concerns: The noisy gain pot on my first unit suggests cheaper components may affect reliability.
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EPILOGUE
The Fredenstein Artistic MicPre SE delivers clean sound and an outstanding low-cut filter. The 8-point LED Peak-Meter is a fantastic addition, offering level monitoring that rivals much more expensive preamps, along with 65 dB of gain, 48V phantom power, and switchable polarity to ensure versatility. I experienced issues with the Artistic Preamp and Bento 2 combination, and that faulty gain pot that required a replacement of the whole preamp, my experiments continue and I'll update this article if more important data emerges.
At $99, this preamp is budget-priced and component choices might compromise longevity. Don’t assume it’s perfect out of the box—check your rack closely and test the gain trim pot at all levels to ensure clean performance. For the price, it’s a strong contender for studios just getting into, or expanding, their 500-series setup.
UPDATE: Sadness -- after extended testing the Artistic Preamp SE has earned the DO NOT BUY AWARD for noise and weirdness. I've tried it in three different 500-series racks, one of which is the Bento2 by the same brand -- the preamp exhibited varying amounts of the same induced noise in each of these hardware environments -- it's a grinding hum noise, accompanied by static sound when turning the GAIN pot in the higher regions of travel (where SM7B microphones live) -- a Gain pot should not be making dirty sounds when it's brand new. Our dealer replaced the Artistic Mic Pre SE with a second unit and guess what, same thing. Back to the dealer they go. I suspect poor CMRR and lack of steel box surrounding the preamp with shielding. We'd be willing to check it out again in the future, H.o.T. emailed the manufacturer and got zero reply. This preamp is a FAIL!
Thanks for reading High on Technology, Good Music To You!
©May 2025 by Mark King, it’s not ok to copy or quote without written permission from the author
Go forth and create something beautiful……………………………
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