Description
The Empirical Labs EL-9 Mike-e is a modern digitally controlled Microphone Preamplifier chocked with unusual features to warm and soften the source, along with an excellent compressor/limiter.
Mike-E offers an incredible performance transformer-coupled mic preamp, whose noise floor is far below any microphone’s self noise.
The one-of-a-kind ‘CompSat’ section is an uncompromising compressor and saturator circuit that offers versatile ‘coloring’, and classic knee compression.
The CompSat’s unique circuitry sets the Mike-E apart from all other mic preamps:
- SATURATOR – a multi stage soft-clipping circuit. At lower levels, a triode-type saturation affects the signal. As the level increases, a second unique clip circuit starts to more severely flatten out the peaks.
- COMPRESSOR – based on ELI’s world famous Distressor, but with other characteristics (including a much longer attack time). Preset ratios include: 2:1, 4:1, 8:1…and, of course, Nuke.
- EMPHASIS – a two-stage circuit that boosts and soft clips high frequencies before the CompSat™ circuit, and then cuts the frequencies after it. Emphasis has the added perk of improving signal to noise, and is the reason analog tape decks used emphasis to begin with.
Empirical Labs EL-9 Mike-e Features:
- Freq. Response is 3 Hz to 200 kHz on (No CompSat). CompSat is 3Hz – 150Khz. Optional Transformer output is 6Hz–80kHz.
- Signal to Noise – 130 dB signal to Noise.at 40dB gain. Maximum output is +28dBu.
- Distortion Ranges between .0006% and 15% depending on mode and settings.
- Transformer coupled Input, Active and Transformer Outputs available. High quality audio caps used internally.
- Input Impedance is above 600 Ohms at all frequencies, transformer coupled. Output impedance is less than 38 ohms. Instrument In Impedance is 332K Ohms.
- Attack/Decay Ranges – .9 – 70mS attack. .15 – 1 Sec.
- Power Consumption – 15 Watts Max.
- Manual here
