ProAudio Review - October 2008 - (Page 20) STUDIO | REVIEW by Russ Long shaping and ofinstrument levels up to line level and impedance and all of the Coming From functions deal with bringing line levels down to instrument levels. All of the front panel’s 1/4-inch jacks are either Neutrik gold or mil-spec Switchcrafts and are duplicated on the back panel with their function names backlit by LEDs. The rear panel gold-pin Neutrik XLRs have recessed push buttons that allow pin 1 to be disconnected from ground and another button lifts the chassis from system ground. The Instrument Level Input is the unit’s sole instrument input and it is followed Creation Audio Labs MW1 Studio Tool The MW1 may revolutionize the way you approach recording guitars. After spending over twenty years in the studio, it’s become increasingly rare for a piece of gear to totally knock my socks off; I’m talking about something that totally revolutionizes the way I approach a certain situation. Well, the MW1 Studio Tool is one of those pieces of gear. The concept behind the MW1 is simple: it gets an instrument level signal up to line level and a line level signal down to instrument level with no sonic compromise at all. There are tons of reasons to do this because, with an MW1, pro studio gear can easily be inserted between a guitar or bass and an amp. Imagine the creative options by using a Neve 8068 instead of a Boss GE-7 or an Empirical Labs Distressor instead of a MXR Dyna Comp. Alternatively, instrument-level pedals can be used on recorded tracks. A MXR Phase 90 can be easily inserted on a backing vocal track or an Electro-Harmonix Black Finger on a cello. Additionally, the MW1 is an amazing sounding transformerless DI that works well for recording any signal direct (if you record a lot of keyboards, it might be worth investing in two of these handy tools). FEATURES The six-pound, nine-inch deep MW1 Studio Tool is a standard 19-inch, 1-space rack unit that allows the user to accomplish many functions that previously required multiple devices. The MW1 has removable rack ears, making it perfectly at home in a rack or on a tabletop. The MW1 was conceptualized by the legendary producer/engineer Michael Wagener, who’s been responsible for the massive guitar tones of everyone from Ozzy Osbourne and Mötley Crüe to King’s X and Metallica. Wagener followed the development of the MW1 through from beginning to end, and if there was ever a piece of gear that could claim to be perfectly designed, this is it. Every detail has been given top consideration from the finely etched faceplate to the lit back panel that eliminates the need for a flashlight when crawling behind a rack to change connections. The inside of the box is just as impressive. The MW1 makes use of the latest Burr-Brown OPA/DRV x134 family of op amps throughout its design as well as Panasonic pots, gold-plated C&K switches, and all surface-mounted components. The overall signal path from instrument level input to instrument level output with line level out looped to line level in is unity with a frequency response of +/- 0.1 dB 20Hz – 20Khz. The maximum input or output at the quarter-inch jacks is +22dBu and at the XLR jacks is +28dBu. The front panel is laid out logically with the manual describing the left side as the “Going To” side and the right the “Coming From” side. All of the Going To functions allow tone APPLICATIONS Studio, project studio, live KEY FEATURES allows re-amplification of pre-recorded tracks; instrument level effects (stomp boxes) can be used on pre-recorded tracks during mix; illuminated back panel offers for easy identification of inputs and outputs. PRICE $1,245 list CONTACT Creation Audio Labs | ¤ 615-8847520 | · www.creationaudiolabs.com by an Input-Z Attenuation control that adjusts the input impedance. This control works like a tone knob by loading (for darker and warmer) or unloading (for fuller range) the instrument pickup output. The Tuner Output is designed to drive a guitar tuner and is always active regardless of the mute status of the MW1. This output can also be used to feed an effect pedal or secondary guitar amp. Following the Tuner Output is a mute button with an LED indicator. This allows the signal going to the amp to be muted during tuning. After the mute button, the signal splits into two paths. The first path drives the Balanced XLR line output (adjustable from 0 to 30dB) that includes a polarity-flip button and an LED indicator that illuminates green when a signal is present (30dBu), mixed when there is 12dB of headroom, or red when there is 6dB of headroom. The second path feeds the Clean Boost buffered output jack, providing up to +30 dB of boost. Boost is used to overdrive a guitar amp's preamp section or to add gain compensation for low-level piezo or old single-coil pickups. This output includes the tri-level LED indicator as well as an output-impedance control — adjustable from 50 to 100 kilohms — that subtly shapes the tone by deliberately matching or mismatching the impedance in relation to the guitar amp's input. The Coming From side of the MW1 converts +4dBu levels coming into the female XLR connector on the rear panel into an instrument level for reamping essentially operating as a direct box in reverse. This section can be attenuated from -36 to 0dB and it includes a polarity-flip button, a signal-present LED, and an output impedance-adjustment circuit with a range of 50 to 100 kilohms CREATION continues on page 22 ® 20 | ProAudio Review | October 2008 www.proaudioreview.com http://www.creationaudiolabs.com http://www.proaudioreview.com
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