Millennia Announces TD-1 Twin Direct Recording System
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April 10, 2003
Announcing the TD-1 Twin Direct Recording System with Twin Topology -- Millennia's innovative merging of vacuum tube and discrete solid-state circuit topologies. Much more than an ordinary "direct box," Twin Direct offers instrument input (1/4"), line input (XLR), Speaker Soak input (1/4"), and optional HV-3 mic preamplifier (XLR) in a single half-width, road-hardened, rack-mountable chassis.
Twin Direct offers vacuum tube and discrete solid-state DI buffer amplifiers (switch selectable), full range parametric EQ (20 Hz -- 25 kHz), three input impedance settings (470K, 2M, 10M), and up to 35 dB of standard gain. Combine this with Millennia's HV-3 microphone preamplifier (65 dB gain, optional) and TD-1 begins to look less like a direct box, and more like a feature rich analog "channel strip," akin to the STT-1 Origin. TD-1 main signal path is entirely "discrete" from input to output.
A total of nine (9) outputs are designed into TD-1 -- including balanced and unbalanced line-level with both XLR and 1/4" routing (+32 dBu headroom), an audiophile-grade headphone output with adjustable gain, and a 1/4" direct output (selectable buffered or unbuffered). A Millennia-designed DI transformer is also included, offering 100% galvanically-isolated mic-level DI output. The new DIT-01 transformer exhibits nearly flat frequency response from 3 Hz to 300 Khz.
An additional pair of 1/4" outputs offer Les Paul and Strat guitar emulation via patented REAMP technology (U.S. Pat No. 6,005,950). Millennia helped develop the original REAMP technology, and now takes REAMP-ing to a new level. TD-1 REAMP magnetics faithfully emulate the electrical output characteristics of Les Paul and Stratocaster guitars, enabling a recording engineer to work on live guitar recording techniques long after the guitarist has gone. Additional REAMP guitar pickup models are currently in development (P-Bass, J-Bass, etc..) and can be specified upon order.
Rounding out Twin Direct's feature set are individual input, output, and earth ground lift switches, along with internal jumpers which provide for various points of ground "isolation" (resistive and capacitive lifts. No ground hums ever again.
TD-1 also employs a number of convenient utility functions, including -20 dB balanced pad switch for all inputs, Signal Present and Overload indicators, phantom power switch with optional HV-3 microphone preamplifier, polarity reverse switching on all inputs, REAMP-only output polarity reversal (each output), direct-out buffer select, logic controlled switch mutes, dual stage power supply regulation, selectable worldwide mains powering (100V -- 240V), side- or top-mount steel carrying handle, substantial rubber feet for stage and studio isolation, available padded Cordura-nylon "gig" bag, and built-in chassis fastening for mounting a stereo pair of TD-1 units into a standard 19" rack.
Twin Direct's rich feature set is complimented by Millennia's mirror gloss black cosmetics and optionally available Platinum Crackle finish. Hand machined solid aluminum knurl knobs, illuminated one-million-cycle ITT push button switches, extruded and radiused 3/8" thick face plate, overdesigned toroid power supply, silver-teflon power wiring, neglex oxygen-free audio wiring, gold plated switches / connectors / relays, and components sourced from the finest manufacturers (Grayhill, Roederstein, Wima, Beyshlag, etc..) round out what may be the world's most versatile direct box.
Suggested retail price: $1,395. Optional HV-3 Microphone Preamp: $400, optional Platinum Crackle Finish: $300. Cordura nylong padded gig bag: $75.
The Twin Direct is expected to ship in May.
For more information, visit their web site at www.mil-media.com. |