A Designs Ventura SE  From A Designs

The New Ventura SE allows the user to route and/or patch effects into the signal path in variety of ways. Use it simply or - patch in external devices as desired or - use each section individually while maintaining very high audio fidelity. 

Microphone Preamplifier

The microphone preamp is a balanced single-stage discrete opamp, transformer coupled design. It includes switches for: phase reverse, -20 dB pad, +48V phantom power with LED indicator and a gain control knob.

With the "Source Switch" set to Mic – the signal is fed to both the input of the EQ section/main output and the transformer output mult simultaneously. This gives two separate outputs at one time and is useful in feeding signal to FOH and/or external FX, power amps, etc.

Running at normal levels – a very clear and transparent signal with all the detail, air and extended bass you’d expect from a very high quality discrete analog design. Push it a little harder and the output transformers will saturate giving a more colored character while still retaining clarity.

Three Band Parametric EQ

The Ventura SE features a 3-band modified Quad Eight style Parametric Equalizer featuring 33 frequencies. There are three bands of overlapping ranges from 50Hz to 15 KHz. Both the frequency selection and the boost/cut controls are stepped for precise recallable settings. Each band has its own Q switch with three fixed positions of Sharp, Wide and Narrow. The low and high bands are a peak/dip type with switches to change their characteristic to a shelf type. The shelving switches disable the Q feature on high and low bands only.

EQ Input - Insert Return Jack - provides a direct balanced input to the EQ. This bypasses both the mic-preamp and instrument preamp and allows for independent access to the EQ making the Ventura very flexible.

Instrument Input Preamplifier

 No need for a Direct Box/DI. This is a high-impedance unbalanced preamplifier designed for guitar/bass pickups and keyboards such as vintage synthesizers. Independent from the mic-pre, the instrument preamplifier section uses a single-stage discrete opamp.  It includes a front-panel 1/4″ TS Switchcraft input jack with a gain pot and on the back panel a Hi/Low gain switch. Also featured is the addition of a separate unbalanced instrument direct output jack that breaks the signal feed to the Output Mult and EQ sections. This allows the Instrument section to be truly independent. The Source Switch has no effect when using this output jack.

With the “Source Switch “set to Instrument - this also feeds both the input to the EQ section/main output and the transformer output mult simultaneously giving two separate outputs at one time. This is very useful in feeding FOH and/or external FX, power amps, etc.

High and Low Pass filters- The high and low pass filters are a fixed second order 12dB per octave type with the knees at 9 kHz and 150 Hz. Both filter switches work whether the EQ switch is in or out and are post the EQ which affects the Main/EQ Output only.

Direct Out Mult- The Output Mult gives you a 600 ohm, +4dbm transformer balanced output that does not disturb the signal being feed to the EQ section. This allows the Instrument or Microphone signal to be sent to two different places at once. Send a pre-EQ signal to FOH or an effect, i.e. compressor, delay, power amp, digital I/O etc and also through the EQ to the Main Output simultaneously.

Insert Return/EQ Input - allows for the use of external Compressors and/or Effects to be directly added back into the signal path through the EQ to the main output. 

In the studio or on the stage, the Ventura SE is of a “no frills, no compromise” audio philosophy for pure sonic capture and reproduction.

Designed by Carl Johnson.