I don't think the sound has quite the same star quality as the Channel One, but it comes a lot closer than I'd have expected for the price, and noise was never an issue when close‑miking vocals. I compared its subjective performance with my SPL Channel One, and was pleasantly surprised by the transparent, lively sound. The Mini Pre has a frequency response that is only 3dB down at 45kHz, and its 125dBA signal‑to‑noise ratio is only a hair worse than you'd expect from an all solid‑state design.
Note that there's no mic/line switch and, while the the XLR and jack inputs seem to be live simultaneously, you can't use the preamp to mix mic and line signals, because the line level drops significantly when a mic is plugged in - presumably because of the large impedance difference. A Phase button and an Output Level knob complete the control section, with up to 10dB of additional output gain available. A green LED indicates that the unit is powered up, and 48V phantom power can be switched in when necessary, though this has no status LED. A single red Peak LED monitors signal clipping, and it is recommended that the gain be adjusted so that the peak LED only lights briefly on the loudest passages. The input Gain control provides up to 60dB of mic or instrument gain, with the option of switching in a 20dB pad if the input signal is too hot. Both XLR and jack outputs are fitted, and may be used with balanced or unbalanced connections. The PSU plugs into the rear panel and a small plastic hook helps secure the cable. Ruggedly built from sheet steel, the Mini Pre offers both a balanced XLR mic input and an unbalanced line/instrument input on a jack with a 1MΩ input impedance. This arrangement means that the dual‑triode 12AX7 valve circuitry doesn't run at the same high voltage as in traditional designs, though many low‑voltage valve circuits have been built that produce a musically satisfying sound. The Dbx Mini Pre is a simple and inexpensive mic preamplifier with phantom power, using a hybrid valve/solid‑state mic preamp housed in a compact desktop package, and powered from an external PSU.
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