SPL Gain Station 8 Modell 2383

Thanks to exceptional headroom throughout its design and the superb signal regulation of its limters, the GainStation8 is the perfect front end for multi-track recordings or AD converters.

Nowadays typical preamps are designed on an either-or basis — either solid state or tube. With these designs the engineer has a non integrated and thus often frustrating choice between a pure, neutral solid state recording or one unavoidably influenced by tubes. While the engineer may find solutions for one application with one microphone, a preamplifier for different situations, mics and instruments must provide a commensurate range of choices—like the GainStation preamps. A combination of 63dB solid state and an independently controllable 26dB tube circuitry (which can also be deactivated) ensures a complete sound palette panorama. In any situation the engineer now can achieve his goals with one front end for best-of-both-worlds results.

The GainStation8 is a superb studio or live front end providing the unsurpassed sound qualitites of exquisite, high-end analog—and exactly the kind of optimal input results needed in digital mixing. Its state-of-the-art design includes switchable pre-output stage peak and FET mode limiting, three input levels for microphone impedence matching, phase reversal, 50Hz high pass filter, 48-volt phantom power, source switching and variable-luminescence LED level indicators.

GainStation preamplifier stages are based on newly developed fully discrete components operating on a 60-volt rail. That doubles the voltage in traditional preamplifier designs, resulting in a superior 130dB dynamic range and an extraordinarily alive, detailed aural image.

The advent of digital recording and the fact that more and more material remains in the digital domain from start to finish have raised demands on preamplifiers. The GainStation 8 is predestined to act as a premium recording front end, ensuring that signals of all kinds are preamplified with the highest quality, whether as an alternative to existing console preamps or as a stand-alone solution between source and A/D converter.

The quality of your recordings has a major influence on the subsequent mixing process – good recordings require less processing in later stages. Improved transparence and understandability can be achieved with less equalization and compression if the signals are recorded optimally, often allowing individual signals to be mixed at lower levels without compromising their presence.

The GainStation 8 can also effectively improve live recordings and mixes. Particularly in live situations, microphone signals must often travel extremely long distances to reach the FOH or mobile console, resulting in high cable capacities, which can degrade and color the sound. In this application, we recommend placing the GainStation 8 on stage. This allows for short cable runs to the preamps, whereas the GainStation's gain structure and fast output stages can easily drive the longer runs that ensue.

The following section, while not attempting to represent a complete guide or answer all questions, provides several operational tips for various instruments.

Features:

Specifications:

Instruction manual / Safety instructions:

• Manual (295.22 KB)

Further links:

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