MaxRack for PreSonus Personal Recording Units Now Available

PreSonus Audio Electronics announced at Summer NAMM 2003 that the new MaxRack is now shipping. A desktop space solution that houses up to six 1/3 rack PreSonus Personal Recording Series units, the new rack, can store new PreSonus units such as the TubePRE, EQ3B, COMP16 and HP4, all which are now available.

The MaxRack is designed to sit on the desktop next to your computer monitor. The heavy-duty rack not only houses 6 units, but also ships with a six-input powerstrip that accommodates all six individual power supplies and powers all of them from one single AC plug (Available in 110V US and 220V European only).

HP4

The HP4 answers the project studio owner's needs for headphone distribution. The unit comes in a 1/3 rack space chassis, similar to the TubePRE, and fits snugly into the new MaxRack. The HP4 accepts balanced/unbalanced inputs (stereo or mono) and outputs (1/4" TRS), with the mono selector button on the front channel simply copying both inputs to both sides. The unit features four discrete headphone outputs, each with its own volume potentiometer and 250mW of amplification per channel, on the front panel. The HP4 has a -98 dB noise floor and wide frequency response. Also, the unit allows control over control room monitors with a separate volume potentiometer that can be muted using the Monitor Mute button, and is powered by an external wall- mounted power supply.

COMP16

PreSonus' COMP16 compressor/limiter features many of the presets contained in the BlueMax. The COMP16 further simplifies compression and limiting by offering 16 preset, variable input and output compression curves which include: vocal, percussion, fretted, keyboard, limit and effect. The front panel boasts a large blue, backlit VU meter that can either be used to monitor output level or gain reduction, and there is also a Bypass button to compare the processed and non-processed signals. Other featured specifications include -98dB noise floor, +24 dBu headroom, truly balanced I/O and a wide frequency response. The back of the unit houses balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (1/4" TRS) inputs and outputs. The COMP16 is powered by an external wall mounted power supply.

EQ3B

Equalization is one of a few things that engineers can never have enough of. The EQ3B offers three bands of fully parametric equalization with each band offering adjustable frequency range, Q and cut/boost control. The faceplate also hosts a Bypass button and 80Hz roll off. Other featured specifications include -98dB noise floor, +24 dBu headroom, truly balanced I/O and a wide frequency response. The back of the unit houses balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (1/4" TRS) inputs and outputs. The EQ3B is powered by an external wall mounted power supply.

TubePRE

The TubePRE is a single-channel preamp based on a 12AX7 vacuum tube circuit that provides a stable, transformer-free signal path. The unit can be used as the first stage of a live or studio system, as a direct box or in a side effects chain. The dual-servo gain stage design employs no capacitors providing low noise performance and wide dynamic control.

The TubePRE offers a frequency range of 10Hz to 80kHz with a noise floor of 94dBu and a signal-to-noise ratio of greater than 90dB. Un-weighted THD + Noise is typically 0.05% with no Tube Drive used and up to 10% with 20dB of Tube Drive. This means the TubePRE can provide both a high-quality, crystal-clear sound as well as a colored saturation tube effect.