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Introduction
Roger Maycock describes no fewer than 53 preamps in his LOUD article “Top-of-the-Line
Mic Preamps.” The diversity (and expense) of these boxes hints at the critical
purpose preamplification serves in the audio chain. Microphones and instrument
pickups must be raised to line level before they can be digitized. Preamps
contribute as much to the raw sound of a recording as do microphones and
cables — is the signal warm? transparent? bright? realistic? listenable?
Sound engineers select the appropriate preamp in order to embed these subjective
qualities into a recording.
Into the fray jumps a new product, the DMP2
Preamp/Direct box by M Audio. An improved descendant of Midiman’s “Audio
Buddy,” the DMP2 follows the “straight wire with gain” philosophy. It takes
two balanced microphone inputs (preamp) or up to two instrument pickups
(direct box) and raises them to line level. Two balanced ¼” jacks feed the
output to an amplifier, mixer, or AD converter box. The unit will reverse
the phase, roll-off bass frequencies below 75cps, and supply 48 volts of
phantom power. Incoming signals are announced by a single green LED for
each channel and you are warned of clipping by a red LED (it flashes at
2dBs below the actual clipping level).
That’s all there is. No EQ, compression, pads, or effects. No VU meters,
tubes, or de-essers.
The DMP2 is two channels of straight wire with gain and it does its job
very nicely. So well, in fact, that some of the preamps catalogued by Maycock
will find their markets challenged.
Market Niche & Appearance
Midiman is building on the success of its Delta series and, in particular,
the eight-channel Delta 1010. Those who purchased this converter because
of its sound (and this reviewer is among that group) bought the product
because it produces high quality conversion with a clean, no-nonsense approach.
The same can be said for the DMP2.
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M
Audio DMP-2, Front and Back View (click for larger image)
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The
preamp is sized as a half-rack component with an attractive, silver surface
made popular by related Midiman designs. Front and back panels are straightforward
and logical.
Project studios will embrace the simplicity of the component as well as
its ease of connection. Similarly, guitarists will find the unit easy
to position and operate within either studio or performance venues. The
unit operates on 9 volts DC, supplied to it by a wall wart connector.
The red LEDs signifying power, low cut, and phantom voltage are extremely
bright (“is this Amsterdam or do you have a DMP2 on somewhere?”). Midiman
might consider offering an adapter for rack mounting. Two DMP2s mounted
sideways in tandem would make a fine visual effect.
Although light (less than a pound) the unit has a solid feel and rests
steadily on its four rubber feet. It shows no ventilating slots and does
not become warm during operation.
Technical Specifications & User’s Manual
Preamp specs have become so rarified as to be meaningless to the
average user. Is there any audible difference between, say, a quote of
<.0007% THD (as made by Mackie for their XDR pres) and the DMP2’s <.0065%?
Once measurable levels become this low, circuit design and the resulting
sonic character of the unit outweigh quantifiable factors.
Not surprisingly for a new product, there
are minor differences between the specs published by M Audio on the Internet
and those found in the User’s Manual. For those interested, here are both.
User’s
Manual
(click to view)... Internet Specs
(click
to view) ...
Both sets of specs are in keeping with studio-quality preamps. The mic
gain figure of +70dB was verified by this reviewer — the unit is particularly
robust in its mic volume.
The modest, eight-page manual is written for the casual user. It is accurate
as regards function, but does not delve into theory or methods. It does
stress that when an instrument is plugged into the ¼” direct input, the
corresponding XLR mic input is disabled. Those that wish to use the DMP2
for guitar/mike combinations will wish to keep this switching order in
mind.
Midiman’s warranty is spelled out in detail and is a product strength
— a lifetime warranty granted to the original owner. The writer urges
other audio companies to match this laudable policy.
The Good Stuff…
Before we spill the news, however,
consider briefly our comparison mechanism.
Acoustical instruments were miked in a quiet studio using Neumann TLM
103 mics and Studio Pro 1000 cables. A Mackie 1402 VLZ-Pro was used for
comparison purposes. The highly-regarded XDR pres in this mixer serve
as an excellent reference point.
Output was converted by a Delta 1010 at 24/96 and recorded (then overdubbed)
into a single Cakewalk *.wav file — for comparison purposes. Waveforms
shown below were taken as screen dumps directly off of Cakewalk’s Audio
view.
Samples were listened to with a Hafler P3000 power amp driving Tannoy
Reveal speakers, or a Furman Distribution Headphone amp connected to AKG
240DF headphones. Violin, flute, and harpsichord music were all compared;
results were comparable for each.
The reviewer is a music historian and performer who judges audio equipment
on the basis of comparison to the original, acoustical sound. Elements
of transparency, realism, and listenability are used specifically in order
to assess the quality of a device.
Here is how the DMP2 sounded — both in general and in comparison to the
pres in the aforementioned Mackie.
Go
to Page 2
Craig Lister, 9
June 2000
GlenAnchor Studio, “The Studio for Early Music”
Contact
the author through Digital Pro Sound.
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