OWNERS MANUAL MP
Contents
1. A Designs Audio LLC LEGAL NOTICE Fill out and Return Warranty Card to A Designs Warranty begins the day of purchase Your name will be placed on our mailing list unless otherwise reguested for future updates and new product announcements A Designs reserves the right to make improvements or changes at any time to this product Published by A Designs Audio Box 4255 West Hills CA 91304 U S A Edition 1 0 2004 Copyright 2004 A Designs Audio All Rights Reserved WARNING Removing Cover Will Void Your Warranty 1 Year Limited Warranty Internal Parts 30 Day Limited Warranty Labor 30 Day Limited Warranty Tubes A Designs warrants that our hardware conforms substantially to the specifications contained in this manual when used in accordance these specifications for a period of 1 year from the date of original purchase from A Designs or its authorized dealers In case of a valid warranty claim your sole and exclusive remedy and A Designs entire liability under any theory of liability will be at its option to repair or replace the product without charge or if not possible to refund the purchase price to you The warranty is not transferable and applies only to the original purchaser of the product For warranty service contact A Designs Audio at 818 716 4153 to obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization RMA number After obtaining the RMA number ship defective product to A Designs Audio P O Box 4255 West Hills CA 913042. Write RMA number on outside of shipping box Be sure to include your name address phone number copy of original sales invoice and detailed description of the problem A Designs Audio will not accept responsibility for loss or damage in shipping Warranty is void if product serial numbers have been removed or if the product has been damaged by abuse or unauthorized modification and repair There are no user serviceable parts inside THIS WARRANTY ISIN LIEU OF ALL WARRANTIES WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED A DESIGNS AUDIO MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTY EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY UNLESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NONINFRINGEMENT PURCHASERS SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY UNDER THIS WARRANTY SHALL BE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT AS SPECIFIED HEREIN IN NO EVENT WILL A DESIGNS AUDIO BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT INDIRECT SPECIAL INCREMENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM ANY DEFECT IN THE PRODUCT INCLUDING LOST PROFITS DAMAGE TO PROPERTY AND TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW DAMAGE FOR PERSONAL INJURY EVEN IF DESIGNS AUDIO HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITIES OF SUCH DAMAGES A Designs A Designs Audio MP 1A and MP 2A are trademarks of A Designs All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners A Designs Audio 6 Owners Manual MP A Series Edition 5 0 6 January 2005 INTRODUCTION Welcome to the Analog Sound of the MP Series This is an
3. shock mount any tube product A Designs has scoured the earth for the perfect combination of tubes for this unique quality sound Go ahead get started Read the following pages carefully to become acquainted with the warmth and clarity that the MP A Series can deliver to your recordings Please feel free to email A Designs via the website with any creative applications for the use of the MP A Series We have included some applications in this manual We may just include your suggestion on our website Congratulations on the purchase of your MP A Series all tube microphone preamplifier Most of all have fun Peter Montessi President A Designs Audio LLC A Designs Audio 6 Owners Manual MP A Series 6 Edition 5 0 6 January 2005 CONTENTS Legal Notice sa ed mates tuk alea Page 1 AHOAHEHOA Sd ta Page 2 Features 4481 tess kesk epee eS hemes Page 4 SPSGIMGAUONS EOD Page 5 FUNCIONS vae dam Omal eat Page 6 Applications setteis hs sue etum vao P3 ds okkad ches Page 11 A Designs Audio 6 Owners Manual MP A Series Edition 5 0 6 January 2005 FEATURES FEATURES FOR STEREO FOR MONO SUBTRACT 1 Vacuum tube design Two 2 Level Volume Controls Two 2 Polarity Switches Two 2 Tone Switches Two 2 Phantom Switch Two 2 Backlit True VU Meters Red Jewel Lamp On Off Two 2 Neutrik Combo XLR 1 4 Input Connectors Two 2 XLR Output Connectors Zero Feedback Loop Two 2 U Rack Space Two 2 CineMag Inp
4. 48 T 18 Ost 9 A uM Tube Microphone Preamplifier POLARITY PAD PHANTOM TONE POLARITY PAD PHANTOM TONE Channel 1 amp 2 VU Meters Meters provide general indication of level They are set to 4dB Level control knobs are just that They will control the level pad of the incoming signals Polarity O to 180 Tone Switch 72 and 3 4 This switch will allow you to set your outputs to your configuration Phantom On Off The Phantom Switch is there to give you the option of using various kinds of Microphones If you are using a Condenser Microphone please make sure you have the Phantom Switch in the on position If you turn the Phantom Power Switch off while the Mic is still plugged in there will be a 5 second delay before it is completely off Heat Vents Allow the flow and circulation of air to cool the tubes and transformers Power Switch Large size for easy operation up and down on off Power Light Indicator Red Jewel light indicator When power is on the light will illuminate A Designs Audio 6 Owners Manual MP A Series 6 Edition 5 0 6 January 2005 FUNCTIONS Heat Vents Allow the flow and circulation of air to cool the tubes and transformers XLR outputs Balanced XLR inputs Balanced A Designs Audio Owners Manual MP A Series Edition 3 0 January 2005 FUNCTIONS Air Vents Warning Te the of Aro ot CAUTION tuna C6 CLC Tee
5. OUR 1 Fusa 1 Arpi 4207 w Gi Fuse 1 2 Amp 20V wWw 8desionsaudio com EJ Fuso 1 Ara 100V MADE IN THE BY A DESIGNS AUDIO AC PI Fuse A ug use Amperage Box AC Plug For electrical outlet caution please check to see what Voltage your MP Series is set to If the Voltage Box is not marked according to your country s code please notify A Designs before powering up eFuse Amperage These are placed on the MP Series to indicate which voltage your unit is set up for USA Voltage should be set to 120v For export to countries with 220v the correct box should be marked at the back of the unit If not marked or marked incorrectly please notify A Designs before you turn your unit on eFuse Box This box acts as a fuse container draw The Fuse draw will slide in and out for easy access to change your fuse as necessary A Designs Audio 6 Owners Manual MP A Series Edition 3 0 6 January 2005 FUNCTIONS XLR Input Channel 1 Caution XLR Output Channel 1 INPUT CH 2 OUTPUT CH 1 INPUT CH 1 SERIAL NO Caution XLR Output Serial Number Caution Sign is a Channel 2 XLR Input Channel 2 warning that extreme heat will create damage to the Tubes Please make sure you have proper spacing in the Rack We recommend 1x spacing if used in a Rack mount Or you can place the MP Series on the top tier of your Rack Not allowing proper air flow voids the factory warranty XLR Outputs The XLR output is balan
6. OWNERS MANUAL MP A SERIES CHANNELA E MONO Handcrafted Tube Microphone Preamplifier CHANNELA y CHANNELB se en LEVEL TU A iy hap 7 gt N 9 D e Handcrafted i 18 2088 48V gt Stereo Tube Microphone Preamplifier A Designs A Designs Audio LLC Quality without Compromise Box 4255 West Hills CA 91304 USA 818 716 4153 www adesignsaudio com WARNING Before you start your new MP A Series True Tube Microphone preamp please read the following ANY real tube product is sensitive to a high SPL environment This may cause microphonics in a recording situation Make sure you are able to shock mount and or place the unit in isolation if need be Direct light will also effect tubes as well PLEASE be sure to have at least one rack space between any tube products from the product above and below the unit This will ensure your tube unit will not over heat Over heating will cause damage to the tubes and Shorten their life span If possible place the MP A Series unit in the top rack space to allow air flow If you have received your unit via UPS Fed Ex DHL or any other courier your MP A should have been double boxed for protection If it was not double boxed please contact your dealer and return the unit to them for a replacement We demand ALL our units to be double boxed to help prevent damages during Shipping Thank you Peter Montessi President
7. all tube product and there are some basics you should come to understand before using this product for the first time Tubes are a component that have specialized and unigue features If you are a pre or baby boomer born before 1957 you may recall using tubes in various products such as radios amplifiers and televisions So this is just to refresh your memory If you are a post baby boomer this could be your first experience with tubes so please pay close attention You will be tested at the end of this manual Tubes are most efficient and effective when warmed up This means upon starting the MP A Series you should allow the tubes to become fully heated before attempting to operate The minimum amount of warm up time is approximately 15 to 20 minutes Set up your instrumentation layout before powering up the MP A Series Plug in your instrument or microphone while the unit is off This will prevent unwanted noise such as pops The same applies when you shut down Allow a minimum of 25 seconds for the power to drain from the tubes properly Then you can unplug your instrument or microphone Always turn your Phantom switch to the off position before plugging or un plugging your Microphone Placing the MP A Series in a rack we recommend using the first tier or allow one x space in order to properly ventilate Avoid overheating Too much heat will reduce the life span of your tubes We also recommend strongly that you observe SPL and
8. ced out and you have the option to change the output ohms from the face of the MP Series 600 ohms 10k by using the OUTPUT Switch located on the front panel of the MP Series XLR s are clearly marked indicating which Channel is being used XLR Inputs The XLR input is used for Microphones You can use the inputs for other instruments If you are using a condenser Microphone please make sure your Phantom Power is in the on position The Phantom Power switch is located on the front panel See Illustration 1 XLR s are clearly marked indicating which Channel is being used Serial Number If this serial number is removed or tampered with your warranty will be void A Designs Audio 6 Owners Manual MP A Series Edition 3 0 6 January 2005 FUNCTIONS RUTHER Ht P 2A Handcrafted Stereo Tube Microphone Preamplifier The MP Series has a 2U rack space which fits nicely into any Studio Rack and will compliment your array UNIT SIZE Width Standard 19 inches for easy Rack Mount installation Height Standard 3 50 inches or 2U Rack Space Depth 10 inches Weight 18 Ibs 8 16 kg A Designs Audio 6 Owners Manual MP A Series Edition 3 0 6 January 2005 FUNCTIONS ALWAYS USE GOOD COMMON SENSE WHEN OPERATING ANY ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT YOUR DEALER OR THE MANUFACTURER APPLICATIONS A good guality microphone preamp will add a full warm sound to any type of recording or live performa
9. nce Generally we begin by setting our input signal to unity then concentrate on other devices such as compressors or effects for modifying the sound But this does not always have to be the case You will notice this unit is not cluttered with bells and whistles Less is more The MP Series was designed for simplicity This has not restricted the sound but enhanced it This unit was designed to free your imagination to create music with unencumbered tonal gualities Mic pre settings as a rule begin with gain structure unity or Odb Although this seems a great place to start this may not always have the best application for your particular project Try what we call driving the tubes on the MP Series instead of introducing effects into a chain Simply stated try sending the input signal well into the red Many producers and engineers use this technique for bass guitars in rock pop songs and more recently vocals in chorus Another technique audio engineers use when recording an instrument in stereo is to run one side in phase and the other side out of phase This trick tends to deceive the stereo image and also defuses bass boom by canceling out frequencies It may sound unusual but surprisingly there are large numbers of published Audio CD s where this technique has been employed to improve the overall sound Apart from creating special effects the MP Series can be used to fix problematic recordings An example of this wo
10. uld be a drum track that has gone out of phase A Designs Audio 6 Owners Manual MP A Series 6 Edition 5 0 6 January 2005 APPLICATIONS Try the following 1 Send the individual tracks to the MP Series 2 Change the phase switch on one ofthe tracks 3 Compare this with the bass response You will then be able to determine which tracks are in phase and out of phase This allows you to hear how much ofthe sound you are missing Above all it is important to experiment Do not to leave the controls set in stone Most professional audio engineers and producers modify the mic pre controls first before moving on to a secondary unit Note If you have a trick or tip that you would like to share with us contact A Designs through our website or mail us at Attention Applications P O Box 4255 West Hills CA 91304 We will publish it on our website with your name if you choose A Designs Audio 6 Owners Manual MP A Series 6 Edition 5 0 6 January 2005
11. ut Transformers Two 2 Custom Wound Output Transformers Two 2 6 Tubes Two 2 EF86 Tubes Clean and airy high end Warmth transparency and quality sound In line with our company policy of continuous development the above features are subject to change without notice A Designs Audio Owners Manual MP A Series Edition 3 0 January 2005 SPECIFICATIONS TECHNICAL DATA FOR THE MP 1 and MP 2 REMAINS THE SAME Input Impedance Gain Range Noise EIN Mic Phantom Mic Input Phase Instrument Jack Input Input Impedance Balanced XLR Output Output Impedance Maximum Level Output Frequency Response Distortion Power Requirements Dimensions W x H x D Weight Exceptions for the MP 2r are Noted 1 4k Ohm 60dB 128 Switchable 48 Volt Power Source Switchable 0 180 1 4 phono Min gt 100k Ohm 600 Ohm Switchable to 10k 22 dBu Low Z transformer balanced 20 Hz 60k Hz THD gt 08 1 Khz 100 120 230 VAC 42 Watts 19 x 3 5 x 10 18 lbs 8 16kg Shipping weight 20 lbs MP 1 17 Ibs In line with our company policy of continuous development the above specifications are subject to change without notice Testing was performed BE Labs Oxnard CA A Designs Audio 6 Owners Manual MP A Series Edition 5 0 6 January 2005 FUNCTIONS CHANNELA CHANNEL B LEVE gt A EVE y 7 JG yu 7 L gt N u ile sm one MP 2A 4 J e e 9 9 Handcrafted Stereo 0 180 20
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