Some microphones such as ribbon microphones or transformer-less microphones have very low output. This is something that can cause quite some problems when used with standard and entry-level interfaces because they do not have enough gain to do the microphone justice. The most desirable solution to this is of course an external pre-amp with enough gain, but this is often a somewhat more expensive solution as well.
The Warm Lifter is a pure signal booster that can provide up to 26 dB of signal boost between microphone and pre-amp. So this allows us to keep using those nice ribbon and TLM microphones on our interface that normally doesn't have enough gain for that.
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26dB of pure analog gain
Warm Lifter's signal path starts with a balanced, 2.4k Ohm (impedance) JFET input that delivers 26dB of pure, clean analog gain. It is incredibly convenient to have 26dB available before switching digital, as this prevents a mixer or digital interface from having to go much beyond 40dB onboard digital gain. As the digital gain increases, the likelihood of artifacts and a thinner sound increases. The JFET input provides enough analog tone to make the microphone sound "open" without adding noise or too much color. The impedance of 2.4k ohms provides excellent frequency response for low output mics that fall into typical impedance ranges.Filtering for critical frequencies
Warm Lifter has a selectable 12dB high-pass filter and a 2.5dB high-low gain filter. The corner frequency of the 12dB high-pass filter is at 100 Hz, right in the middle of the true bass frequency range. When you turn on the filter, all frequencies below 100 Hz are cut off, which is experienced as removing "thump" from the sound. The 2.5dB high-shelf boost corner frequency is at 3 kHz, which is right in the middle of the upper midrange. This is a shelf-style boost, meaning that all frequencies above 3 kHz are boosted by a more gentle 2.5dB compared to the high-pass filter. Because this is a shelf and everything above 3k is amplified, the perceived change adds higher mid frequencies, presence and true high-end, also known as "air" or "shine." When you turn on this amplification, your sound immediately becomes brighter.Specifications:
- Inline active microphone booster
- JFET input with ultra-low noise
- Balanced (in/out) signal path
- 26 DB true analog gain
- Adjustable high pass filter of 100 Hz (12 dB) Adjustable high pass filter of 3 kHz (2.5 dB)
- Input impedance: 2.4k Ohms | Output impedance: 150 Ohms
- Max-Input: -6 DBu (388mV Rms) | Max-Output: 20 DBu (7.75V Rms)
- THD+N ratio 1kHz @ 14dBu: <-107dB (0.00047%)
- Output noise: 7.75 UV (A-weighted) with 150 Ohm input
- Frequency range: 10-200kHz +/-0.2 DB
- 48v phantom power with 4.7mA current consumption