Okay. I got an idea. Far from original but I’m thinking I want to do a nice preamp now.
I have some ideas based on the MBL 6010D. Loosely based- as in it will also use op amps. And that’s about where it stops.
You can get “clones” of the circuit but I don’t know how reliable it is. But some have been built and they perform well/sound like nothing.
I got to thinking someone who designed op amps would be a good person to ask about taking the MBL and making a fully balanced version of it. Perhaps some of the noise lowering techniques and flat frequency response of the phone pre could be brought to bear- with a much lower gain.
So I asked. And got a reply. Not a “no” but the yes is conditional on the specification. I started writing one, having never done one before. It’s probably crap.
So, I’m asking here (finally), what details are important to you in your line amp? What features do you find most useful? What sort of “really neat” implementations or HMIs have you run across that made you say: that was an treat idea? And what made you say: “ WTF were they thinking?!?
In writing this spec I’m not fully sure where I should be “specifying”; the electrical specifications are beyond me- stuff like THD within X frequency range NTX bla bla. (Engineering specifications) So im focusing on the features and HMI aspect, while I will be asking the question directly, I thought input from others who appreciate a quality product and have used more than a few over the years.
What is known:
Line stage only (phono pre external)
Fully balanced internally
True dual mono out to the power supplies
Provisions for single ended (any sonic compromise will affect SE to preserve balanced operation)
Stepped attenuators only- no pots
Possible balance control(s)
Probably a high and low gain mode
Tape loop!!!
I have some ideas based on the MBL 6010D. Loosely based- as in it will also use op amps. And that’s about where it stops.
You can get “clones” of the circuit but I don’t know how reliable it is. But some have been built and they perform well/sound like nothing.
I got to thinking someone who designed op amps would be a good person to ask about taking the MBL and making a fully balanced version of it. Perhaps some of the noise lowering techniques and flat frequency response of the phone pre could be brought to bear- with a much lower gain.
So I asked. And got a reply. Not a “no” but the yes is conditional on the specification. I started writing one, having never done one before. It’s probably crap.
So, I’m asking here (finally), what details are important to you in your line amp? What features do you find most useful? What sort of “really neat” implementations or HMIs have you run across that made you say: that was an treat idea? And what made you say: “ WTF were they thinking?!?
In writing this spec I’m not fully sure where I should be “specifying”; the electrical specifications are beyond me- stuff like THD within X frequency range NTX bla bla. (Engineering specifications) So im focusing on the features and HMI aspect, while I will be asking the question directly, I thought input from others who appreciate a quality product and have used more than a few over the years.
What is known:
Line stage only (phono pre external)
Fully balanced internally
True dual mono out to the power supplies
Provisions for single ended (any sonic compromise will affect SE to preserve balanced operation)
Stepped attenuators only- no pots
Possible balance control(s)
Probably a high and low gain mode
Tape loop!!!