Mic Pre and Instrument Amplifier

The 517′s mic pre includes 66dB gain and also incorporates a polarity reverse switch and phantom power. The separate instrument amplifier includes 30dB of gain, a ground lift, variable phase and an instrument Thru connection.

Blended Use

Used as a single channel device for instruments, the 517 can be used to phase align, combine and compress direct and amplified signals. The blend control is used for mixing direct and amplified signals to achieve the desired tonal blend between the two sources, and the variphase is used to minimize or extenuate phase cancellations between the two signals.

The Compressor

Based around a new LDR (light dependent resister) design, the 517′s opto-coupler compressor has been simplified to a single threshold control with auto make up gain. By default, the compressor is set to a fixed 2:1 ratio with fixed attack and release. To set the compressor, simply dial the threshold control down until the desired amount of compression is achieved. An LED light indicates when the compressor is active.

Vari-Phase

In addition to the standard polarity reverse, the 517′s vari-phase control may be used to adjust phase incrementally. This control is useful any time two signals derived from the same source are combined.

Don’t forget to check out RSPE’s Rack Revolution, a virtual 500-series rack builder that lets you custom-configure the perfect 500-series lunchbox for your studio, DAW, or mobile recording rig. RSPE carries every 500-series module imaginable, including mic preamps, compressor-limiters, equalizers, and 500 power racks.