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Expand your Pro Tools | Carbon-powered studio up to 24 channels of mic/line inputs. Sonically exceptional, Pro Tools | Carbon Pre is an 8-channel preamp that provides the same transparent preamp design and stacked ADCs as Carbon, providing 32-bit conversion to capture every sonic detail. With a Carbon Expanded system, you can tap into the Pro Tools Hybrid Engine for low-latency input processing—with remote preamp control through Pro Tools. Or use Carbon Pre to expand or replace preamps in a Pro Tools | HD system.

 

Expand your studio

Get all the inputs you need for large tracking sessions and multi-mic live recordings. Each Pro Tools | Carbon Pre provides eight mic/line preamps and eight line outputs, enabling you to expand your Pro Tools | Carbon-based studio up to 24 mic/line inputs and 24 line outputs total. Two Variable Z instrument inputs, 8 x 8 line I/O, ADAT I/O, and Word Clock I/O provide even more connection versatility.

 

Sound exceptional

Get impeccable sound quality across your entire system, from capture to output. With superior audio conversion, stacked ADCs, double resolution clocking, and our most transparent preamp design ever—the same preamps as in Pro Tools | Carbon—you can capture every sonic nuance of a performance with the greatest depth, dimension, and clarity. Even optimize or color the tone of any mic or instrument input with Variable Z impedance switching.

 

Speed up your workflow

No need to access your interface to make changes. You can remotely control, save, and recall all of your preamp settings—including phantom power, gain, and impedance switching—directly in Pro Tools across all Pro Tools | Carbon-connected interfaces. And with instant session recall, courtesy of the virtual assistant, you can quickly switch between sessions without any manual setup and reconfiguration delay.

 

Extend your workflow capabilities

With up to 24 mic/line inputs available in a Carbon Expanded system, you can capture live performances easily in pristine sound quality, making it an ideal companion for your next gig. You can also use Pro Tools | Carbon Pre as a standalone 8-channel preamp, enabling you to use it to expand other systems. And because it’s EUCON-enabled, it integrates with Avid control surfaces for seamless recording and mix control.

 

Expand an existing Pro Tools | HD system

Got an existing Pro Tools system that needs more mic pres? Use Pro Tools | Carbon Pre as an 8-channel preamp expansion unit to scale up your I/O, with the flexibility of remotely controlling and recalling all preamps right from Pro Tools. Or replace an aging Pro Tools | PRE and enjoy better performance and pristine sound quality. Integrate up to nine Carbon Pres in an HD system through your interface’s ADAT inputs.

 

Avid Pro Tools Carbon Pre 8-Channel Preamp

$2,999.00Price
Quantity
  • Expand your Pro Tools | Carbon-based studio incrementally up to 24 mic/line inputs and 24 line outputs (Two Carbon Pre can be added to a single Carbon)

    Capture full 32-bit audio right at the converters, giving you maximum dynamic range throughout the system

    With stacked ADCs at each input and industry-leading double-precision clocking, you can hear and feel every sonic nuance in your recordings

    Optimize or color the tone of any mic or instrument input with Variable Z impedance switching

    Remotely control, save, and recall preamp settings—including phantom power, gain, and impedance switching—directly in Pro Tools, speeding up your workflow

    Tap into the Pro Tools Hybrid Engine for low-latency input processing when used with Pro Tools | Carbon

    Use it as an 8-channel standalone mic pre with both ADAT and balanced line outputs

  • System requirements

    Pro Tools | Carbon or ADAT interface for system expansion; can also be used as a standalone mic preamp

    Simultaneous I/O

    - 24 x 24

    Audio resolution

    - Up to 32-bit, 192 kHz

    Mic preamps

    - 8

    Phantom power

    - +48V

    Form factor

    1U rack

    Dimensions (H x W x D)

    1.8 x 19 x 13.5 inches (45 x 482 x 343 mm)

    Weight

    11 lbs (5 kg)

    Connectivity

    2 AVB Ethernet ports for Pro Tools | Carbon I/O expansion

    Maximum I/O expansion

    - Pro Tools | Carbon supports up to two Pro Tools | Carbon Pre interfaces for up to 24 mic/line inputs and 24 line outputs

    Analog inputs

    8 balanced XLR/TRS mic/line inputs with Variable Z (impedance) on inputs 5–8, remote controllable from Pro Tools

    2 unbalanced Variable Z 1/4-inch TS instrument inputs

    8 balanced line inputs (DB25)

    Analog outputs

    - 8 balanced line outputs (DB25)

    Digital inputs: ADAT: 16 channels @ 44.1–48 kHz, 8 channels @ 88.2–96 kHz, 4 channels @ 176.4–192 kHz

    Digital outputs

    ADAT: 16 channels @ 44.1–48 kHz, 8 channels @ 88.2–96 kHz, 4 channels @ 176.4–192 kHz

    Other I/O

    - Word Clock I/O

    A/D conversion

    Mic preamps

    EIN: -129 dB (A-weighted)

    Frequency Response

    20 Hz–20 kHz, ±0.1 dB

    THD+N

    -105 dB (0.00056%)

    Dynamic Range

    - 126 dB (A-weighted)

    Line inputs

    Frequency Response

    - 20 Hz–20 kHz, ±0.1 dB

    THD+N

    - -106 dB (0.0005%)

    Dynamic Range

    125 dB (A-weighted)

    Line inputs (True Bypass)

    Frequency Response

    20 Hz–20 kHz, ±0.1 dB

    THD+N

    -113 dB (0.00022%)

    Dynamic Range

    126 dB (A-weighted)

    Instrument inputs

    Dynamic Range

    125 dB (A-weighted)

    THD+N

    -103 dB (0.0007%)

    Frequency Response

    20 Hz–20 kHz, ±0.1 dB

    D/A conversion

    Line outputs

    Dynamic Range

    120 dB (A-weighted)

    THD+N

    -110 dB (0.0003%)

    Frequency Response

    20 Hz–20 kHz, ±0.1 dB

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