500 Series Preamp with Re-amping and Air Band
The Maag Audio PREQ2 500 is a 500 Series mic/instrument preamp that can input any analog signal and optimize it to achieve its maximum sonic potential. Equipped with Maag’s acclaimed mic preamp and a robust 71dB of gain, the PREQ2 500 can handle all your mic and DI signals. But it also offers unique features such as buffered Pass Thru and proprietary level-match technology that facilitate re-amplification of mic and instrument signals, lackluster tracks, and (assuming you have two of them) even stereo mixes through the PREQ2 500’s discrete Class A transformer-coupled circuitry and legendary Air Band high-frequency shelf. Following in the footsteps of its rackmount big sibling, the PREQ2 500 has caused quite a stir here at Sweetwater. It’s not only a powerful solution for euphonic enhancement and fine-tuning, but it’s also a tremendous value. Meticulously crafted in the USA, the Maag Audio PREQ2 is built to serve you reliably — session after session, year after year. Add one (or more) to your 500 Series chassis and hear what you’ve been missing!
Related Videos: PREQ2 500 Series Microphone Preamp with Air Band
Microphone magic
Fortified with 71dB of clean gain, the PREQ2 500’s mic preamp allows you to use any mic on any source. With the PREQ2 500, choosing a microphone to capture a specific source is a creative decision — not a technical one. No longer hampered by insufficient gain, you can now deploy that cherished passive ribbon mic on a quiet vocal or instrumental performance. For vintage-flavored “big-iron” sound, the preamp is spec’d with a beefy, nickel-core input transformer, custom designed and built by Maag Audio. Through the PREQ2 500, mic signals take on a commanding, larger-than-life authority, resulting in lively, full-bodied tracks that sit perfectly in the mix. These circuits deliver a pristine, stunningly detailed sound with a massive +25dBu of headroom and a vanishingly low noise floor. The flexible gain structure lets you select from two optimized gain ranges via the +25dB gain switch. Also included on the top panel are buttons for 48-volt phantom power, a 20dB pad, and polarity reverse, plus handy signal present and +26dBu peak LED indicators.
DI and re-amping device
The PREQ2 500 provides two top-panel 1/4-inch tip-sleeve jacks: one for high-impedance instrument direct injection (DI); the other, an isolated, buffered through jack that outputs a duplicate of the Instrument input signal at unity gain. When an instrument is plugged into the Instrument Input, it is buffered and multed back out the Instrument/Mic Thru jack at unity gain. This functions as a traditional re-amp box, allowing you to process the DI signal through the PREQ2 500. You can also route the signal out to, for instance, a guitar amp located in another room. Cool, but there’s more! You might be wondering why the Instrument/Mic Thru jack is called that. Well, with just a microphone input, that mic signal will be multed, amplified by +20dB, and routed out the 1⁄4-inch Instrument/Mic Thru jack. This is an ingenious method of routing the mic signal to amplified speaker cabinets or stomp boxes without the need for additional interface devices. That the Thru jack is active whether using DI or mic inputs multiplies your creative options exponentially. Well done, Maag Audio!
Maag’s legendary Air Band
It was 1993 when Cliff Maag rocked the pro audio world with his NTI EQ3, which introduced the Air Band high-frequency shelf. The Air Band has garnered legions of fans over the years and can be heard on countless iconic recordings. Regarded to this day as one of the most musical equalizers on the planet, the EQ3 has gone on to inspire three decades of Maag Audio EQs. Offering up to 9dB of shelving boost at 2.5, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 40kHz, this unique HF shelving EQ is perfect for adding a vivacious, glistening sheen to a vast range of program material. Incorporating the Air Band into a supremely musical and flexible preamp, the PREQ2 500 becomes a formidable studio tool that lets you intuitively tune any program material by ear. Put the Maag Audio PREQ2 500 to the test in your studio. You will be impressed.
Maag Audio PREQ2 500 Series Mic and Instrument Preamp Features:
- Class A discrete transistor preamp
- Flexible gain structure handles a broad range of signal levels
- 71dB of gain; 25dB of headroom
- Beefy nickel-core input transformer
- Legendary Air Band shelf boost heard on countless iconic recordings
- Innovative instrument and mic re-amping device functionality
- DI jack and Instrument/Mic Thru jack
- +25dB Gain switch
- Switchable 20dB pad, 70Hz highpass filter
- Switchable 48V phantom power, red LED indicator
- Polarity invert switch
- Quality crafted in the USA
