500 SERIES MIC PRE / EQ MODULES

500-Series compatible, application-specific microphone preamplifiers plus 500-Series Pultec-style EQ

The A-Designs Audio 500 Series comprises the four 500 series-compatible preamps, including the P-1, EM-Blue, EM-Silver, EM-Gold, and EM-Red, each specially voiced with a specific task or sound in mind. Also a highly respected member of this exclusive family is the EM-PEQ, a Pultec-style equalizer designed to bring the sonic dessert to your lunchbox. These units are not only a perfect fit for an API “lunchbox” physically, they also meet the precise power rating requirements necessary to function perfectly from the moment you plug them in.* To further guarantee that your A-Designs 500 modules work out of the box, A-Designs is one of a very few manufacturers that make their own 500-Series powered rack: the A-Designs Audio 500HR.

Custom transformers—the secret of A-Designs 500 series sound

In order to achieve the quality of sound that brings a smile to your ears, a profound understanding of electronic components and how their inherent qualities affect sound is essential. Transformers hold a singular position in circuit design due to their ability to affect timbral quality. Apart from the utilitarian task of electronic isolation for noise-free operation, the alloys used for the transformer’s winding along with the number of windings, will impart a distinct sonic quality. For example, nickel-wound transformers provide a more transparent sound with an airy high end, while steel can impart a thick “Neve-like” midrange or low-end “API growl.”

To give each preamp in the A-Designs Audio EM-Series its own unique character, each has custom-wound transformers that employ proprietary A-Designs alloys that have been ear-tested to produce just the right sound for the right application. But that doesn’t mean that the EM-Series preamps are one-trick ponies—far from it. What it does mean is that decades of collective experience between A-Designs Audio and highly respected audio professionals who beta test A-Designs products have taken guesswork out of finding the right preamp for the job. Think of each of the EM series preamps as the ruler of a specific domain in the frequency spectrum. For example, the EM-Silver rules the lower frequencies thanks to its steel-wound transformer, making it a perfect choice for bass or kick drum, while the EM-Blue’s nickel transformer provides the clarity and highs needed to bring out the “crack” on snare drums.

With various combinations of EM-Series modules you can create a lunchbox dedicated to recording drums, channel strips with Pultec-style EQ, or simply have a preamp for all seasons in one convenient location.

Let A-Designs Audio’s EM-Series 500 modules be to be your guide to a world of color and sound that will inspire both you and your recordings.