professional mic/instrument preamp with Temporal Harmonic Alignment™

built-in dual optical servo compressor (servo controlled, peak responding)

balanced phantom-powered XLR mic input with variable impedance

variable input impedance for optimized performance with vintage mics

balanced/unbalanced instrument input

24-bit S/PDIF and AES/EBU digital output for direct digital recording

20dB gain switch with an amazing maximum system gain of 66dB

20dB passive output pad switch

low-cut switch to eliminate rumble (-12dB / octave below 80Hz)

Class A circuitry throughout

MPN: 99004076000
UPC: 612391412012

PREAMP



mic input: XLR with variable impedance loading (2400/1200/600/300 ohms)

instrument input (TRS): 200K balanced / 100K unbalanced

digital outputs: AES/EBU and S/PDIF 24-bit mono (44.1/48/88.2/96kHz)

continuously variable gain: 34dB

low-cut switch: -12dB / octave below 80Hz

system gain (balanced in/out): 12dB to 46dB (20dB gain switch off)

32dB to 66dB (20dB gain switch on)

maximum analog output at soft clip: +30dBu (balanced)

+24dBu (unbalanced)

output impedance: 600 ohms

digital clip level: +30.5dBu

Class A circuitry throughout 20Hz to 40KHz (+/- 0.25dB)

distortion: increases with level until soft-clip occurs (0.5% max)

signal-to-noise ratio: 110dB (Typical, A-weighted)

EIA noise rating: -127dBm; 600 ohms (gain set to maximum)

VU meter: registers 0 VU at +26dBu

clip indicator: lights at 4dBu below digital clip



ANALOG COMPRESSOR



compression type: dual passive optical attenuator; servo controlled, peak responding

gain reduction: 20dB minimum

threshold: continuously adjustable from –20dBu to +20dBu

compression ratio: continuously adjustable from 1.1 / 1 to 10 / 1

attack time: continuously adjustable from 1ms to 11ms

release time: continuously adjustable from 250ms to 5 sec.

headroom: 30dB (20dB gain switch on)

24dB (20dB gain switch off)

VU meter: registers 0 VU at zero gain reduction


Temporal Harmonic Alignment —the secret behind the sound
In natural sound sources such as strings, drum heads and vocal chords, harmonics share a characteristic temporal (phase) relationship to the fundamental. Our ears exhibit the same qualities. Solid state electronics induce distortion in the form of additional harmonics that are out of phase with the original source. Tube-based devices strike the ear as having such a “warm” sound because the added harmonics have the same temporal relationship as natural mechanisms (although predominantly in the midrange). This results in a sweet spot that makes vocals, guitars and other midrange-rich content sound especially pleasing. TAMPA’s revolutionary new Temporal Harmonic Alignment technology produces that same phase relationship found in both tubes and nature. And unlike tubes, TAMPA’s sweet spot spans the full spectrum of your sound.



Dual optical servo compressor
TAMPA also includes a dual optical servo compressor that is worth the price alone. Three fundamental problems plague engineers in designing compressors—distortion, noise and accuracy. The VCA technology used in inexpensive compressors exhibits less than professional specs on all three counts. Simple optical servo technology is much more quiet and accurate, yet has its own issues with distortion. The dual optical servo technology we use in TAMPA yields low noise, consistent accuracy, low distortion and exceptional transparency—and it comes built-in to a great mic preamp.