First off, this product will provide you with a somewhat clean way of getting audio into your computer (although there is a bit of tube noise in there, which is preferred by some for its sound), only it will be at a very low level. The downside is that it doesn't work well with all microphones.

Dynamic mics are not a good match with this unit.  I have to push in the +20db switch and turn both the gain and output nobs almost fully to the right in order to get enough gain. With that, it works fine, though.
There isn't much room to tweak for just the right adjustments.

This product is OK with condenser mics, and doesn't exhibit the same gain issues it does with Dynamic mics, but I am still not overly impressed with the overall amount of gain on this unit.  My cheap Behringer board has far more gain than the ART.  It's not even a contest.

This does "warm up" your voice somewhat because it has a tube.  Sometimes, I think the bass almost sounds slightly more muddy, but after a while, I have come to like it, provided I have it set correctly.  That's it.  It's not a miracle product that's going to make you sound like a $1,000 amp.  If you're looking for tube distortion, this product is not what you want, because you don't have the adjustments necessary to get the type of sound you're looking for.

I purchased this expecting some tube improvement and warmth.  I got some more warmth, but I'm disappointed with the lack of ability to use it with a dynamic mic easily.  Is it better than my Behringer audio board?  Hmm... it depends on the task I'm using it for.

Someone said that you need to spend a chunk of change in excess of $500 for some, and $1,000 for most preamps to get a "real" tube sound.  I now believe it.
First off, this product will provide you with a somewhat clean way of getting audio into your computer (although there is a bit of tube noise in there, which is preferred by some for its sound), only it will be at a very low level. The downside is that it doesn't work well with all microphones. Dynamic mics are not a good match with this unit. I have to push in the +20db switch and turn both the gain and output nobs almost fully to the right in order to get enough gain. With that, it works fine, though. There isn't much room to tweak for just the right adjustments. This product is OK with condenser mics, and doesn't exhibit the same gain issues it does with Dynamic mics, but I am still not overly impressed with the overall amount of gain on this unit. My cheap Behringer board has far more gain than the ART. It's not even a contest. This does "warm up" your voice somewhat because it has a tube. Sometimes, I think the bass almost sounds slightly more muddy, but after a while, I have come to like it, provided I have it set correctly. That's it. It's not a miracle product that's going to make you sound like a $1,000 amp. If you're looking for tube distortion, this product is not what you want, because you don't have the adjustments necessary to get the type of sound you're looking for. I purchased this expecting some tube improvement and warmth. I got some more warmth, but I'm disappointed with the lack of ability to use it with a dynamic mic easily. Is it better than my Behringer audio board? Hmm... it depends on the task I'm using it for. Someone said that you need to spend a chunk of change in excess of $500 for some, and $1,000 for most preamps to get a "real" tube sound. I now believe it.