I just had the m-audio dmp 3 in the studio and tested it as it seems to be everybodys darling. It's a two channel mic preamp for 170 € and to make along story short: I was not amused. When I unpacked it I had to be very careful not to break this little thing. Doesn't look durable at all. I thought that as it was small it could be a portable solution for some projects, but I guess it would break immediately on tour. Seems a bit like a kids toy. If you plan to put it on one place and never gonna move it again you can think about getting it. Sound wise it's nothing special. It does the job but every preamp of an audio interface aorund 500€ will sound equal. Quality wise it's a pain in the.... I rate that thing 4/10. I'm nice, no?
A very negative review, yet no details.
ReplyDeleteI tested 20 or so products in this price range and found the DMP3 to have the finest, cleanest preamps by far... no competition.
And it is as sturdy or more so than any other in this price range as well.
If you want a professional piece of gig gear, then pay for it, but don't review a screwdriver based on how it can hammer nails... it's not a fair comparison.
Hey Anthony,
ReplyDeleteyou are right that this review is not very detailed - it's my first post and my shortest one.
As I said this unit arrived here almost broken and it didn't feel well built. Maybe it was just my unit?
I think a lot of semi-pro musicians would like to add an outboard preamp that is a better than the built in preamp of their sound card. My advice is to save some more money for something like a GAP 73 - the DMP3 doesn't sound "better" than any MOTU preamp in my point of view. Thanks for your comment!