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Fredenstein Magic Pre Vintage Microphone Preamplifier  From Fredenstein

Fredenstein Professional Audio

$579.00

Retail:  $629.00

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Manufacturer's Description from Fredenstein

The MAGIC PRE microphone preamplifier's most obvious feature is the green glowing “magic eye” vintage vacuum tube for output level indication. The “Magic Eye” tube is perhaps the most attention grabbing visual feature of this preamp and something everybody notices in any rack. Besides being just fun and another way to impress clients, this visual treat complements the rich vintage character of the preamp. The “eye” closes near optimal output levels.

 

The preamp follows what may be thought of as a very traditional topology that uses both an input transformer and an output transformer. Both are high quality American made transformers. The steel-core output transformer in particular is a very important sound shaping component which helps produce a smooth vintage touch without being dark or just “mid-rangy” or mushy.

A single discrete amplifier is used for the active gain element and there are no chip based amplifiers in the signal path. To achieve an unusual high level of performance the circuit is based on our OPA2 discrete audio operational amplifier. As in all Fredenstein products, the OPA2 is not a copy of an older design, but is a completely new design manufactured in SMT technology with matched and integrated dual input transistors to guarantee vastly improved specifications compared to older designs. The OPA2, in the tradition of similar modules, is socketed and can be exchanged without tools. The industry standard pin-out makes it compatible with many other amplifier modules.

A 2 MOhms high impedance direct input is located on the front-panel, it accepts unbalanced signals, the rear microphone input is automatically disconnected when a plug is inserted in the DI connector.

The features include a maximum gain of 70 dB, a 20 dB Pad, and Phantom-Power support, plus a new feature simply labeled “Color”. The “Color” switch is intended to produce some tube-like harmonic content that, while not calling attention to itself, can bring some sounds to life and bring them forward in the mix and seem to make them sound more detailed and dimensional. While the color circuit does increase distortion, the audible effect is subtle enough that few people would ever describe the effect as “distorted”.

As all Fredenstein products, the Magic Pre is designed by a German-American team and manufactured in Taiwan.

Fredenstein Professional Audio

About Manufacturer

Think about what is sonically missing in today's audio equipment and how you could achieve better results in recording and mastering? Now, many go back to well proven classic pieces of audio gear to fight the shortcomings of digital recording. Could that be the ultimate solution? Did the improvements in technology during the last 50 years really don't apply to recording? Using technologies from vacuum tubes to Digital Signal Processors, often in the same product, Fredenstein products combine the strength of each technology and avoiding their weaknesses. In addition we strongly believe in Zero-Negative-Feedback, negative feedback is a technique to make amplifiers more linear, but at the same time making them sounding harsh. This is one of the reasons modern equipment sounds so similar. Omitting negative feedback and using an internally and externally balanced designs which are very linear by design will yield a natural sound on a different level, warm, not dull or muffled, instead with a rich silky top-end and an impulse response will simply blow you away. Don't get us wrong, we are not talking about 「esoteric designs」, we believe very strongly in a scientific engineering approach.

 

We also provide pieces of long neglected equipment like precision analog meters. Even if you are working mostly inside the 「box」, metering your analog signal before it hits your converters is still very important and a great foundation for good recording. Fredenstein's state-of-the-art audio technology will help you throughout your chain to achieve truly outstanding results.

In addition, Fredenstein believes recording engineers deserve to have a more user friendly, more convenient and efficient pieces of equipment making the studio life easier and generate a more comfortable working environment. By minimizing the number of buttons and switches without sacrificing the functionality we deploy a clean user interface allowing you to get instantaneously familiar with the products.

Fredenstein Professional Audio Products are designed for audio professional in recording and broadcast studios as well as independent engineers and producers in their own facilities.

Fredenstein is focused to make a difference in Professional Audio. You can expect superior sound and high-end built quality from each of our products

Specifications

Frequency Response : 20 Hz – 40,000 Hz, +/- 1 dB

Distortion

1kHz   : < 0.03% at +4 dBu output level

  : < 0.015% at +20 dBu output level

  : < 0.04% at +26 dBu output level (clips at +28 dBu)

50Hz   : < 0.08% at +4 dBu output level

  : < 0.08% at +20 dBu output level

10kHz : < 0.02% at +4 dBu output level

  : < 0.05% at +20 dBu output level

Input Noise : < -127 dB

Input Impedance : > 1600 Ohms

DI Impedance : > 2 MOhms

Max. Input Level : + 10 dBu, Pad activated

Max Input Level DI : + 18 dBu unbalanced

Output Impedance : 600 Ohms Max.

Output Level : + 26 dBu

Input Attenuator : - 20 dB (switchable)

Maximum Gain (XLR) : 70 dB

Minimum Gain : 35 dB

Minimum Gain 20 dB PAD engaged : 15 dB

Maximum Gain (DI) : 42 dB

Minimum Gain : 8 dB

Minimum Gain 20 dB PAD engaged : -12 dB

Current draw : +100mA, -160mA

Color Engaged Distortion : approximately 0.1% at -10 dBu output level approximately 1% at -5 dBu output level approximately 3% at 0 dBu output level approximately 4.5% at +24 dBu output level

Frequency Response : : 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz, +/- 1 dB

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