The unit includes phantom power and battery supplies as standard. Should the phantom power from the console fail or be accidentally switched off, the AR-133 automatically switches over to the internal 9V battery providing uninterrupted use.
The unit is housed in a rugged aluminium extrusion case, with robust polyurethane end-cheeks which give the AR-133 a very distinctive look.
Input connectors are both 1/4" jack sockets and an XLR socket, the latter meaning that the AR-133 can be used to convert unbalanced signals to a balanced output on XLRs throughout.
The arched case allows cables to run back underneath the unit from the end for neat cable management.
Input attenuation is 0, -20 or -40dB, making the box suitable for instrument, line or amplifier levels on inputs. On the output side, a ground-lift switch is provided for quick solutions to ground-loop problems.
The AR-133 uses an enhanced version of the same audio path as the AR-116, now regarded by many people as a reference standard. The sound quality is legendary, particularly on acoustic and bass guitars.
Numerous applications can be satisfied by the AR-133. For example, as well as the traditional guitar use, the AR-133 can be used with keyboards, DJ consoles, amplifier outputs, and other electronic sources.
An additional bonus is the ability to use the AR-133 as an active balancing device.
Specifications
Input Section
Input Impedance
1M Ohm (pad at 0dB)
47k Ohm (pad at -20dB)
47k Ohm (pad at -40dB)
Max Input Level
+9dBu (pad at 0dB)
+29dBu (pad at -20dB)
+49dBu (pad at -40dB)
Connectors
Two Parallel 1/4" jack connectors and a parallel XLR connector
(unbalanced)
Jack:
Tip Hot (+ve)
Sleeve Ground
XLR:
Pin 2 Hot (+ve)
Pin 1 & 3 Ground
Output Section
Output
Transformer Balanced
Max. Output Level
+8dBu into 600 Ohms or greater
Connector
XLR3-32 or equivalent
System Performance
Distortion (THD)
< 0.005% at 1khz, 0dbu output
Noise
< -105db unweighted, 22hz-22khz, rms*
Frequency Response
30Hz to 20kHz, +0dB/-1dB
General
Main/Standby battery
9 volt PP3 type, preferably alkaline.
Current drain
on phantom - less than 7.5mA
on battery - less than 2mA.
Phantom Power
+20 volts DC to +48 volts DC
Weight
650 gms, excluding batteries.
Overall Dimensions
59 mm x 124 mm x 143 mm (2.3" x 4.9" x 5.6")
Studio Economik New 500 series preamp from Geoffrey Daking featuring vintage Trident A Range tone, Jensen input transformer and Class A circuitry. The variable high pass filter is indispensable for tracking sessions!
