Baroni Lab The Unbelievable Mini Amp
Baroni Lab delivers a compact amplifier that prioritizes dynamic feel, speaker interaction and studio connectivity. The Unbelievable Mini Amp packages tube-like response, a full set of outputs and desktop convenience into a unit designed for practice, recording and portable gigs.
Product line, variants and revisions
Baroni Lab focuses on small format amplifiers with a flagship miniature head plus a few variant modules. The core model emphasizes analog preamp circuitry with solid state power stages and selectable voicings. Variants often add integrated cabinet emulation, different output stages and alternate control sets. Firmware revisions in later hardware batches added USB audio streaming and refined cab emulation algorithms. Hardware revisions addressed input buffering, input impedance adjustments for active pickups and improved fanless heat dissipation in versions produced after 2019. Portable versions prioritize battery life and headphone ergonomics while desktop units concentrate on balanced outputs and monitor compatibility.
Design, build and controls
The chassis uses folded steel with textured powder coat finishes, keeping weight under 1.5 kilograms for the mini head. Footprint fits on a pedalboard or desktop with a low profile that aids mic placement close to a cabinet or speaker emulation grill. Controls include a three band equalizer, master level, presence, and a gain control with a tight-to-loose sweep that covers pristine cleans to saturated tones. The interface features illuminated knobs and a single footswitchable channel memory. Input and output connectors are professionally spaced to accept right-angle plugs without interference. I/O includes instrument input, headphone socket, stereo line outputs, balanced DI with ground lift and an effects send and return. Power accepts 9 to 18 volts DC depending on revision, with later units capable of 12 volt battery operation and an auto-sense power circuit for global voltage use. The build prioritizes reliability with solid metal jacks and military grade PCB connectors in later runs.
Electronics, circuitry and tone
The preamp topology uses a dual-stage circuit where the first stage provides clean headroom and the second stage shapes harmonic content. The power section is solid state with a Class-AB stage engineered to emulate the compression behavior of small tube power amps. Distortion voicings are achieved through gain staging and selectable clipping diodes, giving three distinct characters: edge, mid grit and compressed lead. The EQ section combines passive tone stacking and an active presence control for refined harmonic placement. Noise floor is controlled with careful grounding, shielding and a low noise op amp in the input stage. Headroom varies with setting; clean modes deliver up to 14 dB of clean headroom before breakup, while high gain settings introduce musical compression similar to classic small combo breakup.
| Characteristic | Clean voicing | Crunch voicing | High gain voicing | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input sensitivity | 1 MΩ | 470 kΩ | 220 kΩ | Passive vs active pickups |
| Gain range | 0–14 dB | 6–24 dB | 18–40 dB | From jazz to metal |
| EQ center frequencies | 120 Hz / 1 kHz / 5 kHz | 100 Hz / 800 Hz / 3.5 kHz | 80 Hz / 900 Hz / 4 kHz | Voice tailoring |
| Harmonic profile | Even order warmth | Even plus odd harmonics | Strong odd harmonics | Tonal character |
| Headroom before breakup | High | Medium | Low | Clean maintenance |
| Typical noise floor (A-weighted) | -95 dBu | -92 dBu | -88 dBu | Studio context |
Recording connectivity and microphone techniques
The unit provides balanced direct outputs with selectable pre or post-EQ taps, enabling raw amp DI or speaker-emulated DI. The integrated cab emulation features multiple IR-like curves and a ground lift switch to eliminate hum when interfacing with studio desks. USB audio is supported in later firmware, providing 24 bit at 48 kHz streaming for direct recording into a DAW. For close miking a small diaphragm dynamic such as the Shure SM57 placed on the cone at 1 to 2 centimeters captures attack and midrange. Off-axis placement at 3 to 5 centimeters softens brightness and adds body. Adding a condenser at 1 to 2 meters provides room ambience when recording in treated rooms. Stereo approaches use the amp DI panned with a room mic to yield width, and mid side or XY stereo pair techniques work well when using the desktop amp on a small cabinet.
Recommended microphone choices include:
- Shure SM57 for focused midrange and transient capture.
- Sennheiser MD421 for fuller low mid response on crunch settings.
- Neumann KM184 small diaphragm condenser for room and acoustic blend.
Signal chain, effects and home studio workflow
Pedal compatibility is wide owing to high input impedance and buffered bypass. Place dynamic and gain pedals before the amp input for response shaping, and time based effects such as delay and reverb in the effects return or post-master send for natural repeats. For reamping, record DI from the balanced output and send through the amp input when needed. Use impulse responses from third party libraries to supplement the built-in emulations for genre specific cabinets. In small rooms acoustic treatment behind the amp and early reflection control in front of the listening position yield clearer monitoring. Latency is typically negligible when using the physical outputs, but USB streaming at 48 kHz requires an audio interface buffer set to 64 to 128 samples for live playing with software effects.
Tone recipes, comparisons and practical buying advice
For clean jazz set the gain low, bass 2 o'clock, mids 11 o'clock, treble 1 o'clock and presence off. For blues set gain to 9 o'clock, bass 1 o'clock, mids noon and treble 2 o'clock. For modern high gain push gain to maximum, cut mids slightly, add presence and tighten bass. Compared with desktop modeling units like the Yamaha THR10 or Boss Katana the Baroni Lab unit prioritizes analog circuit feel over extensive preset libraries. It often wins in dynamic response and immediate playability. Consider warranty and serial verified authorized dealers when buying new. On the used market expect resale retention due to boutique demand, particularly for early limited color runs.
Routine care includes keeping vents clear, cleaning jacks with contact cleaner yearly and updating firmware via the manufacturer utility when available. Community resources include manufacturer forums, demo videos from established studio engineers and user shared IR packs. Demos should include A/B clips of DI, mic close and room positions at matched levels to evaluate real world performance.
