Grace Design m801 updated to Mk2 version
Posted on: Thursday 6th of December 2018
In 1994 Grace released their first production unit, the Model 801 mic preamplifier featuring independent circuit boards for each channel, gold contact rotary gain controls wired with precision metal film resistors, a musical sounding ‘transimpedance’ (current feedback) gain stage, gold contact sealed relay signal switching, and no electrolytic capacitors in the signal path.
Twenty years later, the m801mk2 builds on its predecessors with better noise performance at low gains, increased low-frequency bandwidth for improved phase response, and improved RFI/EMI immunity. The external DC power supply has been replaced with an internal supply, providing a cleaner, simpler design. The m801mk2 includes eight balanced mic-level inputs on female XLR connectors, eight balanced line-level outputs on male XLR connectors, and an additional eight balanced line-level outputs on male XLR connectors. Both sets of analogue outs (16 outputs) can be used simultaneously. Included on each preamp channel is a dedicated ribbon microphone switch, which shifts the preamplifier’s entire gain range up 10dB while deactivating +48-volt phantom power and bypassing the coupling capacitors. The m801mk2 has a MSRP of $4,200.
