A low-voltage low-power analog controllable preamplifier for electret microphones is presented. It has been designed for a single supply voltage of 1.0 V, whereas its average power consumption amounts to some tens of microwatts. A de current controls its gain directly into decibels. The design meets specifications (listed in Section I) concerning accuracy, bandwidth, noise properties, etc., suitable for most applications in portable telephone equipment, portable transceivers, hearing aids, etc. Much attention has been paid to the dynamic range of the input signal, noise, and offset properties. The circuit has been realized in a semi-custom IC process. Simulation and measurement data of the most important properties are presented.