Maag Audio PREQ4 – 500-Series Preamp and EQ

Single-channel 500-series preamp with Maag Audio’s famous AIR BAND® EQ

The Maag Audio PREQ4 is a one-channel, 500-series microphone preamp featuring Maag Audio’s legendary Air Band EQ. The roots of the Maag Audio PREQ4 extend back to the mythical Nightpro PreQ3, also designed by 35-year recording veteran Cliff Maag. Though Nightpro disappeared from the industry, the desire for its special sound and minimal phase-shift characteristics didn’t—and thus the Maag Audio PREQ4 was born. While preserving the natural sonics of any and all sound sources, the PREQ4 provides incredible transparency and top-end presence. Plus, the PREQ4 offers the legendary Air Band, a stepped shelf EQ that enables you to track with the clarity and “air” (reminiscent of the old Neumann U87) that we all love so much.

Maag Audio PREQ4 unique features:

• Air Band shelf boost from 2.5kHz to 40kHz via Maag’s Vari Air™
• Minimal phase shift preserves natural audio

Maag Audio PREQ4 key features:

• 65dB adjustable gain
• Phase reverse
• 70Hz high pass filter
• +48V phantom power
• -20dB Pad

INSIDE THE BOX — Maag Audio PREQ4

The PREQ4’s Air Band can enhance the sound of any mic and is particularly adept at bringing out air, even in dynamic mics. A boost-only, high-frequency shelf EQ, the Air Band not only brings out top-end clarity in vocals, but also, when paired with a dynamic mic on snare, the PREQ4 Air Band can really bring out the crack in a snare. Since it operates with minimal phase shift, the output sound is not radically different in its waveform makeup than the input signal—it’s the same sound only enhance, with more punch, clarity, and presence.

Along with the legendary Air band, the Maag Audio PREQ4 also features 65dB adjustable gain, phase reverse capability, 70Hz high pass filter, +48V phantom power, and -20dB pad.

OUTSIDE THE BOX — Maag Audio PREQ4

The front-panel controls of the sky-blue Maag PREQ4 include:

• Vari Air: Shelving frequency selector for the AIR BAND. The shelf peaks are set at 2.5kHz, 5kHz, 10kHz, 20kHz, and 40kHz. The frequencies below the shelf peaks are also affected due to the transitional slope
• Air Gain: Rotary gain control for the AIR BAND: +12dB max
• Gain +20: Gain +20 button increases gain to a range of 45-65dB
• Pad –20: Attenuates the mic signal (pre transformer) by –20dB
• 48V Phantom Power: Supplies phantom power to mic
• Peak: Red LED starts to illuminate when the output signal reaches 23dBu
• Signal: Green LED indicates audio signal presence. Illumination starts at -28dBu
• Air Band: Engages the Air Band
• High-Pass Filter: Knee starts at 160Hz and is –3dB at 70Hz
• Phase Reverse: Reverses the phase of the output relative to the input

To ensure the PREQ4 will be compliant with API 500-series Lunchbox™, 500VPR rack systems, and other 500 power racks, Maag Audio is an official member of the VPR Alliance.

Who’s using Maag Audio:

" . . . The (PREQ4) preamp itself combined with the Air Band certainly makes it one of the most unique sounding preamps on the market . . ."
Joe Chiccarelli, 6-time Grammy award winning Engineer-Mixer-Producer
(Beck, U2, Tori Amos, Elton John, Café Tacuba, Julieta Venegas, Onigo Boingo, Rufus Wainwright)

"I love the Maag PREQ4 mic pre. The air band is great. I’m a smoker and I need all the air I can get"
Jay Joyce, Producer, recording engineer, remixer, musician, and songwriter
(Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, LeAnn Rimes, Faith Hill)

"As a producer who really focuses on vocals, it's critical to me to have a signal path that inspires the singer. I was simply knocked out at the new Maag pre (PREQ4). I have a pre I've been in love with for 15 years and has won every A/B I've ever done until now - the Maag pre simply sounded noticeably better. As if the pre wasn't awesome by itself, the AIR BAND is so musical and useable and the lack of phase build up is unreal."
Ed Cash, 3-time GMA Producer of the Year
(Chris Tomlin, Amy Grant, Kari Jobe, Vince Gill)

"I've had a chance to use the Maag Audio PREQ4 on a few things... I really, really like these on vocals; the AIR BAND makes the vocal pop out and shine in the track. On acoustic instruments, the clarity of the PREQ4 is wonderful and the air helps the harmonic content sparkle. Overhead mics love this pre because the AIR BAND adds beautiful extension on top without smearing the transients."
Steve Bishir, 5-time Grammy award winning Engineer, Mixer, Producer
(Amy Grant, Mercy Me, Third Day, Vince Gill, Martina McBride, Ce Ce Winans, Steve Savage, Tin Cup Gypsy, 1000 Generations, Chris Sligh, Phil Stacey, Steven Curtis Chapman, and many others...)

"The Maag PREQ4 is hands-down the best new microphone preamp i have worked with. The very musical gain circuit and Air Band EQ makes my whole microphone collection capable of being vocal microphones!!! I have been using vintage RCA 77's and 44's on the quietest sources. Having a pair of these around gives infinite possibilities to the creative spirit!!!! Thanks for making great products."
Paul Moak, Grammy-nominated producer, engineer, mixer, and Universal Music Publishing songwriter
(One Tree Hill, Private Practice, Pretty Little Liars, and The Vampire Diaries, Mat Kearney, Third Day, Lovedrug, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Martha Wainwright, Monroe/Dabbs, Madi Diaz, House of Heroes, Jennifer Knapp, and Matthew Mayfield)

"The (PREQ4) AIR BAND adds sizzle on my cymbals. The AIR BAND Pres are clean, punchy and add a nice sheen to vocals."
Mark Capps, Multi-Platinum Four-Time Grammy Award Winning Engineer, Mixer, Producer
(The Isaacs, Gaither Vocal Band, Trace Adkins, Michele Wright, Oak Ridge Boys...)

About Maag Audio

— Elite professional audio gear to complement the audio engineer's Craft.

Cliff Maag, who has been a recording engineer for over 35 years, founded Mäag Audio in 2009. With a strong passion for high quality sound, Cliff is an inventor of the acclaimed NTI EQ3, Nightpro PreQ3, and EQ3D. He was also the President of Research and Development during the early years of NTI and Nightpro. The Air Band is still known to this day as an unsurpassed element of the original NTI and Nightpro gear. The Air Band is vow available in the new EQ4 and PREQ4 500 Series gear from Mäag Audio.

The Mäag Audio team has worked hard to make the technology sound and function even better than the original gear. The need and desire for the best possible sound is what has driven Cliff and the Mäag Audio team over the last 35 years and is the catalyst behind Maag Audio. Committed to excellence Maag Audio’s goal is to provide all audio engineers cutting edge technology that they need to compete in their industry.

Only the finest components are used in Mäag Audio gear. Build quality is among the highest in the professional audio industry. You can rest assured your Mäag Audio gear will perform at sonically superior levels, every day.

Open up your 500-series rack and let a little air in with the Maag Audio PREQ4. For more information, call or chat with an RSPE representative today.