Empirical Labs Mike-E Mic Pre with Compression and Saturation

From the designer of the wildly popular Distressor, a game-changing microphone preamp with compressor and tape-like saturation.




Empirical Lab’s Dave Derr is no stranger to
creating game-changing audio processors, and his Mike-E preamp is no
exception. Mike-E is a modern, digitally controlled microphone
preamplifier chocked with unusual features to warm and soften sound
sources, plus, it also has an excellent compressor/limiter. Mike-E, a
transformer-coupled mic preamp, offers an incredible performance with a
noise floor is far below any microphone’s self-noise. And, the
one-of-a-kind ‘CompSat’ section is an uncompromising compressor and
saturator circuit that offers versatile coloring, and classic knee
compression.

Mic Preamp Section
The preamp
section is a super low-noise transformer-input amplifier section with
gain digitally controlled gain. This section comes standard with a
shielded Lundahl transformer, but allows for a Jensen transformer also.

The
signal-to-noise ratio far exceeds any microphone in existence;
typically over 130dB with the input shorted and 40dB of gain. Having
used many mic preamps over the years, Empirical Labs has implemented a
unique stepped-gain control that is impervious to the normal flakiness
that age causes to pots and detented switches.

Counting the
output gain of 14dB, a total74 dB of gain is available to you with the
CompSat section bypassed. Phantom power (+48V) is provided for condenser
mics.

Exclusive CompSat™ Section
This unique circuitry is what sets Mike-E apart from all other mic preamplifiers. It has four sections:

1) Saturator:
This is a multi-stage soft clipping circuit. At lower levels,
triode-type saturation affects the signal. As the level increases, a
second unique clip circuit that includes germanium semiconductors starts
to flatten out the peaks more severely. An LED named “BAD!” indicates
harder, un-musical clipping.

2) Compressor: This
is an uncompromising compressor/limiter circuit with detented control
of attack and release for easy repeatability. You adjust the amount of
compression with the DRIVE knob, which determines the level going into
the compressor. In ways it is like the Empircal Labs Distressor (see
#501579), but has differing characteristics including a much longer
available attack time and additional circuitry. Four ratios are
provided; 2:1 being the gentlest with a long 20dB knee, good for subtle
compression, such as while tracking or on the 2-Bus. Ratios 4:1 and 8:1
are steeper but still very smooth with long knees. “Nuke” is very steep
(limiter-like) and has a different attack and release shape.

3) Emphasis:
Emphasis is actually two circuits that surround the compressor and
saturator. Pre-emphasis boosts the high frequencies before the
compressor and saturator (CompSat), soft clipping them sooner than
normal, while a de-emphasis cuts the complementary frequencies after the
CompSat. Emphasis has the added perk of improving signal-to-noise, and
is the reason analog tape decks used emphasis to begin with.

4) Mix Control:
The modern recording engineer often employs the technique of mixing
between the compressed and the dry (or uncompressed) signal. This can
often help maintain transients and a sense of dynamic range while
enhancing the low level nuances. Mike-E has a built-in mix control to
submix uncompressed signal along with the compressed signal. As you
rotate the MIX control from full right to full left, you goe from the
full compressed signal to the full dry signal (absent of any compression
or saturation).

About Empirical Labs:
Empirical
Labs was started in 1988 and functioned mainly as a recording studio
and electronics consulting firm. The founder, Dave Derr, was also
employed at the time by Eventide as an audio engineer and was one of the
core designers of their legendary H3000. EL's first product, the EL8
Distressor (#501578) immediately took the recording industry by storm
and hardly a record has been made without it since. With a mission "to
make products that work a little easier, a little better, a lot longer,
and are fun to use," Empirical Labs continues to create unique and
innovate products that quickly find homes among the top professionals of
the audio industry (and anyone else who wants in on the Empirical Labs
sound).


Empirical Labs Users:
Aerosmith - Joe Perry (8 Distressors)
Al Schmidt
Alanis Morrisette
Angela Piva - Mary J Blige, Naughty by Nature, Janet Jackson
Ashes dIvide
Billy Howerdel
Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, Niacin, David Lee Roth)
Bob Clearmountain - Journey, Bryan Adams, Stones, Springstein, etc, etc, etc!
Bob Dylan
Bob Powers
Bon Jovi
Brendan O'Brien -Producer Mixdown Engineer
Bruce Calder - (Electric Lady Studios, Degeneration)
Butch Vig
Cher
Chimera
Chris Lord Alge
Chuck Ainlay
Clair Brothers
Cold Play
Craig Melvin (Gloria Estefan)
Creed - Eight Distressors on their 2003 tour
D & D Studios NYC
Daniel Lanois (U2)
Dave Hewitt - Remote Recording Services
Dave Matthews —
David Kahne
Death Cab for Cutie
Disturbed
Dolly Parton
Don Was
Dust Brothers (John King)
Ed Cherney -
Ed Kowalcyzk - Live
Eddie Kramer (JimiHendrix)
Effanel Remote recording - Randy Ezratty, 2003 Grammys
Elton John
Eminem
Eric Schilling - Gloria Estefan, John Secada
Finn Halle - Germany
Fiona Apple
Five Towns College (6 Distressors)
Fleetwood Mac
Fletcher
Full Sail School for the Recording Arts
George Massenburg
Goo Goo Dolls
Greg Calbi - Sterling Sound
Gungi Patterson
Hole
Jason Slater - Snake River Conspiracy
Jay Baumgartner - NRG Studios
Jay Gordon - Producer, Lead Vocalist of Orgy
Jerry Harrison - Live, Verve Pipe, (12 Distressors)
Jerry Only - The Misfits
Joe Berisi
Joe Chicarelli - Hole, Beck, U2, etc!
Joe Satriani
John Agnello - Producer, Engineer, Mixer
John Kurzweg - Creed
John McBride at Blackbird Studios - 8 Distressors, 4 Fatsos, 2 Lil FrEQs
John Paterno
John Patterson —
John Sicket
Josh Abraham (Orgy, Staind, Korn, Limp Bizkit)
Judy Saiya
Julien - K
Kevin Killen
Kip Winger
Kooster McAllister - Record Plant Remote
Linkin Park
Marc Costanzo, Len
Mark Anthony
Mark Plati - David Bowie
Maroon 5
Matt Wallace
Megadeth
Metallica
Michael Bienhorn
Michael Wilton (Queensrych)
Micheal Brauer - Sony Studios NYC
Mick Gazauski — (Mariah Carey, Boyz 2 Men, Toni Braxton, etc.)
Mick Hughes - Metallica FOH Engineer
Mike Keating (Sting, Bush, Springstein live)
Mike Shipley
Millbrook Sound
Mitch Goldfarb
Mutt Lange
N SYNC
Natalie Merchant
Nate Kunkel
Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue)
Nine Inch Nails
Outsmarting Simon
Paul Tennebekk (Norway's Midwest Audio)
Peter Denenberg
Phil (the Buther) Nicolo (The Stones, Amy Grant, Sting, Aerosmith, Judy Saiya)
Phil Ramone/John Patterson
Rammstein
Real World Studios - (Peter Gabriel's facility in England)
Ricky Martin
Roey Shamir - Information Society, Al B Sure
Ross Hogarth - (Jewel, Coal Chamber, Grade 8)
Ryan Hewitt - Engineer Extraordinare
Scott Anthony - Dessau recording, Beastie Boys
Seal - on tour
Sean Beresford (3rd Eye Blind)
Shania Twain
Sheryl Crow
Sound Kitchen
Staind
Sting
Stone Temple Pilots
Sue Shoemaker - Blues Traveler
Tchad Blake - Sheryl Crow, Richard Thompson, Crowded House, Pearl Jam, Bonnie Raitt
The Academy Is
The Police
The Voyager Remote Truck in Paris
The Who
Tom Lord Alge
Tony Levin
Wheatus
Whitney Houston
Woodland Studios - Robert Solomon



Features

Mic Preamplifier with super low noise and stepped-gain switching
Built
in Direct Box, called Inst In, offers unparalleled distortion, noise,
and frequency response when pre-amplifying instruments.
“Colored” 80Hz high-pass filter emulates the warm, low-frequency cut of our favorite vintage equalizers
Phase Switch inverts audio signal 180 degrees.
CompSat offers both a musical compressor/limiter and a unique tape-like saturation circuit
High-frequency emphasis system softens high frequency “pile-ups” and furthers the creamy color of the Mike-E
Mix Control allows the blending of the compressed/saturated signal with the clean unprocessed “Dry” signal
Transformer-coupled input
Active and transformer outputs available
High-quality audio caps used internally




Track with clarity or color - control your sound source on the way in to your DAW with Mike-E. Order today!


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Mike-E Mic Pre with Compression and Saturation Specifications:

Frequency response: 3Hz - 200kHz (No CompSat); with CompSat: 3Hz – 150Khz Optional transformer output: 6Hz–80kHz
Signal-to-Noise: 130dB signal-to-noise at 40dB gain, maximum output +28dBu
Distortion: Ranges between .0006% and 15% depending on mode and settings
Input impedance: 600 ohm
Output impedance: Less than 38 ohm
Attack/decay ranges: - .9 – 100mS attack, .15 – 1 sec. decay
Power consumption: 15 watts max.


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