TransAudio Group
7320 Smoke Ranch RoadSuite G
Las Vegas, NV. 89128
702-365-5155
fax: 702-365-5145
sales@transaudiogroup.com
Daking Audio Inc.
(302) 482-4898
geoff@daking.com
dave@daking.com
Geoff Daking will be presenting at the Audio Underground Roadshow on Saturday February 25 from 12 – 6 PM. The show is is held at SAE Institute Herald Square Campus, 1293 Broadway on the 9th floor New York, New York. He will be presenting both the Mic Pre 500 and the new Comp 500.
Please come and visit us at NAMM January 19-22nd in Anaheim. We will be at Hall A 6945 at the TransAudio Group booth. Hope to see you there!
June 24 and 25 in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Check out the new Mic Pre 500 as well as the FET III Stereo Compressor!
Come and see us at Musik Messe!
April 6-9 booth 5.1 A-71 or 5.1 A-795
Geoff Daking, with Mark Hornsby, will be at Full Sail University on October 12th to present a recording seminar, including Geoff’s history in the business (From pop drummer to engineer to designer) and the Daking signal processors and amplifiers. Students will be checking out the gear in action and learning recording tips and techniques from a couple of true pros.
Question: How do I test the amount of noise added by a mic preamplifier?
Answer: First you need to terminate the input of the mic pre by connecting pins 2 and 3 together. This can be done with a paperclip inserted into pins 2 and 3 on the microphone input. If you have a microphone plugged into the mic input, then you are hearing the self-noise of the mic AND the noise of the preamp. If you have it connected to nothing then you are hearing an un-terminated connection which is likely to include electro-magnetic and radio interference.
With pins 2 and 3 shorted, you can easily evaluate the noise added by the pre-amplifier either by ear or with your favorite meter.
On Jul 10, 2009, at 11:01 PM, Chris wrote:
Geoff
Let me start by saying that i purchased your 4 channel mic pre and i LOVE IT!
I was wondering, do the front DI inputs by-pass the mic transformer?
Thanks
Chris
Chris,
The direct input does not go through the transformer, it goes straight to the preamp.
Guitars have high impedance outputs and would be loaded down by the 1200Ω input of a mic pre. The DI has a very high input impedance, >100kΩ.
Geoff
A number of users of the Mic Pre One and the Mic Pre IV have asked the question:
“If I have the Gain control turned all the way down, how can the mic pre still be peaking? If I engage the Pad button, will this change the sound?”
The Mic Pre One by Daking Audio
Here’s the answer:
Gain Explained
The “Gain” control is not a volume pot. It will not shut off the signal. It controls the amount of gain the mic pre can produce. The minimum gain is about 25 db, (or 5db with the pad in) and the maximum is >70db (about 10 dB more than most pre-amps.)
Microphone Output Explained
All microphones have different output levels. Ribbons generally have the lowest outputs while condensers have the highest. Dynamics are somewhere in the middle.
If you mic a guitar amp with an RCA 44 (the premier ribbon mic), you will probably need to add gain. If you use a Neuman U87, you will need the pad. That’s why condenser microphones usually have pads built in.
How to Use the Pad Control
Some people believe that the pad changes the sound. Not really true. Most good preamps have an input impedance of 1200Ω. This is the “load” or “termination” that the microphone is looking for. The frequency response of a mic is frequently affected by the load so they are optimized for this standard reflected impedance. In many mic pres, the reflected impedance changes when the pad is inserted, so the mic behaves differently when padded. We are very careful to see that this does not happen with our pres, the impedance does not change.
Do Not Fear the Pad.
Sharing the gain structure and Class A, fully discrete transistor circuitry design of the popular Daking Mic Pre IV, the Mic Pre One additionally features a unique variable high-pass filter and ships in a freestanding ‘DI-style’ steel enclosure, ensuring both strength and noise immunity.
Essentially a single channel of the Mic Pre IV, the Mic Pre One features switchable phase, 20dB mic input pad and +48V phantom power, plus a selectable 1/4-inch front panel hi-z instrument input, all utilizing relays with gold bi-furcated contacts. Two large knurled aluminum knobs control the variable high-pass filter (0-200Hz) and continuously variable input gain, which is complemented by a full-width, twenty-segment bi-color LED meter.
The rear of the unit offers a Jensen transformer-isolated mic input and fully-balanced XLR output, plus a 1/4-inch line output. A fourth connector introduces DC power from the external power supply to the unit.
Noted Brad Lunde, president of TransAudio Group, “This Mic Pre One is the very definition of value – a Daking-designed high-end mic pre for those who only need one channel. It’s ideal for pros on tour and studios that seek to locate the mic pre in the vocal booth for short cable runs. Small project studios on a limited budget, can now use the same high-end sounding gear as the pros.”
