Rolls MP13 Mini-Mic Single-Channel Microphone Preamp with Phantom Power

Rolls MP13: A Compact Single-Channel Microphone Preamp With Phantom Power

The Rolls MP13 Mini-Mic is a single-channel microphone preamplifier that delivers up to 60 dB of clean gain in a chassis small enough to sit beside a camera or recorder. Its purpose is simple and common: take a weak microphone signal and boost it to a strong, usable level before it reaches an input that lacks a good preamp of its own. XLR and 1/8-inch inputs feed the mic in, XLR and 1/4-inch outputs send the boosted signal on, and a single gain control with a clip indicator sets the level. Switchable phantom power lets it run condenser microphones, not just dynamics. For a field recordist, interviewer, or anyone whose camera or interface preamp is noisy or missing, the MP13 is a small clean gain stage that solves the problem.

Up to 60 dB of Clean, Quiet Gain

The MP13 provides up to 60 dB of gain on its XLR input and 54 dB on the 1/4-inch input, with a maximum EIN of -108 dB and THD under 0.01 percent. Equivalent input noise, or EIN, measures how much hiss a preamp adds while amplifying, and a low figure like this is what lets the MP13 boost a quiet mic without burying it in noise. Sixty decibels is enough gain to bring a low-output dynamic or a distant source up to a healthy line level. The clip indicator on the front warns you before the gain stage overloads, so you can set the level confidently by eye. For anyone whose camera or recorder preamp adds a wash of hiss, the MP13's clean gain is the direct fix.

Switchable +24V Phantom Power for Condensers

The MP13 supplies switchable +24V phantom power on its XLR input, letting it run condenser microphones that need external powering rather than limiting you to dynamics. Phantom power travels up the same balanced cable that carries the audio, feeding the microphone's internal electronics without a separate supply at the mic. Twenty-four volts runs many electret and small-diaphragm condensers used for interviews, field work, and instrument capture. Being switchable means you can turn it off for a dynamic or ribbon mic that does not want DC on its pins. For a recordist who wants to use a condenser into a camera or recorder that offers no phantom, this single switch opens up that whole class of microphones.

Flexible XLR and 1/8-Inch Connectivity

The MP13 accepts a microphone on either a balanced XLR or a 1/8-inch input and sends the boosted signal out on both XLR and 1/4-inch outputs, with a 10k ohm balanced or unbalanced input impedance. Offering both connector types on each side means the MP13 slots between almost any microphone and almost any destination without an adapter chain. The balanced XLR output can also drive a long cable run with a stronger signal than the bare mic could manage, reducing noise pickup along the way. A 10k ohm input keeps the preamp from loading down the microphone, preserving its natural tone. For a mixed rig of pro and consumer connectors, that flexible input and output is what lets the MP13 drop in anywhere.

Portable Build With Included Power Adapter

The MP13 measures 3.4 by 4.2 by 1.4 inches, weighs about 1 pound, and ships with its own 12 to 15 VDC power adapter. Its small metal body is built to travel in a bag or clip near a camera without adding meaningful bulk to a rig. The included, matched adapter removes any guesswork about voltage or polarity at setup. A greater than 80 dB CMRR on the balanced input helps the preamp reject noise common to both cable conductors, part of why its gain stays clean. For run-and-gun field work where every ounce and every connection counts, the MP13's compact, self-contained build keeps it practical.

Field Recording, Interviews, and Preamp Upgrades

The MP13's everyday jobs are boosting a mic into a camera, recorder, or line input, adding a clean preamp to an interface that lacks a good one, and driving long cable runs with a stronger balanced signal. A journalist or documentary shooter can put a proper preamp between a microphone and a DSLR whose built-in gain is thin and noisy. In a small studio it adds a spare channel of clean gain when the interface runs out. Because it is single-channel and simple, it stays out of the way and does one job well. For anyone who needs one more clean, phantom-capable mic input in a portable package, the MP13 is a direct, dependable answer.