Phoenix Audio, a British firm that recently relocated to the United States, will debut its eight-channel mic preamp, the DRS8, at the upcoming AES Convention in San Francisco. The DRS8 is a solid-state, Class A discrete device. Each channel has its own dedicated level control, -30db pad, phantom power, phase reverse, high-pass filter and mute buttons. The unit has an eight-channel monitoring output facility, so all eight-channels can be sent directly to a monitor controller or a patch bay. The DRS8 offers users a high-quality, multichannel mic pre amp for studio, broadcast and live applications.
The DRS8 is based on the current family of Phoenix Audio mic preamps, including the DRS1 and DRS2, with the DSOP2 output stage that offers fully colored, saturated sound, with a commitment to high-quality sonic clarity while still offering a distinctive vintage tone. It includes the latest Phoenix transformerless Class A design, with an input stage that incorporates Discrete Mic Input Technology, which delivers a valve-like sound.
The Class A, discrete, balanced, transformerless microphone input stage was designed to provide quality frequency response yet has all the characteristics expected in a high-quality Class A design. The mic input gain range is -30dB to -70dB, with separate LED metering on each channel. Switch controls include phase reverse, 48V phantom power, mute, high-pass filter and mic/line select. The DRS8 is a 2RU device with a 240/110V selector and combo XLR/quarter-inch jacks for mic, line and DI inputs. Outputs include eight discrete XLRs and a 25-pin D connector.