RECORDING May 2022 - 26

REVIEW
Daking Mic Pre 4T
Four channels of classy transformer equipped preamp goodness
REVIEW BY PAUL VNUK JR.
he Mic Pre 4T is the latest preamp offering from Daking Audio. The
number four denotes a four-channel unit, and it is also the fourth
available standalone preamp option in the company's current
lineup. The letter 'T' signifies the implementation of an output transformer
on each channel.
Four pre's are better than
one...or two
Like the original 2004 Daking Mic
Pre IV, the new unit efficiently crams
four channels into a single 1U 19 "
rack unit. The Mic Pre 4T boasts the
new Daking look introduced in 2020
with the Comp II (reviewed September
2020). Four matching preamp channels
span the unit's forest green, silver
end-capped faceplate.
Each channel starts with a selectable
1
" mic/hi-Z instrument input,
followed by polarity (phase) reverse,
-20dB pad, and +48V phantom power
buttons. Each button is brightly backlit
in eye-popping jewel tones. Each
channel also features a bright, snappy
20-segment bi-color LED level meter.
Overall each channel matches those
found on the Mic Pre II/IIT and also
includes a variable high-pass filter
(10-200 Hz @ 12dB/oct.) and input
gain (24-70dB). However, to make
wise use of the limited space on the
Mic Pre 4T, they are implemented as
four dual-concentric pots rather than
individual knobs.
/4
T
A brief history of Daking pre's
Drummer, audio engineer and gear
designer Geoff Daking launched Daking
Audio in 1993. The first product was
the 52270H Mic Pre/EQ, followed by
Geoff's well-regarded original FET Compressor.
In 2004, Geoff introduced the
company's first four-channel preamp. The
above were all based on classic 70s/80s
circuit topologies and featured transformers
on both the input and output stages.
In our April 2010 issue, I reviewed
the Daking Mic Pre One, a standalone,
single-channel brick-sized microphone
preamp and DI box. This unit was the
first to use all-discrete class-A circuitry,
with a Jensen input transformer coupled
to a transformerless output stage. Eight
years later, in the August 2018 issue,
I reviewed the two-channel Daking Mic
Pre II. Last year, in the May 2021 issue,
we took a look at the Daking Mic Pre
IIT, which returned output transformers to
the unit's design.
It's worth noting that the Mic Pre IIT is
not a replacement for the Mic Pre II. Both
units are simultaneously available based
on your tastes and needs.
26 RECORDING May 2022
The high-pass filter turns on with a
hearty click, and a corresponding LED.
Each preamp offers 70dB of clean gain
and +30dB of headroom.
Connections
The rear of the unit contains four XLR
microphone inputs and a choice of XLR
and 1
" balanced line outs. There is
also a barrel connector for use with the
unit's external power supply. Interestingly,
while the Daking 'g' glows blue when
powered up, the preamp contains no
master power switch. When it's plugged
in, it's on.
/4
Sound
It's well known that initial Daking
preamp designs offered Geoff's take
on the classic Trident A-Range.
The
Mic Pre 4T could be considered a further
refinement of those designs, with
even better headroom and noise floor.
This places the preamp sonically in the
clean yet classic console realm. As I
mentioned in the Mic Pre IIT review,
think " neutral, ultra-stackable...neither
dark nor vibey, nor of the clinical,
ultra-transparent persuasion. "
The output transformers add a subtle
richness that gels the sound together
with a pleasant analog circuit compression,
the harder you hit the preamp. The
transformer stays in the path when using
the 1
/4
" instrument input.
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