MartinSound MSS-10 Mic Pre
Product Description
The Natural Mic Preamp
The movers and shakers of professional audio dream about finding that rare piece of equipment that will keep them on the cutting edge. A career building tool that will effortlessly deliver awesome sound. MSS-10, The Natural Mic Preamp is audio magic in a box. It sounds like the mythical straight wire with gain. Join the hit makers who already enjoy immense artistic satisfaction from using an MSS-10 and turn your dreams into legend.
Why the MSS-10 "Shockingly good" is a stunning endorsement from Bruce Botnick, a man who has heard it all. His engineering work, from the Doors to major motion picture scores, is driven by his passion for audio. Bruce knows that the secret of legend-ary recording lies in capturing the excitement and beauty of the original performance. He selects only the best; equipment that faithfully reproduces every detail. Bruce chose the Martech MSS-10 over other well respected preamps because it left the audio from his world class mics unmolested. Coloration should be the prerogative of the engineer, not something that's unavoidable. Because even renowned preamps don't reproduce every detail they tend to color the sound. That's why one preamp is chosen for top, another for punch and a third for bottom. The lost detail and added artifacts requires heroics to try and restore the original sound. Because it adds absolutely no coloration, the MSS-10 will astonish you. Its natural sound adds nothing but gain and effortlessly delivers what everyone works so hard to achieve.
"I never use anything else when recording vocals." -Bobby Croft
"Whenever I record, I'll be using the MSS-10s. I would love to have a ton of them."-Al Schmitt
What is Natural Sound? When something sounds "better" than its source, its coloration is called euphonic. If it sounds worse, we have many esoteric or vulgar words to describe it. But if it sounds the same, its neutral or natural. Natural is not sterile. Sterile means unable to produce or lacking vitality. If anything, natural sound is the antithesis of sterility. And natural isn't just accuracy, for it moves one into the realm of realism. Natural sound is breathtaking, an aural seduction. Unconstrained dynamics that never get pinched at high levels. A highly focused image with low level ambience and room information that doesn't mysteriously disappear. Brilliant tonal quality with lots of air. Its top end that isn't smeared, midrange with warmth, and extra octaves of an extended bottom that is fat and solid. And when punch is required, stand back. Natural sound is all this and more because nothing is removed.
"If you really want to hear what your best microphones sound like, plug them into an MSS-10 and prepare for the sweet truth." -Mike Sokol, EQ Magazine, October 1997
A Peek Under The Lid Tracing out the schematic or unpotting the transformer will not reveal the secret of the MSS-10's natural sound. Martech's Natural Sound Design Methodology uses the exquisitely sensitive human ear to guide all design choices. Every component and circuit was listened to, individually and collectively, assuring the finest signal path possible. Thousands of hours were invested, listening for the subtlest differences compared against a wire. As a result, the heart of the MSS-10 is a proprietary, high resolution, high voltage, all discrete, non-inverting amplifier with a custom built, oversize input transformer. Special silver switches with redundant contacts are preconditioned with a stabilizing agent. Hard wiring avoids internal connectors. Carefully tuned DC servo amps eliminate the coloration of in-path capacitors, while improving bottom end response. Bipolar 24v rails provide true +24dBm output even into an unbalanced input.Finally, unique grounding techniques and balanced impedance outputs are used to ensure flawless interfacing to the outside world.
MSS-10 features and function The MSS-10 is comprised of dual signal paths in a single unit, allowing flexibility in getting the best audio from a microphone to a recorder. The preamp section uses two stages of gain from mic input to direct out, providing wide bandwidth and a stable design. It features 65dB of gain switched in 5dB steps, 48V phantom, a 20dB pad and phase reverse. The line driver section can select the preamp out or a balanced line input. This makes a great EQ insert point. The level control adjusts continuously from infinity to +10dB, allowing for riding of gain. The addition of a mute and professional VU meter allows the finest audio quality possible to be sent directly to the recorder. Engaging the Cal button provides precise VU monitoring of the selected source. Not only does it sound awesome, it looks like a piece of art. The sophisticated, elegant appearance of the matte finish, nickel-plated faceplate matches your finest microphones while ergonomic knobs and lighted push buttons provide positional information at a glance from any angle. The beautiful package tells your clients that you own only the best.
"The Specs are impressive, but Martech clearly intends the performance to be judged by the ear rather than the meter." - Dave Foister, Studio Sound, June 1997
Technical Specifications
Microphone Preamplifier Section Gain 20dB–65dB Maximum Input +22.5 dBu (@ 1kHz, THD <= 0.003%, 20 dB Pad In) Maximum Output +24 dBu Input Impedance 2,450 Ohms (@ 1kHz) Output Impedance 50 Ohms Frequency Response 10Hz – 20kHz (+0.5/-0.0) EIN -126.5 dBu Typ. (10Hz–20kHz, 150 Ohm Source) THD+N <=0.0015% (20dB Gain @ 1kHz, +4dBu Out, 10Hz–20kHz Bandwidth) CMRR 65dB Gain 60Hz <=108dB 1kHz <=85dB 10kHz <=65dB Line driver section Gain 10dB Maximum Input +24 dBu Maximum Output +24 dBu Input Impedance 20k Ohms (Balanced) Output Impedance 50 Ohms Frequency Response 10Hz – 200kHz (+0.0/-0.25) THD+N <=0.001% (0dB Gain @ 1kHz, +4dBu Out, 10Hz–20kHz Bandwidth) Power supply Power Rails +24V Phantom +48V Power Consumption 10 Watts Power Requirements 100–120, 220–240 VAC
"What is important to me, is the musicians like the way it sounds." -Bruce Botnick
Why the MSS-10 "Shockingly good" is a stunning endorsement from Bruce Botnick, a man who has heard it all. His engineering work, from the Doors to major motion picture scores, is driven by his passion for audio. Bruce knows that the secret of legend-ary recording lies in capturing the excitement and beauty of the original performance. He selects only the best; equipment that faithfully reproduces every detail. Bruce chose the Martech MSS-10 over other well respected preamps because it left the audio from his world class mics unmolested. Coloration should be the prerogative of the engineer, not something that's unavoidable. Because even renowned preamps don't reproduce every detail they tend to color the sound. That's why one preamp is chosen for top, another for punch and a third for bottom. The lost detail and added artifacts requires heroics to try and restore the original sound. Because it adds absolutely no coloration, the MSS-10 will astonish you. Its natural sound adds nothing but gain and effortlessly delivers what everyone works so hard to achieve.
"I never use anything else when recording vocals." -Bobby Croft
"Whenever I record, I'll be using the MSS-10s. I would love to have a ton of them."-Al Schmitt
What is Natural Sound? When something sounds "better" than its source, its coloration is called euphonic. If it sounds worse, we have many esoteric or vulgar words to describe it. But if it sounds the same, its neutral or natural. Natural is not sterile. Sterile means unable to produce or lacking vitality. If anything, natural sound is the antithesis of sterility. And natural isn't just accuracy, for it moves one into the realm of realism. Natural sound is breathtaking, an aural seduction. Unconstrained dynamics that never get pinched at high levels. A highly focused image with low level ambience and room information that doesn't mysteriously disappear. Brilliant tonal quality with lots of air. Its top end that isn't smeared, midrange with warmth, and extra octaves of an extended bottom that is fat and solid. And when punch is required, stand back. Natural sound is all this and more because nothing is removed.
"If you really want to hear what your best microphones sound like, plug them into an MSS-10 and prepare for the sweet truth." -Mike Sokol, EQ Magazine, October 1997
A Peek Under The Lid Tracing out the schematic or unpotting the transformer will not reveal the secret of the MSS-10's natural sound. Martech's Natural Sound Design Methodology uses the exquisitely sensitive human ear to guide all design choices. Every component and circuit was listened to, individually and collectively, assuring the finest signal path possible. Thousands of hours were invested, listening for the subtlest differences compared against a wire. As a result, the heart of the MSS-10 is a proprietary, high resolution, high voltage, all discrete, non-inverting amplifier with a custom built, oversize input transformer. Special silver switches with redundant contacts are preconditioned with a stabilizing agent. Hard wiring avoids internal connectors. Carefully tuned DC servo amps eliminate the coloration of in-path capacitors, while improving bottom end response. Bipolar 24v rails provide true +24dBm output even into an unbalanced input.Finally, unique grounding techniques and balanced impedance outputs are used to ensure flawless interfacing to the outside world.
MSS-10 features and function The MSS-10 is comprised of dual signal paths in a single unit, allowing flexibility in getting the best audio from a microphone to a recorder. The preamp section uses two stages of gain from mic input to direct out, providing wide bandwidth and a stable design. It features 65dB of gain switched in 5dB steps, 48V phantom, a 20dB pad and phase reverse. The line driver section can select the preamp out or a balanced line input. This makes a great EQ insert point. The level control adjusts continuously from infinity to +10dB, allowing for riding of gain. The addition of a mute and professional VU meter allows the finest audio quality possible to be sent directly to the recorder. Engaging the Cal button provides precise VU monitoring of the selected source. Not only does it sound awesome, it looks like a piece of art. The sophisticated, elegant appearance of the matte finish, nickel-plated faceplate matches your finest microphones while ergonomic knobs and lighted push buttons provide positional information at a glance from any angle. The beautiful package tells your clients that you own only the best.
"The Specs are impressive, but Martech clearly intends the performance to be judged by the ear rather than the meter." - Dave Foister, Studio Sound, June 1997
Technical Specifications
Microphone Preamplifier Section Gain 20dB–65dB Maximum Input +22.5 dBu (@ 1kHz, THD <= 0.003%, 20 dB Pad In) Maximum Output +24 dBu Input Impedance 2,450 Ohms (@ 1kHz) Output Impedance 50 Ohms Frequency Response 10Hz – 20kHz (+0.5/-0.0) EIN -126.5 dBu Typ. (10Hz–20kHz, 150 Ohm Source) THD+N <=0.0015% (20dB Gain @ 1kHz, +4dBu Out, 10Hz–20kHz Bandwidth) CMRR 65dB Gain 60Hz <=108dB 1kHz <=85dB 10kHz <=65dB Line driver section Gain 10dB Maximum Input +24 dBu Maximum Output +24 dBu Input Impedance 20k Ohms (Balanced) Output Impedance 50 Ohms Frequency Response 10Hz – 200kHz (+0.0/-0.25) THD+N <=0.001% (0dB Gain @ 1kHz, +4dBu Out, 10Hz–20kHz Bandwidth) Power supply Power Rails +24V Phantom +48V Power Consumption 10 Watts Power Requirements 100–120, 220–240 VAC
"What is important to me, is the musicians like the way it sounds." -Bruce Botnick
