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Call Us Toll Free888-528-9703
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Local/International (+1)919-682-5552
- Call Us! Toll Free! 888-528-9703
- Local / International (+1) 919-682-5552
Useful Arts SFP-30 Vacuum Tube Preamp From Useful Arts
Tube color and saturation packaged and sealed in a convenient desktop box of a preamp!
$1,299.00
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Rating: 4.8
Payments as low as $29/mo.
Manufacturer's Description from Useful Arts
The concept behind the SFP-30 is simple: Take the exact audio and power circuitry from the SFP-60, put a single channel into a tabletop format, and make it less than half the price of the SFP-60. Done. Everything about the SFP-30 signal path is identical to the SFP-60, except that the SFP-30 lacks the DI input. Other than that, you can now get the finest, most flexible tube preamp available -- with the legendary variable second harmonics from the SFP-60 -- in a compact package costing only $1299. A better sonic toolkit for recording simply isn't available at this price. Anywhere.
​Just like the SFP-60, the SFP-30 features separate regulated DC power supplies for tube filaments, phantom power and high voltage. The high voltage soft start power supply puts out over 270 volts of clean, regulated power to ensure maximum headroom and the lowest noise possible.
♦ Each gain stage is single-ended, inherently class A.
♦ Audio Magnetics (Input and Output Transformers, Plate Inductor) custom wound by CineMag.
♦ Output Transformer with 50% nickel core
♦ Frequency response is flat within 2dB from 20Hz-30KHz:
Each channel of the SFP-30 features 4 switches:
• High Pass Filter
• Input Pad
• Phase Reverse
• Phantom Power
Absolutely no signal passes through these switches, because we hate the noise that develops over time in even the most expensive switches. Instead, the front panel switches control sealed, gold-plated relays to ensure years of operation without pops and clicks.
The input and output levels of the triode stages of the SFP-30 are separately controllable by detented attenuators, and combined with the color control, the SFP-30 provides just over 55dB of useable gain.
The rear panel is simple: it offers a voltage selector for 115/230 volt operation in the IEC fuse block. The gold-plated XLR connectors are on the front panel.
The only active devices in the signal path are the three tube gain stages, consisting of 1 EF806 and 1 ECC82 per channel. We use new-manufacture JJ tubes for long life and easy replacement.
Each channel features an output level VU meter, which is op-amp buffered to ensure that the signal is not loaded by the meter.
The audio power supply features a toroidal dual-primary transformer and linear regulation for lowest noise.
About Manufacturer
Useful Arts was born out of an aesthetic quest for vibrant, living sound straight from the source -- not merely a technically clean sound that needs enhancement after enhancement to speak in a mix. Back in the days when the U-47 was a commonly-used "standard" microphone, there were no "standard" preamps -- studios used hand-built consoles with custom tube preamps designed to capture the personality of the recording. In the same way, our hand-built products are designed to enhance dynamics and perceived tonal richness, not simply to make a small signal electrically bigger. We invite you to hear for yourself the difference that philosophy makes.
We hand-build Class A tube gear in the United States for recording professionals and musicians. We don't build "clones" of classic gear -- our designs are created from the ground up and thoroughly optimized to achieve specific sonic goals. We use circuit topologies inspired by some of the most treasured gear made during the 40s, 50s and 60s, coupled with modern design techniques to ensure reliability, compatability and feature sets that meet the needs of the digital age. This approach requires expensive, bulky and heavy components, but as a small company we don't have to cut corners to meet the rigid cost constraints of mass-produced brands. (We don't make washing machines or cell phones, nor do we report to those who do). Our engineering mandate is to create the best-sounding equipment possible, not to figure out how to get acceptable sound at a retail price point. The result is gear that captures the sound of microphones and instruments not only with clarity, but with beauty.
There is plenty of usable gear out there that will give reliable performance with amazing specs. So who needs yet another option? People who want their recordings and live performances to sound intimate and powerful without the need for further processing. Plugins can do incredible things, but they can't create raw data that isn't there. Our devices ensure that every nuance and every transient is translated in a way that excites the ear.
That's the art of sound.
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