A “complete analog system for either recording or mixing”
Following on from our ‘Greatest Hardware Equalisers of All Time’ list, boutique hardware manufacturer Mäag Audio have backed up their number eight position (EQ4) with the release of the PREQ2 analog preamp and EQ.
What you need to know:
- Mäag Audio have released the PREQ2 analog preamp and EQ.
- The 1U standalone unit is a “complete analog system for either recording or mixing”.
- The PREQ2 will handle either line or microphone signal levels with two matched channels.
Read all the latest product news here.
The 1U standalone unit is a “complete analog system for either recording or mixing” coming with Cliff Mäag’s venerable AIR Band first introduced in 1993 with the NTI EQ3 unit. But anyway, here’s what the unit does.
The PREQ2 will handle either line or microphone signal levels with two matched channels both with separate rear panel line level input and microphone XLR connectors and switchable +48V phantom powering.
The rear panel also has XLR output connectors for each channel and an on/off/fuse mains switch.
The Mäag Audio PREQ2 microphone preamp has up to 71dB of gain split between a discrete class-a transistor preamp along with a large, nickel-core Mäag Audio-built input transformer (one for each channel).
The microphone input section has front panel switches, led indicators and buttons for: +48V phantom powering, -20dB attenuation pad, plus signal present, +26dBU peak leds, and phase or polarity flip. Microphone gain is continuously adjustable using a single, large mic gain control knob.
The front panel line switch toggles the rear panel XLR line input connectors in place of the microphone preamp’s output (after the input transformer and microphone preamp). It is possible to keep both a microphone and a line level source always connected to the PREQ2 and toggle both channels separately.
You could have one channel working as a microphone preamp channel and the other as a line level amplifier for recording a direct musical instrument (bass or guitar) at the same time.
Both mic input sections have ¼-inch TS jacks for high impedance (1 mega-ohm) instrument input with a companion ¼-inch output thru jack that simultaneously provides an isolated, buffered output – a “copy” of the instrument input signal at unity gain.
In addition to providing an unbalanced signal for running long leads out to instrument amplifiers in the studio and/or stomp pedals, for live re-amplifying the thru jack’s output signal is also active when using the XLR microphone input.
When using the instrument input TS jack, the Mäag Audio PREQ2 uses an automatic detection circuit to switch (using a relay) and route the unbalanced ¼-inch input signal to the mic input transformer.
The Mäag Audio PREQ2 has three equaliser/filters sections; the layout and control complement are identical for both channels. The equaliser design is specifically designed for both recording and/or subtle touchup tonality changes and euphonic enhancements.
On the left side of the channel is the first control for the 2nd order, 12dB/octave high pass filter. It is fully variable using a 21-detent control to sweep from 20Hz to 200Hz. it has its own hardwired, in/out bypass switch.
Next is the low frequency bell-shaped equaliser section with a boost (only) control at 6db/octave. frequencies are switched using a six position rotary switch and are: 10Hz (sub) shelf, and bell-shaped curves for 40Hz, 65Hz, 100Hz, 125Hz, and 165Hz. Up to 9dB of boost is available.
Head to Mäag Audio for more information.
