Original Analog MixPre – 2000

“The original MixPre was very different from the MixPre line that we make today, yet similar. The original all-analog MixPre and the digital MixPre line of today are both all about killer mic preamps in a tiny package – however, the original MixPre has no digital anything – analog through and through. I knew that it would be possible to design a mixer that was very tiny yet rugged and with extremely high-quality audio. I copied the transformer-based mic pre from the MP-1 and modified it a bit to have nice conductive-plastic potentiometers for gain instead of a stepped switch. I also decided to turn the extrusion sideways so that we could have more control “face” for the unit. However, I couldn’t figure out how to make daylight-readable meters. I was investigating mechanical meters [like I designed into the FP32A back in the day], when Libby Koomar (Mechanical Engineer) suggested LEDs. I informed her that there was no such thing as a super bright, low current LED. As she’s done many times since, she then proved me wrong by finding GaN LEDs from Nichia that were brand new and absolutely blinding, with less than a milliamp of current. Jim Koomar (Sales) came up with the name which emphasized the “PREamp” in a mixer, and we’ve never looked back since.” This original MixPre is, by today’s standards, still a stellar performer and sounds great. If you can find a used one, and don’t need any digital I/Os, it still a killer little package.”