A-Designs P-1 500 Series High-Fidelity Pacifica-Style Microphone Preamp/DI Module

The P-1 has the highest fidelity of all the A-Designs Audio 500 preamps, capturing the mojo of its older and larger sibling, the popular Pacifica. While not an exact replica, it sounds as close to Pacifica as is possible for its smaller size. It has a big low end, slightly forward mid-range, and extended highs. If you're a fan of Quad Eight or API, you'll love the A-Designs Audio P-1. The P-1 shines on vocals, instruments, room mics, piano, and on instruments with sharp transients, such as drums and various percussion instruments. And if you're building a lunchbox with drum recording in mind, a pair of P-1s is a superb choice for overheads when you want to capture the entire kit along with the sizzle of the cymbals.

The A-Designs Audio 500 Series comprises the four 500 series-compatible preamps, including the P-1, EM-Blue, EM- Silver, EM-Gold, and EM-Red, each specially voiced with a specific task or sound in mind. Also a highly respected member of this exclusive family is the EM-PEQ, a Pultec-style equalizer designed to bring the sonic dessert to your lunchbox. These units are not only a perfect fit for an API "lunchbox" physically, they also meet the precise power rating requirements necessary to function perfectly from the moment you plug them in. To further guarantee that your A-Designs 500 modules work out of the box, A-Designs is one of a very few manufacturers that make their own 500-Series powered rack: the A- Designs Audio 500HR.

In order to achieve the quality of sound that brings a smile to your ears, a profound understanding of electronic components and how their inherent qualities affect sound is essential. Transformers hold a singular position in circuit design due to their ability to affect timbral quality. Apart from the utilitarian task of electronic isolation for noise-free operation, the alloys used for the transformer’s winding along with the number of windings, will impart a distinct sonic quality. For example, nickel-wound transformers provide a more transparent sound with an airy high end, while steel can impart a thick "Neve-like" midrange or low-end "API growl."

To give each preamp in the A-Designs Audio EM-Series its own unique character, each has custom-wound transformers that employ proprietary A-Designs alloys that have been ear-tested to produce just the right sound for the right application. But that doesn't mean that the EM-Series preamps are one-trick ponies—far from it. What it does mean is that decades of collective experience between A-Designs Audio and highly respected audio professionals who beta test A-Designs products have taken guesswork out of finding the right preamp for the job. Think of each of the EM series preamps as the ruler of a specific domain in the frequency spectrum. For example, the EM-Silver rules the lower frequencies thanks to its steel-wound transformer, making it a perfect choice for bass or kick drum, while the EM-Blue's nickel transformer provides the clarity and highs needed to bring out the "crack" on snare drums.

With various combinations of EM-Series modules you can create a lunchbox dedicated to recording drums, channel strips with Pultec-style EQ, or simply have a preamp for all seasons in one convenient location.

Let A-Designs Audio's EM-Series 500 modules be to be your guide to a world of color and sound that will inspire both you and your recordings.