Focusrite VoiceMaster Pro Platinum Microphone preamp, compressor

Focusrite VoiceMaster Pro Platinum Microphone preamp, compressor.

Condition

Fully functional

Only light cosmetic wear visible

All lights are functional

Includes unit and mains lead only

Description

1: Class-A Preamp. This handles mic, line or instrument signals and offers variable gain, variable low-cut filter (30-400Hz) and switchable phase inversion. Phantom power is available, and the instrument input takes priority over the mic input when connected. There's up to 60dB of gain, and a six-section LED meter, calibrated for digital full scale, shows the input signal level, as well as providing a clip warning.

2: Optical Expander. This works like a soft noise gate, attenuating signals that fall below the threshold. It includes a six-section gain-reduction meter and controls for threshold and release time.

3: Vintage Harmonics. This section uses selective 2:1 compression below a user-defined threshold for both the mid-range and high frequencies. You can use this to add density and sparkle to a sound, rather like playing a Dolby A tape back with the Dolby switch turned off. Because the thresholds in the two frequency bands are variable, you can be as subtle (or otherwise) as you like, and the circuitry is designed so that no gain loss is suffered due to the use of compression — below-threshold signals are lifted rather than above-threshold signals being attenuated. Used with the Depth switch engaged, the degree of enhancement is more pronounced, and the effect may be switched before or after the compressor. Two meters show the gain boost in the two separate bands, and a bypass button is provided.

4: Optical Compressor. Unlike vintage optical compressor designs, this one has a very fast response time, but still appears to retain some of the control law non-linearities that make optical compressors sound musical. The control system has been simplified so that there are rotary controls only for threshold, release time and make-up gain. The compressor may be sited before or after the EQ and features two ratio settings and two attack time settings, both accessed by switches.

5: Tube Sound. This simulation of valve overdrive features variable drive and an indicator LED which shows how much drive is being applied to the harmonic generation circuitry. The Tone control allows the added harmonics to be progressively confined, down to 4.5kHz, when a warmer, smoother tonality is required.

6: Voice-optimised EQ: this is a four-section equaliser with two unorthodox mid-range controls. The Breath control affects the very high frequencies that create the sense of 'air' around a sound, while Warmth deals with the low range of the voice, rather than the traditional bass register. The Mid control is designed to address the part of the vocal spectrum associated with clarity, while Absence allows harshness in the 3.9kHz range to be notched out.

7: De-esser. A process for singers who suffer from overly emphasised 'S' and 'T' sounds. This version notches out only the offending frequencies and so has fewer side-effects than one that affects a wide band of frequencies. The only controls are for cut frequency and threshold. The Listen button monitors the de-esser side-chain, making it easy to use the Frequency control to home in on the problem sibilance.

8: Zero-latency Monitoring. These facilities allow the performer to hear the 'live' signal from the Voicemaster Pro mixed with the soundcard monitor out and with an optional vocal effect, such as reverb. This avoids the distraction of listening to your voice in the headphones delayed by the computer's latency.

9: Output Section. A large level meter reads peak levels and shows digital full scale at its maximum point. When working with +4dBu analogue equipment, 0dBFS corresponds to around +22dBu, as this is the highest level most serious audio interfaces and soundcards expect to see. A master bypass switch defeats all the processing sections, and an ADC Lock LED shows when the internal A-D converter is locking to an external word clock source.