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Grace Design m101 Half-rack Microphone Preamp

1-channel Microphone/Instrument Preamp with Balanced, Unbalanced, and Instrument Inputs
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Item ID: m101
Grace Design m101 Half-rack Microphone Preamp
Price:$833 and 00 cents
Special Financing - Ends Aug 2, 2026. $24/month with 36 month financing*

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Grace Design m101 Half-rack Microphone Preamp
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Price:$833 and 00 cents
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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 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-ch.
  • 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-in. TRS balanced and 1/4-in. 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

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Warranty Info

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Tech Specs

  • Preamp Type: Solid State
  • Number of Channels: 1
  • Phantom Power: Yes
  • Analog Inputs: 1 x XLR, 1 x 1/4" (Hi-Z)
  • Analog Outputs: 1 x XLR, 1 x 1/4" (Balanced), 1 x 1/4" (Unbalanced)
  • Frequency Response: 4.5Hz-390kHz (-3dB)
  • Rack Spaces: Half (1U)
  • Height: 1.7"
  • Depth: 9"
  • Width: 8.5"
  • Weight: 2.4 lbs.
  • Manufacturer Part Number: m101

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Reviews

Pristine
My preamp experience is as follows: Nikon Z6 II, Nikon Z8, Nikon Zf, preamp of the Rode VideoMic NTG, preamp of Sound Devices MicPre, preamp of the Motu M4. And Grace Design m101. I use it with a Schoeps CMIT 5. It is pristine and make all the other preamps I tried appear crude and noisy. Amazing. Kudos in passing to Grace Design tech support who readily and knowledgingly answered the phone for my question. I cannot recommend the m101 highly enough.
Grace Design m101 Microphone Preamp - The BENCHMARK for Professional Home Studio Sonic Quality
This review will be a bit different than most others you might have been reading in that I bought this piece of gear from Sweetwater 16 years ago in 2008. I have several moderately priced preamps in my home studio, but from day 1, the Grace m101 became my unquestionable #1 go-to pre for highly professional audio quality ... and STILL IS TO THIS DAY!

Among the top drawer specs this gear gives you is an incredible THD (@ 20dB Gain +20dBu Out: <0.00085%), bandwidth (Mic Input @ 40dB Gain -3dB: 4.5Hz-390kHz) and headroom (ranges from -124dB for a 600 Ohm source to better than -130dB for a 50 Ohm source). In addition to the low impedance XLR mic input, this gear also has a high impedance input giving you the ability of getting the same high fidelity from a DI instrument or high impedance mic source.

I have used the m101 to create numerous highly polished audio tracks over the 16 years I have owned it. I have had more than one recording engineer ask what preamp/mic setup I was using. If you want pristine sound that EXACTLY reproduces the source input and does your condenser mics justice, then you just can't beat the Grace Design m101 preamp.

But now comes the REALLY good part. After all these years of faithful, stellar service, my m101 stopped working recently. I contacted Grace Design and the the Service Manager (Alex) issued an RMA for repair. And then, he floored me by saying that the EON-20 Year Limited Warranty added by Grace in 2015 for the m101, m102, m501, m502, m103, m201, m801 and all Spacebar products would retroactively cover my m101 unit purchased in 2008. My unit was fixed and shipped back to me (Grace even paid the return shipping cost) within 4 working days after Grace received it. And that folks, is the pinnacle of exceptional customer service and standing by your product .. bar NONE!!! My reaction could best be described in the words of Jimi Hendrix ... "Excuse me while I kiss the sky!" It doesn't get any better than that!!!

If you're looking for a killer preamp with world class service and support, you can't go wrong by making Grace Design your choice. When I need my next preamp, I know where I'm going!
Music background: Home Studio Owner
Highly under rated and amazing value
For similar style pre amps, you cannot beat the price. Excels with vocals and stringed instruments, especially when paired with my miktek CV3 (also a great value).
505mk2 sale
Amazing job.answered all my dumb questions and did so while being kind and being a straight shooter. Thanks again. 3 items in. im glad i have justin wofford as a helper.
Music background: Guitarist
Pristine amplification
I use an Earthworks M23 for measurement, and Audio Technica 4051b (small diaphragm condenser) and Ear Trumpet Labs Delphina (large diaphragm condenser) for recording. I strive for real-time capturing of the cleanest possible original sound.

In college I did some work-study at Shure Brothers and had the opportunity to use the finest Brüel & Kjær audio test equipment. While that gear is completely out of reach for "civilian" use, this Grace Design M101 is not. It appears to have the pristine pre-amp gain that I am looking for. I also like the flexibility in terms of the 1/4-inch balanced/unbalanced instrument input.
Music background: Lifetime learner
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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!