The Alice 503 Mic Pre with Limiter is a professional-grade microphone preamplifier designed to capture the full warmth of any professional microphone, featuring a distinctive “fairy dust sound.” The unit excels in providing excellent overload margins and extremely low noise performance for both microphone and line level inputs. The audio gain is distributed across four low-noise amplifier stages, ensuring optimal handling of a wide range of sounds.
Key Features:
- Unique Mic Input Circuitry:
- Designed to extract full warmth from professional microphones.
- Delivers a unique “fairy dust sound.”
- Overload Margins and Low Noise:
- Maintains excellent overload margins for both microphone and line level inputs.
- Achieves extreme low noise performance.
- Shared Gain Structure:
- The audio gain is shared across four low-noise amplifier stages, accommodating challenging audio sources.
- Classic Limiter Design:
- Incorporates a classic Ted Fletcher limiter design from 1979.
- Revered for its sound, admired, and used by top artists and major studios.
Technical Specifications:
- Mic Input:
- Frequency Response: 20Hz to 20KHz, precision balanced, +0, -1dB.
- Line Input:
- Frequency Response: 10KHz.
- Relative Input Noise:
- -128.6dB.
- Harmonic Distortion:
- (@ 0dB output 1KHz) 2nd order: 0.005%, 3rd order: 0.03dB.
- Maximum Mic Gain:
- 77dB.
- Maximum Input Level:
- Approximately -10dBu.
- Maximum Output Level:
- +22dBu.
- High Pass Filter:
- 6dB/octave, 3dB down at 75Hz.
- Limiter:
- Soft knee with approx 12:1 ratio.
- Switchable Phantom Power:
- In/Out.
- Switchable Mic/Line:
- In/Out.
- Switchable Limiter:
- In/Out.
- Manufacturing:
- 100% manufactured in the UK.
The Alice 503 Mic Pre with Limiter is a versatile and reliable preamplifier known for its unique sonic character, incorporating a classic limiter design that has stood the test of time. With its precision and flexibility, it is a sought-after choice in the professional audio industry.
