Focusrite ISA Two Dual mono Mic Preamp

The Focusrite ISA Two mic preamp gives you the sonic essence of the legendary Forte and Studio consoles in a single rack unit chassis. You get two channels, with inputs for microphone, line-level, and direct instrument-level sources. A variable impedance selector also lets you dial in the warmth you want without sacrificing clarity. The ISA Two’s DI and microphone inputs run in parallel, so you can blend the direct signal of the instrument with the sound of the miked up amplifier – a killer trick for getting bass sounds that are both fat and punchy. If warmth, transparency, and useful features are on your preamp wishlist, check out the Focusrite ISA Two.

The Focusrite magic: warmth plus transparency

Focusrite’s ISA Two mic preamp has a distinguished heritage. Since its 1985 introduction, the transformer-based Focusrite pre amp has become something of a legend – and a benchmark for transparency. But there’s something else going on. That something is a subtle warmth, courtesy of transformer core saturation. It’s this apparent contradiction of warmth plus transparently open and unrestricted high frequencies, that identifies the Focusrite “sound” that continues to be in demand in top studios worldwide.

Engineering it right

The Focusrite ISA Two has some innovative thinking under its bonnet. Just what engineering innovations contribute to a superior-sounding mic preamp? For one thing, to eliminate the audible rolloff exhibited by preamps limited to the audible bandwidth, Focusrite ISA pres operate over a much greater range (10Hz-135kHz, in the case of the ISA Two). There’s also the ISA topology that gives you up to 80dB of undistorted gain. How about variable input impedance, which lets you fine-tune the amount of “character” in your signal – from pristine transparency, to vintage warmth.

The Neve connection

Rupert Neve selected the Lundahl LL1538 as the input transformer for the legendary Focusrite ISA 110, and it’s still the best microphone input transformer available – Focusrite specifies it in every one of their ISA Series mic pres. Mr. Neve also perfected the Zobel network (found in Focusrite’s ISA circuit), which is responsible for the broad-bandwidth, ruler-flat frequency response exhibited by ISA preamps.

Focusrite ISA Two Features:

• Two channels of Focusrite goodness in a rackspace!
• Lundahl LL1538 mic input transformer
• Up to 80dB of gain
• Variable input impedance
• User-calibrated metering
• Front-panel instrument and rear panel line inputs
• Variable cut-off highpass filter
• Rear panel balanced inserts.

Focusrite ISA Two Specifications:

• Preamp Type: Solid State
• Number of Channels: 2
• Frequency Response: 10Hz-135kHz
• Phantom Power: Yes
• EQ: No EQ
• Compression: No compression
• Analog Inputs: 2 x XLR, 2 x TS (inst), 2 x TRS (line)
• Analog Outputs: 2 x XLR
• Digital Inputs: No digital inputs
• Digital Outputs: No digital ioutputs
• Other I/O: Insert I/O
• Computer Connectivity: No computer connectivity
• Rackmount Spaces: 1U.