When it comes to live sound, the mic preamp is typically considered only as an afterthought. In contrast to our studio recording brethren who spend many an hour obsessing over the best preamp to use for any given input source, we tend to assume that preamps are a given—they are what they are based on our choice of mixing board. But even though we don't view them as such, the mic preamp makes a huge difference in the sound quality that ends up coming out of our speakers.
The True Systems Precision 8 is, as its name suggests, a single rack space unit with eight highly transparent, solid-state microphone preamps. Upon receiving the box from the manufacturer, one of the first things I noticed was that it is heavy; almost 15 pounds to be exact. It's also deep at 13.4 inches. Clearly there is a lot of discrete circuitry in that single rack space.
The front panel, finished in a very attractive red anodized aluminum, is populated with eight hefty, machined continuous-gain knobs and a collection of solid-feeling buttons for selecting the operating modes for each channel. Each channel includes a five-segment meter for gain monitoring with a selectable peak-hold function.
The rear panel contains eight XLR input jacks, two of which are combo jacks that will also accept a 1/4-inch plug. Those two channels double as high-quality DIs (direct inputs), which adds to the versatility of this device. The output section is composed of eight 1/4-inch TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) jacks and a DB-25 multi-pin connector. Both are always live, so you could effectively split the output quite easily.
True Systems states that the frequency response for the Precision 8 is 1.5 Hz-500,000 Hz (±3 dB). No, that's not a typo; it does say the upper limit is 500 kHz. Of course, we had no way to test that, but it sure seemed like the high end was clean and flat as far up as we could hear. Each mic input has 64 dB of gain and an input impedance of 5.5k Ohms. Noise is rated at -132 dB e.i.n., and total TDH (total harmonic distortion) is a negligible .0008%.
The architecture is a high-voltage composite design that uses both discrete and integrated circuits. By using a totally balanced, dual-servo design, the company has nearly eliminated capacitors in the audio path, and the output section is DC-coupled. If none of that makes any sense to you, don't worry. The bottom line is that it's well designed and well made; and they really didn't skimp on anything.
The Reviewer's Take
My initial impressions of high quality were backed up when we started listening to it. There are many obvious applications for this product, but one interesting angle that True Systems is looking at is to help churches upgrade their sound if the pre's in their console aren't quite adequate. To test this idea, we took a somewhat extreme case and A/B'd the Precision 8 with the Yamaha MG32 in our community room. I liked this test, because while we have a pretty good PA in there that can sound very solid, and the current board (one of Yamaha's least expensive models) doesn't do it justice.
I took two Heil PR-22 and PR-30 microphones over to the room and ran one through the Precision 8's preamp then into a line input of the MG32, and the other into the board's built-in preamp. With both mics the difference was immediate and apparent. The Precision 8 had considerably more upper and lower end, a beautifully open mid-range, excellent transient response and sounded quite a bit more open overall. Listening to the board's built-in pre's sounded like there was a blanket over the mic in comparison.
Now, to be fair, the Precision 8 costs more than twice what the entire MG32 mixing console costs, so this is not a “fair” comparison. But it did effectively demonstrate the considerable and obvious sound upgrade you can get by swapping the preamps.
Moving on, I took the unit home and set it up in my studio. I have a Focusrite Saffire 24 digital signal processor that I have been quite happy with. Because I use it weekly, I'm pretty used to the way it sounds. Again, putting the Precision 8 in the chain opened up the sound considerably. The pre's in the Saffire sound good, but the Precision 8 almost sounds like it's not even there. On a variety of microphones, the sound improved noticeably—though perhaps not as much as the previous test—and we all liked the results.
Again, on a per-channel basis, the Precision 8 is considerably more money, but the results still hold. So far, the Precision 8 has been beating up on the smaller kids; I wanted to see how it held up against somebody its own size. So I put it in the hands of our church's resident sax man, Keith Feltch, who is a well-respected live and session player here in Southern California. He put it up against his personal Grace 101 preamp and came away surprised at how good the Precision 8 sounded.
In tracking various saxophones and percussion instruments, the True pre's sounded very open and transparent. Both Feltch and another discriminating musician felt the midrange was smoother and more open, and the low end had more depth. At this level, it's easier to make a case for either preamp depending on the source, but clearly the True was in the same league and, in some cases, better than the comparison devices.
But the question remains; is the Precision 8 worth considering as an upgrade to a church sound system? The answer is, it depends. If you have a reasonably good PA with reasonably good musicians on stage (and by reasonably good, I mean really solid with no major deficiencies), and if you are unhappy with the quality of the preamps in your current mixer, than I would say yes, give this a go. While not inexpensive—the Precision 8 lists for $2,699—it is just over $300 a preamp, which isn't bad. In many cases, this could be a great sonic improvement without replacing the entire board.
The bottom line is simple: The Precision 8 is a fantastic product with excellent sound quality. It appears to be very well made and I would expect it to deliver years of reliable service. The price is fair considering the competition, and it is a pleasure to use. Isn't that what we want from our audio gear?
