Gearank

The Behringer V-Tone Acoustic Driver DI is an affordable alternative that provides good preamp functionality and tone shaping, at merely a fraction of the price of other acoustic preamps.

Behringer has managed to squeeze in a few features for the low price, having a 3-band EQ with sweepable mids and a nifty tube emulation circuit that adds analog warmth to any pickup equipped acoustic instrument.

Features:

• Switchable Tube emulation modeling circuitry
• 3-band EQ with sweepable mids
• Standard active DI mode when Tube emulation is bypassed
• Ground Lift
• Input Impedance 4.7 M Ohm
• Blend Control
• Weight: 1.01 lbs.

Pros

The V-Tone Acoustic Driver's most obvious advantage is its price, at just under $30, and you could consider it for use as a back up unit. While it obviously will not sound as Hi-Fi as the others it competes with, it does get the job done well enough for some to complement its sound quality. Many even find themselves surprised by how this seemingly cheap preamp exceeds their expectations, finding it very useful for most musical applications.

Cons

Experts and users who have tried more expensive preamps notice the difference in sound quality, but some of them still find the V-Tone good sounding and practical for most applications, considering the price. There were some who complained about the flimsy power adapter that it comes with, while others are concerned about the seemingly frail knobs.

Overall

Even with its short comings, the Behringer V-Tone Acoustic Driver DI is a viable option, if not a great one, when you're budget is limited.

We did used to recommend this as the cheap alternative to other options, however throughout 2017 we've seen it's ratings fall (it originally had a Gearank score of 82) and so it's no longer on our recommended list - you can see our current recommendations in our Acoustic Preamp Pedal Guide.