ART USB Dual Pre Project Series Two Channel Preamp / USB Interface

The ART USB Dual Pre is a compact two-channel microphone preamp and USB audio interface for people who record on the move or on a small desk: podcasters, field recordists, singer-songwriters and anyone who needs to bring two microphones into a laptop. It has phantom power for condenser mics, its own headphone monitoring, and it can run from a 9V battery when there is no power point nearby.

Two Preamps in a Pocket-Sized Case

Each channel has a combo jack that takes a balanced XLR microphone or a 1/4″ TRS line or instrument source, with its own gain control offering up to 48 dB of gain. A switch turns on +48V phantom power for condenser microphones. The all-aluminium chassis is about the size of a paperback (117 mm wide, 119 mm deep) and has rubber sides, so it stacks neatly with other ART Project Series boxes and survives being thrown in a bag.

Three Ways to Power It

The USB Dual Pre is unusual among small interfaces because it can take power from three sources, alone or together: the USB bus of your computer, an internal 9V battery, or an optional 7.5 to 12 V AC/DC adaptor. On battery alone, ART quotes more than 50 hours of use with phantom power off and around 20 hours with phantom power on, depending on the microphones. Battery power also means you can use it with no computer at all, as a two-channel phantom-powered preamp in front of a portable recorder, a camera or a PA.

Zero-Latency Monitoring with a Mix Control

Hearing yourself through the computer adds a delay that makes it hard to sing or play in time. The USB Dual Pre avoids this with hardware monitoring: the signal from the preamps goes straight to the headphone output with no delay. A Mix control blends that direct signal with the playback coming back from the computer, so you can balance your voice against the backing track, and a level control sets the volume.

The monitor mix is also sent to the two balanced 1/4″ TRS outputs. That means those outputs can feed powered studio monitors from your computer, or act as plain preamp outputs into a mixer, recorder or another interface.

USB Recording

The USB connection is class compliant, so it uses the computer’s built-in USB audio driver rather than special software. Both channels are recorded as a two-channel input at 16-bit, with 44.1 or 48 kHz selected from the computer, and ART quotes 0.4 ms A/D latency at 44.1 kHz. It is a USB 1.1 device, which keeps things simple but limits it to 16-bit recording.

Who Is It For?

• Podcasters and interviewers who need two mics on a laptop, at home or on location.
• Field recordists and videographers who want phantom-powered preamps that run on a battery in front of a portable recorder or camera.
• Singer-songwriters recording a vocal and a guitar at the same time with no monitoring delay.
• Live and installation users who need two clean mic preamps with balanced line outputs.

It is not the right choice if you need 24-bit recording, more than two inputs, or a lot of gain for very low-output dynamic or ribbon microphones.

USB Dual Pre vs Other ART Options

The ART USB II also has two combo inputs, but records at 24-bit/48 kHz and has no battery option, so it suits a fixed home studio better. The ART TUBE MP USB is a single-channel valve preamp with up to 70 dB of gain, for one voice or instrument that needs warmth and more gain. If your microphone needs more level than the Dual Pre’s 48 dB, an inline booster such as the ART RP-1 adds around 27 dB of clean gain in front of it. Browse more microphone preamps, compare USB audio interfaces, or find a condenser microphone to pair with it.

Setup Tips

• Turn the gain controls down before switching phantom power on or off, to avoid loud pops.
• Set gain while speaking or playing at full performance level, then use the Mix control to balance your voice against the computer playback.
• Switch phantom power off when you don’t need it; battery life is more than twice as long without it.
• Choose the USB Dual Pre as both input and output in your recording software so you can hear playback through its headphone output.

Key Features

• Two XLR / 1/4″ TRS combo inputs, balanced or unbalanced
• Independent gain controls with up to 48 dB of gain
• Switchable +48V phantom power
• Power from USB, an internal 9V battery or an optional 7.5 to 12 V adaptor
• Zero-latency hardware monitoring with Mix and level controls
• Two balanced 1/4″ TRS outputs and a 1/8″ headphone output
• Class-compliant USB audio, 16-bit at 44.1 or 48 kHz
• Compact, stackable aluminium chassis with rubber sides

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the ART USB Dual Pre work without a computer?

Yes. With a 9V battery or an adaptor it works as a standalone two-channel preamp, and the balanced 1/4″ outputs can feed a recorder, camera, mixer or PA.

How long does the battery last?

ART quotes more than 50 hours with phantom power off and around 20 hours with phantom power on, depending on the microphones used.

Does it need drivers?

No special drivers are needed. It is class compliant and uses the USB audio driver built into the operating system.

Will it power condenser microphones?

Yes. It has switchable +48V phantom power for condenser microphones on its XLR inputs.

Is there enough gain for a dynamic microphone?

Each channel gives up to 48 dB of gain, which suits most condensers and louder sources. Very low-output dynamic or ribbon mics used for quiet speech may need an inline booster in front of it.

Can I hear myself without delay?

Yes. The headphone output carries the input signal directly, before the computer, and the Mix control blends it with playback from your software.