Warm Audio TB12 Black Tonebeast Microphone Preamp

Description

The Tone Beast is a great mic pre with loads of gain that can effortlessly capture an array of sources very well. With top-notch CineMag transformers and multiple discrete signal paths, it's hard to beat its big, bold, fully-professional sound at its price.
The Tone Beast is a mic pre that likes to be pushed and when pushed will colorize your signal ever so sweetly. The 2 opamps and 2 output transformers at the flip of their switches won't appear to be much different, but as one drives the pre into harmonic distortion, the unique character of each of these components becomes apparent. Additionally the Tone Beast is customizable and allows for other opamps to be sourced and easily swapped into the unit
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Warm Audio TB12 Black Tonebeast Microphone Preamp
item# 1500000301319
The Tone Beast is a great mic pre with loads of gain that can effortlessly capture an array of sources very well. With top-notch CineMag transformers and multiple discrete signal paths, it's hard to beat its big, bold, fully-professional sound at its price.
The Tone Beast is a mic pre that likes to be pushed and when pushed will colorize your signal ever so sweetly. The 2 opamps and 2 output transformers at the flip of their switches won't appear to be much different, but as one drives the pre into harmonic distortion, the unique character of each of these components becomes apparent. Additionally the Tone Beast is customizable and allows for other opamps to be sourced and easily swapped into the unit. I've pulled my best tones from this pre right at the saturation point (as loud as I can push the gain before clipping). The output control on the TB12 allows you to limit the signal exiting the preamp even when pushing the gain to really hot levels, giving you maximum control.
The x731 (Melcor 1731) and x18 (Dean Jensen's 918) Op Amps saturate a bit differently. The 1731 breaks up faster and has more color when pushed. The 918 is fairly linear/clean with a smidge of character and does not break-up/saturate as quickly. The 100% steel output transformer colors the signal more than the 50% nickel transformer when pushed. However, both are designed to impart character. The 50% nickel transformer will impart less character and provide greater high and low frequencies. For an ultra clean, character-lacking tone, try the x18 while bypassing the output transformers completely.
Have no fear of hurting the Beast, you can push it very hard into full-on distortions if you wish, and these can sound quite nice on electric guitar, bass or anything else that likes some nice grit.
When hand building mic pres I learned a bit about the "subtle" differences component choices can make. A little change here, and another there often times became a huge deal in a finished mix, but often times is not very noticeable at first take. The different component options in the TB12 are subtle, but when driven into saturation are noticeable and can make a big difference to the way your final mix will sound.
Home-based musicians and professional studios alike will find the Tone Beast to be an extremely powerful and fully professional piece of gear that is capable of warming and shaping signals/mixes in a way that is very pleasing to the ear.
History behind the tone beast
In the '60s and '70s many console/preamplifier builders hid the operational amplifier (Op amp) stage of their preamps by cramming its components into a small box and then attaching the box to the circuit board. Inside these small boxes, the components were covered in glue to make them hard to disassemble/analyze. Manufacturers of that day felt the character these Op Amps imparted was unique enough to protect.
A trend grew in the industry where the little box the Op Amp components sat in became of similar size and shape between manufacturers. These boxes eventually mounted to the PCB board with the same number of pins, spaced identically, even from different manufacturers. You could remove an Op Amp from one console preamp and place it in another of a different manufacturer without much headache/difficulty.
The TB12 uses this same square shaped op amp and pin configuration as these originals but not enclosed in plastic and glue. The TB12 is designed so that users can remove the stock opamps and replace them with their own. If you are a tone FREAK like me you will love the ability to do this. Beware that Warm Audio may not be able to warranty a unit that has been opened and tinkered with. Below are some examples of 6 pin opamps that can pop right into the Tone Beast.
Features:
Versatile tones from vintage to modern
Capacitor select
Supplies phantom power
Bypass transformer
Specifications:
Discrete 312 preamp design with coupled CineMag Transformers
71db of gain
Transformer selection provides both Steel and 50% Nickel CineMag output transformers for rying character
Transformer bypass switch allows for removal of the output transformer from the circuit
Discrete Opamp selection provides both the classic 1731(vintage) and 918(cleaner) style opamps. These are socketed/swappable with your choice of 2520 6 pin footprint opamps.
Impedance switch labeled TONE to switch between 150 and 600 ohms input impedance
Capacitor selection between Tantalum and Electrolytic for different characters
80hz hipass filter
Polarity Reverse
+48V phantom power
Output attenuation allowing for saturation flexibility of both the opamps and transformers
¼" insert for the use of inline compressors, eq's etc..
Balanced XLR mic (front and back), balanced TRS line, and ¼" instrument inputs
Balanced XLR and TRS outputs
-20db Pad
LED VU Meter
19" rackmountable
External line-lump 24V AC power transformer for low noise
Shipping
Orders are generally shipped the following business day after payment is received. For example, if your order is placed AND paid for at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, Musicians Friend will ship it on Monday. We are only shipping eBay orders via standard ground shipping at this time (3-7 business days for delivery once the item leaves our warehouse)
Payment
We use eBay Managed Payments and accept the following forms of payment credit, debit, and gift cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and PayPal Credit.
Sales Tax
We are required to collect sales tax on all orders, except those shipped to the following states: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon.
Store Policies
If you’re not satisfied, neither are we. If for any reason you’re not completely satisfied with your purchase of a new item, simply return it in its original condition within 45 days of purchase (see exceptions below) and we’ll give you a full refund. It’s that simple. Returned items must be in original, brand-new condition, showing no signs of wear or use such as belt-buckle or pick scratches, scuffs, dings or scrapes on the instrument or collateral materials. Items must also include all original packaging, manuals, warrantees and accessories or your return may be subject to a return handling charge.
Your refund will be promptly processed upon successful evaluation of your returned item from our trained category professionals in 2-3 business days. Refunds are made for product value only, excluding shipping and handling charges. If you received Free Shipping on your order, the value of the uncharged shipping cost will be deducted from your refund.
Limitations and Exceptions
Returns of the following products must be made within 10 days of shipment - Stringed instruments priced at 99.00 or more. The following products cannot be returned – Clearance items, Apple products, items identified as non-returnable, discontinued items, electronic software downloads, demo gear, vintage instruments, strings, reeds, computers, tubes, earbuds, earplugs, recorders, tin whistles, flutophones, "world" wind instruments, harmonicas, raw-frame speakers, drumheads, drumsticks, turntable cartridges, fog fluid, clothing/footwear, body jewelry, sheet music, cleaners, polishes and polishing cloths, software/soundware, books, CDs, DVD's, vinyl records, and videos.The following fees apply to Band & Orchestra returns - All returned woodwind and brass instruments incur a .00 sanitization fee. Returned bows are assessed a .00 restocking fee. Returned mouthpieces over 0 incur an .00 sanitization fee; the fee for mouthpieces under 0 is .00.
Should you decide to return your shipment, please follow the return steps printed on the back of your invoice and pack your return carefully to prevent damage in shipment. All returns must:
1. Include a Return Authorization Number; (Please contact us via eBay messages for an RA number)
2. Be in the original packaging complete with all collateral materials such as cases, straps, cables, care kits, certificates of authenticity, warranty cards, manuals, and any other materials that originally shipped with the instrument;
3. Be in brand-new condition, showing no signs of wear or use such as belt-buckle or pick scratches, scuffs, dings, or scrapes on the instrument or collateral materials.