One of the most integral components in preamp design is the transformer, which uses the voltage to process the sound and also keeps it from adding noise to the ultimate resulting signal. How those transformers are wound, using any of a choice of metal alloys, directly impacts the color of the sound, giving it a particular personality. Modern transformers can be “transparent,” coming out of the preamp with little or no change from how it sounded on the way in, or it could be given a certain amount of “color.” How alloys like treated steel, nickel, cobalt and iron, are  combined in the windings plays a crucial role in the character in the resulting sound the preamp puts out.

A-Designs Audio has created five 500 Series preamps with different character, making each of them useful for particular uses, depending on your preferences.   The P-1 has the highest fidelity of all the A-Designs Audio 500 preamps. If you’re a fan of the Quad Eight or API sound, you’ll love the P-1! It shines on vocals, instruments, room mics, piano, and on instruments with sharp transients such as drums and various percussion instruments. If you’re building a lunchbox with drum recording in mind, a pair of P-1s is a superb choice for overheads when you want to capture the entire kit – especially the sizzle of the cymbals