PreSonus Studio Channel Tube Microphone Preamp

More than just a mic preamp, the Studio Channel lends warm tube character to your tracks and helps shape your sound with a VCA compressor and three-band EQ.

$359.99

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    $60.00
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    $90.00

PreSonus RC 500 Microphone Preamplifier

No longer available at zZounds
Shape sound before it hits your DAW with the RC 500 pre! This sweet solid-state channel strip sports a 3:1 FET compressor and 3-band EQ based on the ADL 700.

Combining musical EQ, a professional 3:1 FET compressor, and Class-A preamplification, the PreSonus RC 500 provides a plethora of sound-shaping options to producers, recording engineers, and studio musicians. This versatile channel strip offers the same FET compressor and semi-parametric EQ circuits found in the PreSonus ADL 700 tube channel strip and complements them with a super low-distortion, high-gain, solid-state Class-A preamplifier design, for a classic sound that never goes out of style. If you want consistently excellent, transparent audio, check out the RC 500.

Hybrid Design = Versatile Channel Strip

The RC 500 is a transformer-coupled, high-gain microphone preamp with a hybrid design ideal for nearly any application. The solid-state preamp provides supremely detailed, articulate sound throughout the frequency spectrum, with tight lows and crisp highs, so anything you record through it just sounds better.

FET Compressor Design Based on the ADL 700

The RC 500's FET (Field-Effect Transistor) compressor with a fixed 3:1 compression ratio includes fully variable attack, release, and threshold controls, plus bypass controls and a "soft knee" compression curve. Accurate and responsive, this compressor design gives you a transparent way to manage dynamics and improve the quality of your audio.

A Most Musical EQ

Featuring three-band semi-parametric EQ designed by Robert Creel to match the preamp and compressor, the RC 500's equalizer section combines isolated read more filters and optimized, per-band resonance (Q) for subtle sound-shaping without harsh artifacts. Again, the RC 500 sports the same EQ circuitry as the four-band semi-parametric EQ in PreSonus's acclaimed ADL 700, at a fraction of the price.

All three EQ bands boast Gain (+/-16 dB) and Frequency controls and fixed Q (0.5), while the mid and high bands feature overlapping frequency ranges. You can switch the low and high bands are between shelving and peak, and you can hard bypass the EQ if need be.

Fully Stocked Mic Pre

Wait, there's more -- this mic preamp wouldn't be complete without phantom power, would it? The RC 500 packs +48V phantom power, along with polarity inversion, a -20 dB pad, and a -12 dB/octave high-pass filter with a frequency threshold set at 80 Hz. This filter works well as an alternative to the equalizer when you want to remove unwanted low frequencies -- like room rumble -- from your source signal.

Monitor your output and gain-reduction levels at a glance with the unit's large, backlit, dual-mode analog VU meters, and adjust the RC 500's overall output with a master level control.

Rear-panel XLR mic and line inputs and a front-panel 1/4-inch instrument input accept a variety of sound sources, which you have complete control over with the Input Select switch. In addition, the RC 500 has balanced outputs on XLR and 1/4-inch TRS connectors, along with a balanced analog insert to patch in your choice of processor.

Features:

- Transformer-coupled, high-gain microphone preamp with a Class-A hybrid design
- FET-based compressor using hybrid detection methods, with switching relays for hard bypass, fully variable attack (0.5 to 10 ms), release (30 to 500 ms), and threshold (-25 to +20 dBu), and a fixed ratio (3:1)
- 3-Band semi-parametric equalizer with switching relays for hard bypass
- +48V Phantom power, 80 Hz high-pass filter, and -20 dB pad
- Front-panel instrument and rear-panel microphone and line inputs with Input Select switch
- VU meter with selectable output level/gain reduction display
- Analog insert with balanced send and return
- High-grade film capacitors, 1% tolerance resistors, and low-distortion op amps
- Internal toroidal power supply with IEC connector
- Steel chassis
- Master output control
- Balanced output on XLR
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- Input Impedance:
-- Microphone: 1500 OHM
-- Line: 1 k OHM
- Instrument: 1 M OHM
- Maximum Input Level
-- Microphone (-20 dB Pad out) : 0 dBu
-- Microphone (-20 dB Pad in) : +20 dBu
-- Balanced Line: +18 dBu
-- Instrument: 0 dBu+
- Gain Range:
-- Microphone (-20 dB Pad out) : +20 dB to +70 dB
-- Line: -20 dB to +15 dB
-- Instrument: +5 dB to +50 dB
- Performance:
-- Noise Floor: (all inputs, minimum gain) -102 dBu (A-weighted)
-- Microphone Equivalent Input Noise: (EIN; 20 Hz - 20 kHz) -125 dBu (A-weighted)
-- Frequency Response : 10 Hz to 25 kHz,

For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Phone: 225-216-7887
Web: https://support.presonus.com

PreSonus RC 500 Microphone Preamplifier

The PreSonus RC 500 combines the custom-designed FET compressor and semi-parametric EQ circuits found in PreSonus' highly lauded ADL 700 tube channel strip with an ultra-low-distortion, high-gain, solid-state Class A preamplifier design that delivers consistent, repeatable, transparent, detailed audio. A balanced analog insert allows you to add external processors. The result is a top-of-the-line yet very affordable channel strip for professional recording engineers and recording musicians, with a sound that is reminiscent of classic, vintage solid-state preamps.

Features:

- Transformer-coupled, high gain microphone preamp with a Class A hybrid design
- FET-based compressor using hybrid detection methods, with switching relays for hard bypass, fully variable attack (0.5 to 10 ms), release (30 to 500 ms), and threshold (-25 to +20 dBu) and a fixed ratio (3:1).
- 3-band semi-parametric equalizer with switching relays for hard bypass
- +48V phantom power, 80 Hz high-pass filter, and -20 dB pad
- Front-panel instrument and rear-panel microphone and line inputs with Input Select switch
- VU meter with selectable output level/gain reduction display
- Analog insert with balanced send and return
- High grade components: film capacitors, 1% tolerance resistors, and very low-distortion op amps
- Internal toroidal power supply with IEC connector
- Steel chassis
- Master output control
- Balanced output on XLR

The Compressor: Fun with FETs

The RC 500's FET (Field-Effect Transistor) compressor includes fully variable attack, release, and threshold controls, as well as bypass controls. The compression ratio is fixed at 3:1. This combination provides lots of flexibility without giving you enough rope to hang yourself!

User tip: The input-gain stage can be driven harder with a lower threshold to emulate higher compression ratios. You can make the RC 500 compressor pump if you want to. The compressor has a "soft knee" compression curve and can be hard-bypassed.

As noted earlier, this compressor design is also found in the ADL 700 and has drawn rave reviews. For example, Hugh Rabjohn (Sound on Sound, August 2013) remarked, "The compressor is accurate and responsive, and very good for managing the normal dynamic excursions of most vocal performers, subtly but firmly."

FET-based compressors such as the one in the RC 500 use transistors to emulate a triode tube's operation and sound. This type of compressor generally provides a faster attack time and better repeatability than the optical compressors that are more commonly found in channel strips in this price class.

A Smooth, Refined, Musical EQ

The RC 500's 3-band semi-parametric EQ was designed by Robert Creel to match the preamp and compressor. It combines isolated filters and optimized, per-band Q to provide subtle signal-shaping without harsh artifacts.

This EQ employs the same circuitry as the 4-band semi-parametric EQ in the ADL 700, which has received rave reviews: "The EQ was designed with musicality in mind," comments Chris Grainger (Mix, January 2013). Resolution magazine's George Shilling (March 2013 issue) found that, "The EQ is smooth and refined.... [It] is more than powerful enough for general use but is pretty forgiving, and the low end can be huge (without wooliness) in Peak mode."

All three bands have Gain (+/-16 dB) and Frequency controls and fixed Q (0.5), and the mid and high bands have overlapping frequency ranges. The low and high bands are switchable between shelving and peak. The EQ can also be hard-bypassed.

Yes, of Course It Has That!

Of course, you get +48V phantom power, polarity inversion, and a -20 dB pad. And there's more! The RC 500 provides a -12 dB/octave highpass filter with a frequency threshold set at 80 Hz. Use this filter, instead of the equalizer, to remove unwanted low frequencies from your source signal. For example, the 80 Hz filter can be used to reduce the "boominess" or "muddiness" of a vocal and to improve the overall clarity of the signal.

A large, backlit, dual-mode analog VU metering enables monitoring of output and gain-reduction levels. A master level control adjusts the overall output from -80 to +10 dB.

It's easy to make connections with the RC 500, too. Rear-panel XLR mic and line inputs and a front-panel 1/4" instrument input accept a variety of sound sources, managed by a handy Input Select switch. You get balanced outputs on XLR and 1/4" TRS connectors as well as a balanced analog insert to patch in your favorite boutique processor to get a different sonic flavor.

Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. (2 ratings)
Submitted October 16, 2014 by James Walton in Raleigh, NC

"This Unit is Accurate and Clear"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
The best part about this unit IMO is that it has a way to focus on what you are hearing depending on how you tweak the settings. For example, when I have an airy or breathy artist, I like to throw a little low end on their vocal. This pream's EQ allows accurate focus before or after the compressor and vise versa (like most preams on the market with this feature) but with specific detal and knob range that is very sensitive. what you tweak is what you hear and the knobs feel really good. No noise at all.
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