Cube5 Ultra Low Noise Preamplifier
The Cube5 is the ultimate in low noise compact preamplification. Featuring noise performance characteristic of top-of-the-line full featured studio microphone preamps normally available at premium price brackets, the Cube5 will transform any mixer into a top performer. The Cube5 is hands down the best-in-class option. While there are other compact preamplifier products available, no other competitor devices come close in performance or sound quality.
Useful anywhere a gain boost would benefit your audio project, such as with low-output ribbon or dynamic microphones, where long cable runs may be encountered, or existing mixing equipment lacks the gain or noise performance these low output microphones really require.
The Cube5 features fully balanced, transformer-coupled input and output, with a JFET topology for optimal low-noise boosting of microphone and instrument levels.
Gain and impedance have been optimised for low-output dynamic and ribbon microphones. Additionally, a high-impedance DI input ensures perfect tonal capture from instrument pickups.
The gain settings may be selected from high gain at 26dB or low gain of 13dB at the press of a button. Only two gain levels are incorporated, as full level control will still be handled at the regular mixing system, and is not required at the preamplifier. The noise figure at either gain level is an industry leading -132dB (A-weighted), a noise performance superior to any comparable device. Typical noise figures for comparable devices are in the 125-128dB range.
What low noise preamplification does for you..
Ultimately, there is a limit to what may be recorded, as sooner or later, the sound source gets lost in the noise floor of the recording equipment. Having a super-low-noise preamplifier close to the your source serves to boost the signal while keeping the inherent system noise to the lowest possible levels. This not only results in a cleaner mix, but enhances details, revealing low-level aspects of the sound source that would not otherwise be audible in the mix.
The Cube5 is operated by the standard phantom power available from mixer channels and as such can be run from any normal mixer or recording device that presents phantom power on a standard XLR balanced input. The operating current requirement is a modest 5mA meaning that it can operate reliably from battery powered or cheaper mixing equipment that cannot always meet the full phantom power specification.
The input from the microphone is fully balanced, transformer coupled, using a high grade input transformer with mu-metal shield, ensuring optimum rejection of hum and
interfering signals. A transformer coupled output is also used, for the best quality, true balanced output.
The input impedance may be chosen to suit the microphone. Low impedance is set at the industry standard 600 ohms. At the press of a button the higher impedance mode may be selected, which is approximately 4k ohms. After extensive testing this was determined to be the best impedance for ribbon mics in terms of extension of the frequency range for these mics. Ultimately, either setting may be used as desired, select what sounds best for your microphone.
The safety of your microphones is assured as the Cube5 does not apply power to its input socket. It is therefore impossible to have power accidentally applied to delicate ribbon mics that may cause damage to the microphone.
In addition to top performance microphone preamplification, the Cube5 operates as a DI box thanks to the jack socket input. This input features a fixed input impedance of approximately 2.3 Meg-ohms, ensuring that the high impedance characteristic of passive guitar pickups are not unduly loaded, presenting a pure, clear top end sound.
The gain selections for DI operation are 14dB/1dB (high/low gain setting), reduced from that of the microphone input as the typical guitar output has a higher level and does not require such high gain.
The DI jack also functions as a send-return or insertion point for vocal effects processing when used with a TRS splitter cable.
Cube 5 Specifications
Microphone Input XLR female – transformer balanced (pin 1 shield, pin 2 hot, pin 3 cold)
Microphone Input impedance low: 600 Ω; high 4 k Ω
Noise –132dBV (A-weighted)
DI input ¼" jack (unbalanced)
DI Input impedance 2.3 M Ω
Effects loop send (ring) 10 k Ω (unbalanced) return (tip) 2.3 M Ω (unbalanced) impedance and levels optimised for guitar pedals and effects
Frequency response 20 Hz–20 kHz ±1 dB
Output XLR male – transformer balanced (pin 1 shield, pin 2 hot, pin 3 cold)
Output impedance 200 Ω
Power phantom +48V @ 5mA
Dimensions width 70 mm, depth 108 mm, height 45 mm
Designed and manufactured in Sydney, Australia.
