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Grace Design m101

1-channel Microphone/Instrument Preamp with Balanced, Unbalanced, and Instrument Inputs

Item ID: m101

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  • Retail Price $695.00
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  • Sale Price: $565.97
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Affordable quality from Grace Designs!

The Grace Design m101 mic pre represents a retooling of the hugely successful Model 101 mic pre. The m101's signal path incorporates 0.5% precision metal film resistors for optimal signal clarity. A 12-position gold-plated rotary gain switch with a higher performance output line driver and HPF amplifier are onboard. Also new on the m101 is ribbon mode, with plenty of gain and a relay bypass de-activating phantom power to protect your ribbon mics. The power supply is now built in, eliminating the wall wart with the m101.

Grace Design m101 at a Glance:
  • Grace Design Quality
  • Plug The Grace m101 In
  • Rugged Grace Construction

Grace Design Quality
The Grace m101 is a single serving of the critically acclaimed Grace Design microphone preamplifier. The Grace m101 sports updated components inside and out. The former silver exterior has been replaced with a sleek black finish. The model m101 is also fully balanced and transformerless with no electrolytic capacitors in the signal path. There are 0.5% precision metal film resistors in the signal path and a 12-position gold plated rotary gain switch. With incredible bandwidth, headroom and resolution, the Grace m101 is remarkably natural, musical and detailed. Also, the Grace m101 is equipped with an extended gain range input (10-75dB) 'Grace Designed' for gain-hungry ribbon microphones.

Plug The Grace m101 In
The included instrument DI input of the Grace m101 is designed to accommodate a wide variety of high impedance input sources, making the Grace m101 an excellent choice as a DI box which will flawlessly preserve the sound of the instrument - imagine the same resolution and detail as Grace microphone preamplifiers available for direct-inject recording situations.

Rugged Grace Construction
To top it off, the Grace Design m101 mic pre is completely rugged and road worthy, so discerning live performers can use the m101 to achieve studio quality sound with their live setups. The Grace m101 mic pre is rack mountable in a standard 1U rack tray, and two units will happily nest side by side in one rack space. Equally at home amplifying a vintage condenser mic or an acoustic guitar, the Grace model m101 delivers results previously available only to big budget studios and Grammy-winning engineers. The Grace Design m101 mic pre may well be the ultimate microphone preamplifier for under $1000.

Grace Design m101 Features:
  • 1-channel
  • The audio signal path incorporates 0.5% precision metal film resistors
  • 12-position gold plated rotary gain switch
  • Higher performance output line driver amplifier and HPF amplifier
  • Ribbon mic mode now included as standard - relay bypass of phantom power decoupling capacitors, increased input impedance and +48V lockout
  • Wide 10-75dB gain range
  • Enhanced RFI suppression
  • Three output connectors: XLR balanced, 1/4" TRS balanced and 1/4" TS unbalanced
  • Sealed gold contact relay for Hi-Z input switching
  • Built in, universal linear power supply (no more "wall wart")
  • LED indicators for +48V, ribbon mode and HPF
  • Bold new look

The m101 from Grace Designs provides amazing sound with a modest price tag!

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Reviews
based on 7 customer reviews

Sweetwater Advice

Brad Every
This is one of the cleanest preamps on the market! I haven't run into anything that doesn't sound amazing through it!
Mark Brody
If you own a lot of mics you owe it to yourself to try the m101. This is the cleanest and most detailed preamp in its class, and it really lets you hear the finer nuances of whatever mic you use. The detail and clarity in the lower midrange is amazing, especially considering the price. Sounds great recording guitar direct, too!

Considered to be the best tested Preamp in its price range.

by Robert from CA
December 12, 2009
Music Background: Commentator
Projects the same sonic character as a much higher priced Preamp. Designed AND manufactured in the USA. So another words they really do believe in maximum quality.

EXCELLENT PREAMP FOR CLARITY & VOCAL STACKING!!!

by Brandon from Phoenix, AZ
May 25, 2009
Music Background: POP, R&B & GOSPEL SINGER/MUSCIAN/PRODUCER/SONGWRITER
After much research, I decided to purchase the M101 as I wanted something that would allow me to stack/mix vocals with MAXIMUM clarity without running into distortion & gathering a bunch of "mud" in t... read more [+]he lower-mid frequencies (a problem that I was dealing with again and again using my interfaces' stock preamps)... Thank God I took the time to do the research because this is one EXCELLENT preamp that has a clarity that is OUT OF THIS WORLD for the price...

No full level meters to show you EXACTLY where you're at, but this unit does have a single-led clip indicator that turns green at -14DB and then it turns red once you get to +16DB (10DB BELOW clipping [which is a GODSEND as it gives you some "elbow room" when tracking]): As i'm working solo as of right now with no engineer, I basically just adjusted the level when I first set mine up so that the clip indicator hits red only BRIEFLY on BRIEF transients (with a Neumann TLM-103, this is about 25DB [3 "clicks" up from the lowest setting])... This way, I can tell that i'm NOT clipping at the preamp stage and I tell you, altogether, this preamp has really has turned things around for me... Thick/full/clear background vocals without a hint of distortion... Of course I also set each BGVOX channel to about -20DB in Protools and make cautious use of compression plugins when recording... But this preamp was the MAIN factor in improving my sound...

Yea, I don't mind saying that my DREAM setup for vocals is a Sony C800G, a Neve 1073 preamp and an Emperical Labs Distressor compressor... But I don't have the (roughly) $13,000 for that setup right now, so this will DEFINITELY get me by with this current setup until things really come together with the finances (and being that the "Neve" is somehow known as a "colored" preamp, i'll probably STILL continue to use the M101 at least on occasion because its just THAT good :-)... If you're hesitating, DON'T HESISTATE: This is one EXCELLENT-sounding piece of gear for an excellent price and if you're looking for clarity, you won't be let down with this bad boy!!!! close [-]

Incredible preamp

by Chuck from Collegeville, PA
April 9, 2009
Music Background: Recording engineer, studio owner, pro musician
IMO, this is hands down the best preamp under $1000. Very clean and accurate. Be warned though that it WILL reveal all your limitations. If you have a good player, good instrument, and a good room, it... read more [+] will knock your socks off. If you are looking for a colored, character sounding pre, you will not be happy. This is as close to "wire with gain" that you will find in this price range. Wonderful box. close [-]
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Grace Design m101

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