Summit Audio's TD-100 Preamp Now Available

Working under the mandate "A Little Summit for Everyone," Summit Audio has announced the release of the TD-100 Instrument Preamplifier and Tube Direct Box. This unit is designed to act as a link between a musical instrument and a live or a recording system. The TD-100 is a half-rack unit with an internal, high-voltage power supply, combining Summit Audio's well-known vacuum tube sound and discrete circuitry. Priced at $495.00, the TD-100 can fit even the tightest of budgets, bringing high-quality audio to a wider range of applications.

"There is nothing comparable on the market today, making the TD-100 a truly desirable addition to any system," says Erik Papp of Summit Audio. "While other direct boxes are transformer-coupled and chained to the sonic coloration and distortion of that type of circuit, the TD-100's discrete output gives a flat response to the desirable tube imprint. This unit gives the musician an excellent sounding input stage for digital recording, adding personality and quality to the signal before the converters. With a three-year warranty included, this box is a winner for everyone in the business."

The TD-100's input section is driven by a 12AX7A/ECC83 vacuum tube, with the output section driven by a discrete transistor circuit utilizing plus or minus 24V rails. The input section offers continuously variable loading impedance control from 10K to 2 Mega-ohms allowing precise optimization for a bass, guitar or keyboard.

The unit is equally at home with headphones for use as a private practice amplifier as it is plugged into a monster sound system. The signal is monitored by both signal and peak front-panel LED's with a polarity reverse switch and ground lift for signal correction. The discrete output stage gain control allows for a generous boost of output gain, yielding tons of drive and maximizing the warm tube signal.