Geni Swing Guitars

Band Preamp

If MP3 has been the standard extension for downloadable music files from the Internet, now a new generation is rising. Fortunately for all audiophiles like me, we're talking about a "loss-less" compressing format. This means we can download music of about the same quality as a recorded master.

The question now is: will my computer play it as well as an audiophile audio device? If so, will I still want to buy LPs and CDs? Daniel Weiss, from Weiss Engineering, in his article "Music Playback From A Computer -- The Audiophile's Concerns" makes it clear that it is possible for a computer to play music as well as a CD player. A CD may have scratches and vibrate while spinning.

This leads CD player manufacturers to implement algorithmic systems, which guess the lost data. This means that the signal does not perfectly match the recorded one on the disc anymore. Conversely, hard disks do not produce any errors while reading files (imagine that a single wrong bit can make data useless). In this sense hard-drives are superior to CD-transports.

But connecting your PC or Mac to your hi-fi's preamp should be done with an excellent cable through a high-end D/A converter, as its sound card is never of a reasonable quality. A PC always makes a little "fuzz" which becomes annoying while listening to music. The simplest solution is to avoid noisy fans and implement a water-cooling system. Where it is not possible to eliminate the fans, replace them with quieter ones. Since a computer's metal case can also produce noise, it could be substituted with a plexiglass case standing on vibration dampers.

The "loss-less" compressing formats out on the Internet are FLAC, ALAC and WMA. We can download un-compressed files from online music shops much more easily than going to a physical store. For sure this is an advantage, but many of us will still buy LPs and CD's. They hold their value over the years, and besides, it's nice to read the booklets while listening. Even though a computer can stand as an audiophile audio device, digital sound will never beat the analog of vinyl records.

Lorenzo V.

Reference: Weiss Engineering

B-Band A1.2N Acoustic Guitar Endpin Preamp $119.99 B-Band A1.2N Acoustic Guitar Endpin Preamp

Boss 4 BAND PREAMP EQUALIZER EQ1208 $36.16 Boss 4 BAND PREAMP EQUALIZER EQ1208

Boss 7 BAND PREAMP EQUALIZER AVA1204 $33.09 Boss 7 BAND PREAMP EQUALIZER AVA1204

Boss Audio Systems / 7 BAND PREAMP EQUALIZER / AVA1204 $40.33 Boss Audio Systems - 7 BAND PREAMP EQUALIZER - AVA1204

B-Band A5T Acoustic Guitar Sidemount Preamp Narrow $159.99 B-Band A5T Acoustic Guitar Sidemount Preamp Narrow

B-Band A2.2 XOM Acoustic Guitar Preamp Narrow $189.99 B-Band A2.2 XOM Acoustic Guitar Preamp Narrow

B-Band A2.2 XOM Acoustic Guitar Preamp Wide $189.99 B-Band A2.2 XOM Acoustic Guitar Preamp Wide

B-Band A5T Acoustic Guitar Sidemount Preamp Wide $159.99 B-Band A5T Acoustic Guitar Sidemount Preamp Wide

B-Band A3T Acoustic Guitar Sidemount Preamp Narrow $129.99 B-Band A3T Acoustic Guitar Sidemount Preamp Narrow

B-Band A5T Acoustic Guitar Sidemount Preamp Wide 889406476707 $57 B-Band A5T Acoustic Guitar Sidemount Preamp Wide 889406476707

Tube-Tech MMC 1A Mic Preamp and Multi-Band Compressor $4590 Tube-Tech MMC 1A Mic Preamp and Multi-Band Compressor

B-Band A2.2 Xom Acoustic Guitar Preamp Narrow $189.99 B-Band A2.2 XOM Acoustic Guitar Preamp Narrow

B-Band A2.2 Xom Acoustic Guitar Preamp Wide $189.99 B-Band A2.2 XOM Acoustic Guitar Preamp Wide

B-Band A5t Acoustic Guitar Sidemount Preamp Wide $159.99 B-Band A5T Acoustic Guitar Sidemount Preamp Wide

B-Band A3t Acoustic Guitar Sidemount Preamp Narrow $129.99 B-Band A3T Acoustic Guitar Sidemount Preamp Narrow

Tube-Tech Mmc 1A Mic Preamp And Multi-Band Compressor $4590 Tube-Tech MMC 1A Mic Preamp and Multi-Band Compressor

B-Band A5t Acoustic Guitar Sidemount Preamp Narrow $159.99 B-Band A5T Acoustic Guitar Sidemount Preamp Narrow

B-Band U1.5T Onboard Sidemount Ukulele Preamp with Chromatic Tuner and Undersaddle Pickup $103.99 B-Band U1.5T Onboard Sidemount Ukulele Preamp with Chromatic Tuner and Undersaddle Pickup

B-Band U1.5T Onboard Sidemount Ukulele Preamp With Chromatic Tuner And Undersaddle Pickup $103.99 B-Band U1.5T Onboard Sidemount Ukulele Preamp with Chromatic Tuner and Undersaddle Pickup

Phonic VocalMax A6400 Microphone Preamp $162.89 Phonic's VocalMax A6400 Mic Preamp has been compressed into a single rackmount unit and features a mic preamp, noise gate, tube emulation, tone control, a built-in compressor, dual-band parametric EQ and a de-esser. Effective for any singer, the A6400 is an effective and versatile device that's practical in any situation calling for the livening of vocals and instruments.Classic discrete transistor with instrument input Tube emulator for creating realistic tube and tape saturation sounds Precision gate for smooth noise reduction Professional compressor with full set of parameter controls Tone controller with overdrive, bass, and brightness control 2-band parametric EQ De-esser for removing excess sibilance from vocal tracks High-performance VCA's for generating extremely natural sounds Balanced XLR and 1/4" TRS inputs and outputs Illuminated Buttons for easy monitoring of operation status

B-Band U1.3T Onboard Sidemount Ukulele Preamp with Tuner and Undersaddle Pickup $95.99 The B-Band U1.3T sidemount single input preamp with fully chromatic tuner has smallish dimensions to fit at the side of most any ukulele. The preamp also features rotary controls for volume and tone, Tuner ON button and low battery LED. The preamp is one-piece, drop-in installation format. The active preamp is powered by two, 3-volt, cointype, (6-volts total) batteries.About B-BandB-Band is original. When outdated piezo crystal technologies have been mutated in countless ways, and extra hardware expanded to make the acoustic instrument to sound "more real", B-Band Ltd has concentrated its efforts in a different direction. B-Band Ltd has developed an unique and innovative transducer material, and manufacturing technology that produces a pickup that more efficiently replicates the natural sound of any instrument.The material is a permanently charged film with microscopic gas bubbles trapped inside and produces signal in a completely different way than other materials used for pickups. As vibrations are fed to the pickup they pass without multiplying the output signal but with a very wide frequency response and dynamic range resulting in a more natural reproduction of the instrument's sound with none of the dynamic problems that other materials impart. Even when hitting the strings hard the sound will remain clear and free of synthetic tone. When playing softly all the subtle dynamics and nuances of the performance will be heard. Also the pickup has a natural resistance to feedback that enables performances in loud environments.B-Band transducer systems, in their simplicity, do not color the tone and are so unobtrusive that they do not spoil the natural uniqueness of your instrument.

B-Band U1.3T Onboard Sidemount Ukulele Preamp With Tuner And Undersaddle Pickup $95.99 The B-Band U1.3T sidemount single input preamp with fully chromatic tuner has smallish dimensions to fit at the side of most any ukulele. The preamp also features rotary controls for volume and tone, Tuner ON button and low battery LED. The preamp is one-piece, drop-in installation format. The active preamp is powered by two, 3-volt, cointype, (6-volts total) batteries.About B-BandB-Band is original. When outdated piezo crystal technologies have been mutated in countless ways, and extra hardware expanded to make the acoustic instrument to sound "more real", B-Band Ltd has concentrated its efforts in a different direction. B-Band Ltd has developed an unique and innovative transducer material, and manufacturing technology that produces a pickup that more efficiently replicates the natural sound of any instrument.The material is a permanently charged film with microscopic gas bubbles trapped inside and produces signal in a completely different way than other materials used for pickups. As vibrations are fed to the pickup they pass without multiplying the output signal but with a very wide frequency response and dynamic range resulting in a more natural reproduction of the instrument's sound with none of the dynamic problems that other materials impart. Even when hitting the strings hard the sound will remain clear and free of synthetic tone. When playing softly all the subtle dynamics and nuances of the performance will be heard. Also the pickup has a natural resistance to feedback that enables performances in loud environments.B-Band transducer systems, in their simplicity, do not color the tone and are so unobtrusive that they do not spoil the natural uniqueness of your instrument.Fully chromatic tunerTuner ON button also mutes output signalTuner works even when the ukulele is not plugged inOne-piece, drop-in format for easy installationVolume and tone rotary controlsPowered by two, 3-volt, cointype batteriesHZZLess low-noise / high output circuitBattery holder and output jack included

Dtar Equinox Parametric Equalizer Preamp $258.3 The Equinox from D-TAR, is an audiophile-quality 3-band parametric equalizer preamp with low noise components and circuit design that makes it ideal for studio and live use. The Equinox preamp's frequency sweep control, bandwidth control, and boost/cut control corrects or enhances very specific tonal problem areas. Dual notch filters control or eliminate acoustic feedback. D-TAR Equinox is an ideal preamp for musicians who require precise control of their EQ in any environment.D-TAR - Duncan/Turner Acoustic ResearchSeymour Duncan and Rick Turner are two legends who spent years working with musicians, perfecting their tone. Seymour founded his self-named company in 1978 which has become well-known for its wide variety of guitar and bass pickups used by just about every name player from Billie Joe Armstrong to Angus Young. Rick co-founded Alembic, was president of Gibson Labs West Coast R&D Division, co-founded Highlander Musical Audio making piezo acoustic guitar pickups for Lindsay Buckingham, Ry Cooder, David Lindley, and Andy Summers, and runs his own Renaissance Guitars. Now Seymour and Rick are working together to create innovative products for acoustic musicians. Their D-TAR motto: "With respect to acoustic tone."3 Band Parametric Equalizer Preamp Allows precise EQ control to correct or enhance very specific tonal problem areas with frequency sweep control, bandwidth control, and boost/cut controlTwo independent notch filters Eliminate acoustic feedback20 dB gain switch Provides instant gainTrue bypass switching of non-activated functions bypass switch removes entire EQ and notch filter sections from signal chain leaving only high impedance, low noise input and buffered outputHigh quality components extremely low noise and distortion, audiophile quality sound¼" stereo input jack allows connecting input and output to Solstice on a single, stereo cableCompact, portable design an be used as a stand-alone preamp for ultra portable instrument amplification systemsInput Jack: ¼" Stereo, input on tip / output on ring, allows interface with DTAR Solstice (Acoustic Mixer) using a single, stereo cable.Output Jack: 1/4" MonoPower Supply: Internal ±15V derived from 15VAC external, wall mounted power transformer.

Winegard AP-8780 Preamp for TV Antenna $49.99 Improve your reception of both VHF and UHF signals with the ANWI8780 from Winegard. This inline preamp mounts to you antenna mast for convenient placement. The 17dB average gain for VHF and 28dB for UHF easily overcome any signal losses due to the length of your coax cable. A fast recovery diode and advanced circuitry virtually eliminates transistor burn-out. The high impact ABS housing protects the preamp from the elements. Specifications: 75 Ohm High Gain, Low Noise Avg. VHF gain 17db, UHF 28db Selectable FM Trap Features: Universal housing can be used with any off-air TV antenna. Made of high impact ABS material, mast mounted for easy installation. Flexible polyethylene boot covers on 75 ohm;. Zinc-plated steel hardware; all mounting hardware Selectable FM trap reduces FM signals (88-108 MHz) -15 dB to prevent overload, tunable FM trap reduces a 3 MHz band width by -12 dB. Both adjustable — switchable without opening the housing. Transistor burn-out virtually eliminated with specialized circuitry featuring fast recovery diode that protects against lightning-caused pulses. Operating temperatures -40° to +140° F. 117 VAC UL and CSA approved power supply is included. (Does not include F-connectors.)

B-Band U1.0 Onboard End-Pin Ukulele Preamp With Undersaddle Pickup $79.99 The B-Band U1.0 single input ukulele preamp is an all-in-one matchbox size assembly with preamp, output jack and a disc battery holder included that is side-mounted.About B-BandB-Band is original. When outdated piezo crystal technologies have been mutated in countless ways, and extra hardware expanded to make the acoustic instrument to sound "more real", B-Band Ltd has concentrated its efforts in a different direction. B-Band Ltd has developed an unique and innovative transducer material, and manufacturing technology that produces a pickup that more efficiently replicates the natural sound of any instrument.The material is a permanently charged film with microscopic gas bubbles trapped inside and produces signal in a completely different way than other materials used for pickups. As vibrations are fed to the pickup they pass without multiplying the output signal but with a very wide frequency response and dynamic range resulting in a more natural reproduction of the instrument's sound with none of the dynamic problems that other materials impart. Even when hitting the strings hard the sound will remain clear and free of synthetic tone. When playing softly all the subtle dynamics and nuances of the performance will be heard. Also the pickup has a natural resistance to feedback that enables performances in loud environments.B-Band transducer systems, in their simplicity, do not color the tone and are so unobtrusive that they do not spoil the natural uniqueness of your instrument.One-piece, drop-in format for easy installationPowered by two, 3-volt, cointype batteriesHZZLess low-noise / high output circuitAll one piece assembly including preamp, battery holder and output jack

B-Band U1.0 Onboard End-Pin Ukulele Preamp with Undersaddle Pickup $79.99 The B-Band U1.0 single input ukulele preamp is an all-in-one matchbox size assembly with preamp, output jack and a disc battery holder included that is side-mounted.About B-BandB-Band is original. When outdated piezo crystal technologies have been mutated in countless ways, and extra hardware expanded to make the acoustic instrument to sound "more real", B-Band Ltd has concentrated its efforts in a different direction. B-Band Ltd has developed an unique and innovative transducer material, and manufacturing technology that produces a pickup that more efficiently replicates the natural sound of any instrument.The material is a permanently charged film with microscopic gas bubbles trapped inside and produces signal in a completely different way than other materials used for pickups. As vibrations are fed to the pickup they pass without multiplying the output signal but with a very wide frequency response and dynamic range resulting in a more natural reproduction of the instrument's sound with none of the dynamic problems that other materials impart. Even when hitting the strings hard the sound will remain clear and free of synthetic tone. When playing softly all the subtle dynamics and nuances of the performance will be heard. Also the pickup has a natural resistance to feedback that enables performances in loud environments.B-Band transducer systems, in their simplicity, do not color the tone and are so unobtrusive that they do not spoil the natural uniqueness of your instrument.