Grace Design m501

500 Series Module Microphone Preamplifier

Presenting the m501, the 500 series module version of the venerable m101 mic preamplifier. Now the signature transparency and detail of Grace Design’s circuit designs is available for your 500 series collection.

While the 500 series market has plenty of colored mic preamplifier options, the natural, musical clarity of the m501 makes it a welcome addition to the field. This circuit is for engineers confident with the quality of the source, mic section, and placement, and wish to capture it with as little coloration or distortion as possible.

The m501 module is a balanced, transformerless design, with 48V phantom, a 75Hz HPF, and a 1/4” HI-Z instrument input. Also standard is Grace Design’s exclusive ribbon mic mode, which raises the mic input impedance, bypasses the input decoupling capacitors, and deactivates 48V phantom to protect delicate ribbon mics from damage.

Large diaphragm, vintage ribbon, or trusty dynamic – the m501 brings out the very best in any microphone and takes the guesswork out of your input chain.

Features

• Fast and musical transimpedance architecture
• Precision audio path with 0.5% precision metal film resistors
• New 12 position gold plated rotary gain switch
• High performance output line driver amplifier and HPF amplifier
• New Ribbon mic mode (also great for dynamic mics) – Relay bypass of phantom power decoupling capacitors, increased input impedance, and 48V lockout
• Wide 10-75dB gain range
• Enhanced RFI interference suppression
• Bombproof laser-etched black anodized frontpanel
• Sealed gold contact relay for Hi-Z input switching
• Led indicators for +48V, Ribbon mode, and HPF
• 20 year EON warranty on parts and labor
• Built in the USA

• GAIN RANGE (5DB STEPS)
  • Mic input: 10-65dB
  • Hi-Z input: -10-45dB
  • Output trim control: 0 to +10dB
• THD+N 1KHZ, 22HZ-22KHZ BW
  • @ 20dB Gain +20dBu out: <0.00085%
  • @ 40dB Gain +20dBu out: <0.0010%
  • @ 60dB Gain +20dBu out: <0.0050%
• INTERMODULATION DISTORTION
  • @ 40dB Gain +20dBu out
  • SMPTE/DIN 4:1 7kHz/50Hz: <0.0020
• NOISE – REFERRED TO INPUT @60DB GAIN 22HZ-22KHZ BW
  • 50Ω source: <-130dB
  • 150Ω source: <-128dB
  • 600Ω source: <-124dB
• CMRR @60DB GAIN, 3.5VCM
  • 100Hz: >55dB
  • 1kHz: >75dB
  • 10kHz: >65dB
• PHASE DEVIATION (HPF OFF)
  • 50Hz-25kHz @40dB Gain: <10°
• FREQUENCY RESPONSE
  • Mic input @ 40dBm Gain -3dB: 3.8Hz-288kHz
  • Mic input @ 40dBm Gain -0.5dB: 8.35Hz-135kHz
  • Hi-Z input @ 20dB Gain -3dB: 1.7Hz-180kHz
  • Hi-Z input @ 20dB Gain -0.5dB: 4Hz-72kHz
• IMPEDANCE
  • Mic input: 8.1kΩ
  • Mic input, Ribbon mode: 20kΩ
  • Hi-Z input (unbalanced): 2.5MΩ
  • Hi-Z input (balanced): 5MΩ
  • Balanced Output: 300Ω
  • Unbalanced Output: 150Ω
• PEAK LED METER
  • Green Threshold: -10dBu
  • Red Threshold: +16dBu
• MAXIMUM OUTPUT LEVEL
  • 100k Ohm load, 0.1% THD, 1kHz, API Lunchbox: 27dBu
• WEIGHT AND DIMENSIONS
  • Weight: .7 lbs / 316 g
  • Dimensions: H5.25” x W1.5” x D6.6” / H13.34cm x W3.81cm x D16.75cm
• POWER CONSUMPTION
  • Current required from +16V and -16V power supplies: 120mA Max