moosers
Published on 11/07/09 at 21:25
The Summit MPC-100A is a tube based channel strip that contains both a microphone preamplifier and a compressor/limiter. The unit has XLR connections in the back as well as a 1/4 inch input in the front for using the unit as a DI box if you want. The Summit MPC-100A is all analog and is indeed a rack mountable piece of gear that will take up two rack spaces.
UTILIZATION
The make up of the Summit MPC-100A isn't too hard to follow as it only took me a few minutes to get used to everything going on here. In the preamp section you've got parameters for gain, mic/line/phantom power, a phase switch, and a -20 db pad. The compressor has knobs for gain, threshold, slope, and output, and has switches for both attack and release. The unit also has programmable meter and a compression bypass switch. If you have experience with standard mic pres and compressors, this unit is easily deciphered as it has pretty standard parameters that are found on most channel strips like this. I haven't seen the manual for this so I can't say if it would be helpful or not, but judging by the configuration, I don't think that one is necessary.
SOUND QUALITY
The sound quality of the Summit MPC-100A is absolutely top notch. Both the pre and the compressor are warm and thick sounding. I've used this channel strip on a variety of applications including lead vocals, acoustic guitar, snare drum, and bass guitar and have found that pretty much everything that I use it with ends up sounding pretty good. Often I only use the pre and bypass the compressor, but I love having the compressor there as an option and a lot of times I find that it comes in quite handy. The Summit MPC-100A has a perfect mix of clarity and thick tube warmth, which is the type of sound that I usually go for.
OVERALL OPINION
I've only been using the Summit MPC-100A for a couple of months but I've been using gear made by Summit Audio for years and really love the sound of their outboard gear. The MPC-100A is no exception as it has an outstanding sound across the board. I can't say enough about how user friendly this is and how awesome of a channel strip it is. The price is reasonable considering that you are getting both a top notch tube pre and compressor all in one. If you are looking for a top end tube pre and compressor, the Summit MPC-100A should definitely be taken into consideration.
UTILIZATION
The make up of the Summit MPC-100A isn't too hard to follow as it only took me a few minutes to get used to everything going on here. In the preamp section you've got parameters for gain, mic/line/phantom power, a phase switch, and a -20 db pad. The compressor has knobs for gain, threshold, slope, and output, and has switches for both attack and release. The unit also has programmable meter and a compression bypass switch. If you have experience with standard mic pres and compressors, this unit is easily deciphered as it has pretty standard parameters that are found on most channel strips like this. I haven't seen the manual for this so I can't say if it would be helpful or not, but judging by the configuration, I don't think that one is necessary.
SOUND QUALITY
The sound quality of the Summit MPC-100A is absolutely top notch. Both the pre and the compressor are warm and thick sounding. I've used this channel strip on a variety of applications including lead vocals, acoustic guitar, snare drum, and bass guitar and have found that pretty much everything that I use it with ends up sounding pretty good. Often I only use the pre and bypass the compressor, but I love having the compressor there as an option and a lot of times I find that it comes in quite handy. The Summit MPC-100A has a perfect mix of clarity and thick tube warmth, which is the type of sound that I usually go for.
OVERALL OPINION
I've only been using the Summit MPC-100A for a couple of months but I've been using gear made by Summit Audio for years and really love the sound of their outboard gear. The MPC-100A is no exception as it has an outstanding sound across the board. I can't say enough about how user friendly this is and how awesome of a channel strip it is. The price is reasonable considering that you are getting both a top notch tube pre and compressor all in one. If you are looking for a top end tube pre and compressor, the Summit MPC-100A should definitely be taken into consideration.