MP-1: The product that started it all – 1999

“This was the product that started it all, and formed a template for where we’d go product-wise: phenomenal sound quality, simple to use, and very durable. I worked a long time on this preamp to give it excellent dynamic range, along with great battery life. I evaluated every microphone transformer on the market and was bowled over by the quality of the Lundahl, still the best microphone transformer on the market, IMO. The output transformer was my own design, and the (analog) limiter used a glorious Clairex opto-isolator. I stole the idea for black powdercoating and laser etching from Lectrosonics — I loved that look. I gave a Maglite to Libby Koomar and she designed the battery compartment based off of it — one of her first brilliant designs. The name “MP-1″ was an homage to a mentor of mine at Shure, the wise and wonderful Michael Pettersen. For a short while, we also OEM’d [Original Equipment Manufactured] the MP-1 to Shure, re-badged as the FP23. We manufacture this product in Reedsburg and sell it worldwide to this day.”