New ISA 428 Pre Pack from Focusrite

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Digidesign, North American distributor of Focusrite products, announced the release and imminent shipping of the new Focusrite ISA 428 Pre Pack 4-channel professional mic preamplifier.

The ISA 428 Pre Pack features four Rupert Neve-designed, transformer-based microphone pre amps with selectable impedance, direct instrument and line inputs, and an optional 8-channel 192 kHz analog-digital converter. An all-new Soft Limiter circuit precedes the A-D, providing the perfect path into any DAW, digital console or stand-alone hard disk recorder.

The input stage provides enhanced control and creativity, allowing you to switch between four carefully selected input impedance settings. The original and now-famous Focusrite ISA 110 setting is supplemented by three further impedance settings to perfectly match the pre-amp with any microphone and maximize level, or to use different settings to shape the sound of the microphone being used. Should the need arise to place extra processing between pre-amp and conversion, insert points are also featured on every channel.

Protecting the A-D circuit is Focusrite's "Soft Limiter," a new optical circuit design that entirely prevents any digital overs while reducing to an absolute minimum the undesirable distortion artifacts that common off-the-shelf limiter circuits typically generate.

The new A-D embodies cutting-edge conversion technology encompassed within Focusrite circuitry, providing eight conversion channels of the highest quality at sampling frequency rates of 44.1, 48, 96 and 192 kHz. Running at 96 kHz allows for up to 16 (2 x 8, parallel) digital outputs. Digital output formats are dual 9-pin D-sub (AES/EBU, S/PDIF) and dual ADAT light-pipe.

Full digital metering is provided for every channel, alongside moving coil peak reading VU-style meters designed to catch even the fastest transients.

A second ISA 428 analog unit can be connected utilizing the four extra A-D input channels on the rear of the unit containing the optional A-D. This makes full use of the eight channels provided and expands front-end capacity from four pre amps and eight digital outputs to eight Pre amps and eight digital outputs.