PreSonus Announces RC 500 Channel Strip – Solid State Preamp, FET Compressor, 3-Band EQ

August 24th, 2013 by Trenton

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PreSonus is looking to cover all of the bases in preamp and channel strip varieties.

Their previous channel strip release was the ADL 700 which took everything from their famous ADL 600, condensed it to a single channel tube pre and added a FET compressor and a 4-band semi-parametric EQ.

The single channel RC 500 features a solid state preamp, FET compressor, and 3-band EQ.

With the release of the RC 500 channel strip, PreSonus’s Robert Creel (‘RC’ – designer of the PreSonus XMAX preamp, ADL 700 and other analog circuitry) created a more affordable channel strip of comparable merit that replaces the tube pre with a newly designed solid state preamp but keeps the same FET compressor and EQ circuitry (now 3-band) of the ADL 700.

The RC 500 is expected to ship September 2013 for $999.95 MSRP. Here are more details from PreSonus:

The New Vintage

It’s rare to find a truly outstanding solid-state channel strip that can deliver a vintage vibe reminiscent of classic high-end products, yet employs a thoroughly modern design. To find one that you can buy without heavily depleting your bank account is even more rare.

But there is one channel strip that delivers the goods without the big tab: the PreSonus^® RC 500.

The Gentleman Magician

In the process of developing the ADL 700, which uses the same high-voltage tube preamp found in the award-winning ADL 600 (codeveloped by PreSonus and Anthony DeMaria), Creel came up with a new design for a very special solid-state preamp that uses a Class A hybrid input stage with discrete transistors and the latest-generation, low-distortion operational amplifiers. Everyone at PreSonus who heard his prototype was so blown away by its transparent, detailed, clear sound that the new preamp immediately became an in-house legend. By popular demand, Creel’s superb preamp became the heart of the new RC 500, named “RC” in Robert Creel’s honor.

The RC 500 combines the custom-designed FET compressor and semi-parametric EQ circuits that Creel developed for PreSonus’ highly lauded ADL 700 tube channel strip with his new ultra-low-distortion, high-gain, solid-state Class A preamplifier design, which delivers consistent, repeatable, transparent, detailed audio. A balanced analog insert sends the source signal out of your RC 500 before the compressor, EQ, and Master Gain stages and returns the signal directly to the compressor stage, allowing you to add external processors.

The result is a top-of-the-line — yet very affordable — channel strip for recording engineers and recording musicians, with a sound that is reminiscent of classic, vintage solid-state preamps.

The Compressor: Fun with FETs

The RC 500’s FET (Field-Effect Transistor) compressor includes fully variable attack, release, and threshold controls, as well as bypass controls. The compression ratio is fixed at 3:1. This combination provides lots of flexibility without giving you enough rope to hang yourself!

A Smooth, Refined, Musical EQ

The RC 500’s 3-band semi-parametric EQ was designed by Robert Creel to match the preamp and compressor. It combines isolated filters and optimized, per-band Q to provide subtle signal-shaping without harsh artifacts.

Yes, of Course It Has That!

Of course, you get +48V phantom power, polarity inversion, and a 20 dB pad! Those features are a given with PreSonus preamps and channel strips. And there’s more!