{"product_id":"empirical-labs-mike-e-channel-strip-used","title":"Empirical Labs Mike-E Channel Strip (Used)","description":"The \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold; \"\u003eEmpirical Labs Mike-E™\u003c\/span\u003e is a  modern digitally controlled Microphone Preamplifier chocked with  unusual features to warm and soften the source, along with an excellent  compressor\/limiter.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold; \"\u003eMic Preamp Section\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis  is a super low noise transformer input amplifier section, with the gain  digitally controlled. This section comes standard with a shielded  Lundahl transformer, but provides for a Jensen transformer also.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe  signal to noise far exceeds any microphone in existence, typically over  130 dB with the input shorted and 40dB of gain. Having used many mic  preamps over the years, we have implemented a unique stepped gain  control that should be impervious to the normal flakiness that age  causes to pots and detented switches. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCounting the output gain of 14 dB, a total 74 dB of gain is available to the user with the CompSat section bypassed.\u003cbr\u003eA 48 Volt Phantom power is provided for condenser mikes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold; \"\u003eExclusive CompSat™ Section\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis unique circuitry sets the Mike-E apart from all other mic preamplifiers. It has four sections:\u003cbr\u003e\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold; \"\u003eSaturator\u003c\/span\u003e –  This is a multi-stage soft clipping circuit. At lower levels, a triode  type saturation affects the signal. As the level increases, a second  unique clip circuit that includes Germanium semiconductors starts to  more severely flatten out the peaks. An LED named “BAD!” indicates  harder un-musical clipping.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold; \"\u003eCompressor\u003c\/span\u003e –  This is an uncompromising compressor\/limiter circuit that allows  detented control of attack and release for easy repeatability. You  adjust the amount of compression with the DRIVE knob, which adjusts the  level going into the compressor. In ways it is Distressor-like, but has  other differing characteristics including a much longer available attack  time, and additional circuitry. Four ratios are provided, 2:1 being the  gentlest with a long 20dB knee, good for subtle compression such as  while tracking or on the Buss. Ratios 4:1 and 8:1 are steeper but still  very smooth with long knees. Nuke is very steep (limiter like) and has a  different attack \u0026amp; release shape.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold; \"\u003eEmphasis\u003c\/span\u003e -  The Emphasis is actually two circuits that surround the compressor and  saturator, as shown in the block diagram. The Pre-emphasis boosts the  high frequencies before the compressor and saturator (CompSat), soft  clipping them sooner than normal, while a de-emphasis cuts the  frequencies complementary after the CompSat. Emphasis has the added perk  of improving signal to noise, and is the reason analog tape decks used  emphasis to begin with.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold; \"\u003eMix Control\u003c\/span\u003e -  The modern recording engineer often employs the technique of mixing  between the compressed and the dry (or uncompressed) signal. This can  often help maintain transients and a sense of dynamic range while  enhancing the low level nuances. Mike-E has a built in mix control to  submix in the uncompressed signal to the compressed signal. As the user  rotates the MIX control from full right to full left, he goes from the  full compressed signal to the full dry signal (absent of any compression  or saturation).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Empirical Labs","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44449499414631,"sku":"14484","price":1495.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/8848\/5479\/files\/used_empirical_labs_mike-e_channel_strip_front_877e2a3f-9a7c-46d6-a842-9d8d261805c6.jpg?v=1787089216","url":"https:\/\/vintageking.mom\/products\/empirical-labs-mike-e-channel-strip-used","provider":"Vintage King","version":"1.0","type":"link"}