QP5 Mic Pre
MSRP
$450.00
The Iron Age 500 series mic preamp was designed as a utility front end solution. The mic preamp is the most important part of your signal chain, and this preamp gives the detail and depth your signal deserves. You get classic transformer-coupled mic preamplification with unmatched tone and flexibility at an absolutely unbeatable price.
Each QP5 features an all-discrete, transformer balanced input and output mic pre with a flexible and powerful topology that offers up to 80 dB of gain! The QP5 uses the same preamplifier as our QPP rack mount units, packed with additional useful features.
The unit uses a Jensen input transformer and a custom-wound steel core Cinemag output transformer, selectable for 1:2 or 1:3 ratio.
The first op amp works as a preamplifier, with adjustable gain of up to 40 dB.
We took the rumble filter from our CS1 channel strip, followed by the same discrete transistor buffer we use in the CS1 and the V2 equalizer.
A second op amp is fed by a trim control, and a “high gain” switch adds 12 dB more if needed.
A bank of -20 dB pad, polarity, and 48V phantom power switches round out the feature set.
The QP5 uses our original M2 discrete operational amplifier, designed and built by us.
Block Diagram
Technical Specifications
Gain Range 28 - 80 dB
Maximum Input Level -3.5 dBu
Maximum Output Level +29 dBu
Input Impedance 1200 Ohms, transformer balanced
Output Impedance <75 Ohms, transformer balanced
Frequency Response +0.1, -0.75 dB 20Hz-20kHz
Signal to Noise Ratio 120 dB
THD @ +15 dBu output 0.002% typical
Power Consumption <120 mA
User's Manual
Controls
The GAIN knob adjusts the gain of the operational amplifier.
The OUT knob attenuates the signal before the output stage. For maximum headroom the OUT should be set fully clockwise.
The OUT HI/LO switch increases the gain provided by the output amplifier by 12 dB.
The POL button inverts the signal being set to the primary side of the output transformer, changing the polarity of the output signal by 180 degrees.
The RATIO button changes the ratio of the output transformer from 1:2 to 1:3 when depressed. This increases the overall gain by 3.5 dB and decreases the output impedance seen by the op amp, causing a pleasant change in tone.
The FILTER button engages a 50 Hz, 12 dB per octave slope high pass filter. This is followed by a discrete three-transistor buffer.
The +48 button provides phantom power to the microphone.
The PAD button engages a -20 dB pad.
I/O
The input uses a Jensen mic input transformer to receive a nominal -80 dBu balanced input via the 500 series pinout.
The output is a nominal +4 dBu transformer balanced line output using a Cinemag output transformer via the 500 series pinout.
