In a collaboration with the legendary Ted Fletcher, we set out to create a high-end MIC PRE & LIMITER, with a multi gain-stage design in the 500-Series format.
The silky smooth top end combined with the natural and warm sound reproduction of the source material will never sound harsh with the z501.The limiter is extremely smooth but yet very fast and effective in moderate settings. But when used in extreme settings it will give you a sound with a burly character. In light settings, the Limiter reacts like a soft clip to protect the signal from distorting and overloading the AD/DA converters or the tape recorders alike. Since the unit is designed with a multi gain-stage topology, every gain-stage is used to raise the gain in small amounts, leaving a tremendous amount of headroom. The result is a very smooth sounding Mic Pre with a lush and warm sound character. Perfect choice if you are looking for a natural reproduction of the source material, the result will be a very musical and warm soundscape. The z501 is especially well suited for smooth vocals. When serving as the Mic Pre choice for the overhead mics for the drum kit it can tame even harsh cymbals. When used on a string ensemble it will bring out the details without sounding brittle and thin when replayed. It actually shines in every situation and if a distorted sound character is preferred just add a distortion unit to color the sound after the z501 in the signal chain. This will give you the aggressive cut through sound when needed but with the full frequency spectra in the foundation of the recorded source, resulting in a massive sound. Special attention was paid to ergonomics and also the visual language to make sure that there will always be effective readability and visual feedback supporting you in the most focus demanding and dynamic situations, to find the right control fast makes you work better and saves time.
Functions
LINE switch: switches between line and mic input level signal.
GAIN CONTROL Use the gain control to trim the level of the amplification of the input signal. Too little, and you won’t be able to hear anything, but too much and your signal might go into clipping. Always follow the LED indicators for the signal level and make sure that you are always below the red zone, or the red zone only light up occasionally. To do fine-tuning and compress some peak values, use the limiter (explained below).
+48V Power supply for condenser microphones, turn this switch on ONLY for this type of input device.
75Hz This high pass filter is excellent for taming low frequencies from a mic, but depending on your application, you can use this function on any input you want.
ø POLARITY Regular function which rotates the signal for 180 degrees. Important – not to be confused with phase shifting, this function only reverses the poles of the output signal. For example, if you are recording a snare drum with two microphones, one on top and one under the snare drum, you must rotate the polarity on one of the microphones so the two signals don’t cancel each other out.
LIMITER – a type of compressor designed for a specific purpose to limit the level of a signal. The graph below shows a limiting ratio of infinity to one, i.e. there is no gain at all above the threshold.
THRESHOLD Turning the THRESHOLD from MORE to LESS increases the value for the signal level at which the limiter will be active when the LIMITER is ON.
OUTPUT Attenuating the output level
Features of ZUTA z501 TF Edition
- Hand-built design for optimal performance
- High-quality transformer and components
- You can switch the input between the line and microphone
- Capable of fully processing analog signals
- Convenient Gain Control
- High Pass Filter: 75Hz
- Phantom Power: 48Hz
- Polarity Reverse Switch
- Active limiting indicator
- Threshold Control Limiter
- Signal Level Indicator LED
