We named this channel strip the Studio Channel, and indeed it’s a wonderful studio tool. But it’s great for live performance, too. Featuring tube preamplification, a VCA-based compressor, and three-band EQ, it delivers a huge variety of timbres. Produce luscious, in-your-face vocals, dynamic acoustic piano, and fat, solid bass guitar, not to mention crystal-clear acoustic guitars and cracking snare. Yes, we got the name wrong; we should have called it the Anywhere Channel. But we got the design right. The Studio Channel’s Class A preamplifier starts with a high-output 12AX7 tube that operates on voltages double that of other preamplifiers in its class. The result is lots of headroom and big tone. Gain and Tube Drive controls enable a wide range of sounds, from transparent and clear to edgy and overdriven. A -20 dB pad, 80 Hz highpass filter, and polarity reverse let you tweak your signals to sit properly in the mix. Our VCA-based compressor is known for musicality and fast attack, with the ability to tame the fastest transients. From slap bass, to snare drum, to vocals, the Studio Channel’s compressor allows you to record blazing-hot signals with accurate dynamics control. In addition to ratio, threshold, attack, release and gain controls, it offers a convenient Auto Attack/Release feature with preset attack and release curves. The backlit VU meter can display gain reduction or output gain. The three-band equalizer in the Studio Channel is a precision tool, with the ability to carve out unwanted frequencies as well as tailor your tone to enhance your sound. The EQ can be pre- or post-compressor, and you can bypass each stage independently. Custom-designed amplifiers deliver sweet-sounding gain and cut for smooth highs; deep, solid lows; and clear midrange. The midrange band is fully parametric, with variable Q, while the high- and low-frequency bands are semi-parametric, with Frequency and Gain controls but fixed Q, and can be either shelving or peak bands. Features: 1 channel with Class A 12AX7 vacuum-tube mic/instrument preamplifier Gain control with +10 dB to +54 dB gain range Tube Drive control 48V phantom power switch 80 Hz high-pass filter -20 dB pad Polarity-reverse switch Fully Variable VCA compressor Attack, Release, Ratio, Threshold, and (makeup) Gain Auto Attack/Release switch Soft/Hard Knee switch Bypass switch 3-band parametric equalizer Gain, Frequency, and Q controls (mid band) Gain and Frequency controls (low and high bands) Shelving/peak switches (low and high bands) Switchable pre-/post-compressor Bypass switch Master level control Backlit VU meter Gain Reduction to Meter switch (selects gain reduction or output gain) Input/Output 1 unbalanced ¼” instrument input (front panel) 1 balanced ¼” line input 1 balanced XLR mic input 1 balanced ¼” line output 1 balanced XLR line output Physical 1U 19” rack-mountable, rugged steel chassis Sealed, detented, metal rotary controls External 16 VAC power supply Specifications: General: Channels: 1 Dynamic Range: >115 dB Frequency Response: 10 Hz to 50 kHz Internal Operating Level: 0 dBu = 0 dB Microphone Preamp: Gain: -6 dB to +66 dB (± 10 dB trim on line input) Noise Floor: -96 dBu EIN: -126 dB THD + Noise (0% Tube Drive): < 0.050% THD + Noise (100% Tube Drive): < 0.10% Microphone Input Connector: XLR Microphone Input Impedance: 1.3 kΩ Instrument Input Connector: ¼” TS Instrument Input Impedance: 1 MΩ Line Input Connector: ¼” TRS Line Input Impedance: 10 kΩ Phantom Power (switchable): +48V Pad (switchable): 0 dB / -20 dB Phase (switchable): 0°, 180° High-pass filter (switchable): -3 dB at 80 Hz Compressor: Threshold (variable): -40 dBu to +-2 dBu Ratio (variable): 1-10 (1:1 to 10:1) Attack (variable): 0.1 to 200 ms Release (variable): 0.05 ms to 3S Gain Makeup: -10 dB to +10 dB Metering: Analog VU (Gain Reduction / Output) Equalizer: LF Band Controls: Frequency: Variable from 40 Hz to 500 kHz Gain: Variable between ±10 dB Q: 0.7 (on Peak setting) Equalizer: MF Band Controls: Frequency: Variable from 200 Hz to 3 kHz Gain: Variable from -10 dB to +10 dB Q: Variable from 0.7 to 2.5 Equalizer: HF Band Controls: Frequency: Variable from 2 kHz to 20 kHz Gain: Variable between ±10 dB Q: 0.7 (on Peak setting) Master: Output Fader: -80 dB to +10 dB Output Connectors: XLR Balanced and ¼” TRS Balanced/Unbalanced Output Impedance: 51Ω Metering (Output level): Analog VU (-20 dBu to +6 dBu) Metering (Gain Reduction): Analog VU -20 dB to 0 dB Output Headroom: +22 dBu Power Supply: Type: Linear Input: 16 VAC / 1000 mA Power Requirements (Continuous): 16W Transformer: External (country specific) Physical: Dimensions: 1U rackmount Height: 1.75” (44.45 mm) Depth: 5.5” (139.7 mm) Width: 19” (482.6 mm) Weight: 5 lbs. (2.27 kg)
