Mic Pre One

 

“I’ve been using the Daking Mic Pre One in conjunction with my Fender Showman (pre-CBS blonde tweed) amp and bottom with one fifteen inch speaker, while playing my 1966 Fender Precision Bass with a 1968 Fender Telecaster neck. I find the combination to be unbeatable for playing. To record, I use the Daking as a direct box, as well as micing the speaker. It makes the sound smoother and punchier without diffusing the great, warm tube sound of the old amp and bass.” — Billy Talbot

The Mic-Pre One is a single channel mic preamp that we originally designed with the home recordist who only needs one input in mind. Because of it’s high performance and robust mechanical design, it has also become first choice of many professionals when doing small remotes. They just throw two or three in a suitcase and off they go!

The Mic-Pre One’s great performance comes from our existing popular Daking designs, the Mic Pre EQ MKll, Mic Pre II, Mic Pre IV MKII, and console modules. All of these preamps use the same unique preamp circuit which features a Jensen input transformer and a Class “A” discrete transistor preamp with a single sided power supply.

The Mic-Pre One has a freestanding ‘DI-style’ aluminum enclosure, ensuring both strength and noise immunity.

 

It also features:

  • 70db of gain
  • +24dB of headroom
  • Jensen input transformer
  • Variable high-pass filter
  • 20 segment tri color meter with VU and peak indications
  • Switchable Polarity
  • 20db pad with constant reflected impedance
  • Switchable Phantom Power
  • Direct 1/4″ instrument input on the front panel.
  • Electronically balanced XLR Output
  • Electronically balanced 1/4″ TRS output which can be used with unbalanced devices with no deterioration of signal.

 

In addition, because the home recordist faces challenges that the professional studio owner does not, the Mic-Pre One features a powerful continuously variable high-pass filter with a range of 10-200Hz @ 12db per octave

Big studios have big monitors, good isolation and quiet air conditioning. Also, if you are recording to tape at 30ips, you cannot record below 40Hz.

Small studios usually have small monitors that don’t reproduce very low frequencies well, have little or no isolation and poor ventilation. Modern digital recorders will easily record 10Hz. Because of this, many home recordings are filled with low frequency rubbish that clouds, clutters and takes up space in the mix.

The High Pass Filter in the Mic-Pre One is a powerful tool. The Filter allows the recordist to eliminate unwanted low frequency trash before it enters the signal chain without affecting the program material. This can be a giant step toward making the home record more professional.

Noted Brad Lunde, president of TransAudio Group, “This Mic Pre One is the very definition of value – a Daking-designed high-end mic pre for those who only need one channel. It’s ideal for pros on tour and studios that seek to locate the mic pre in the vocal booth for short cable runs. Small project studios on a limited budget, can now use the same high-end sounding gear as the pros.”

 

 

Geoff Daking on the Mic Pre One (You Tube)
Review (Tape Op)

Manual (pdf)

Cut Sheet (pdf)
Recall Sheet (Courtesy Adam Scartozzi)

Transformer balanced input
THAT Corporation differential amp output
Discrete transistor circuitry
Class "A" amplifiers for the preamp and High Pass Filter
Single sided amplification
Continuously Variable Gain Control
20 Segment vu Meter (-20 to +25)
+23dB Peak indicator
Floating Peak indicator
All relay switching w/gold bi-furcated contacts
Switched +48 Volt Phantom power
20dB pad on mic input
All metal construction for noise immunity
Aluminum knobs
Power supply included
70dB gain