Retro Instruments 500 Pre
Retro Instruments 500 Pre
The Retro Instruments 500Pre design purposely has the limiter effect of tube amplifiers. The Retro 500-PRE works within API 500 rack power limitations. The Retro 500 PRE uses three 12AT7 tubes that are readily available as new production or new-old-stock. A user can select from a wide variety. Your unit uses the new production TAD 12AT7 and these tubes are expected to last for a very long time under the 500PRE operating conditions. We use soft-start circuitry that minimizes stress to the tubes and power supply. The 500PRE takes less than a minute to warm up and perform.
Each 500 PRE consumes 160 ma of power, slightly above the 130 ma VPR-compliant allocation. We recommend racks with quiet linear power supplies like the API models. When power requirements are observed, the rack and 500PRE will provide years of reliable service.
Specifications
- Front Panel Controls: Input Level, Gain Select (two or three stage amplifier), Phantom Power, Polarity, and Output Level.
- Input and Output Connections: On edge card connector for 500 rack XLR.
- Gain: 48 dB (low gain two stage topology) 76 dB (high gain three stage topology)
- Total Harmonic Distortion: <.05% at +4 dBu output from 20-20000 Hz.
- Frequency Response: +/- .25 dB from 20-20000 Hz
- EIN: -128 dB (150 Ohm terminated)
- Typical Output Level: +4 dBu
- Output Clipping Level: Tube limiting Threshold +18 dBu, +24 dBu clipping headroom.
- Input Level Range: -72 dBu to +12 dBu
- Input impedance: >1000 Ohms from 20-20000 Hz.
- Output Impedance: 600 Ohms Transformer Balanced.
- Power Consumption: +/-16 Volts 155 ma. 48 Volts 3 ma.
- Weight: 2 lbs 7 oz.