ART Pro Audio TubeFire 8 - Eight Ch. Mic Pre with Firewire - Manual (Page 5)

INTRODUCTION
The TubeFire 8™ is the answer to your recording and computer interface needs. Eight high quality vacuum
tube microphone preamps are packaged in a single rack high package. Our second generation discrete class–
A mic preamps provide clean quiet gain while maintaining incredible transparency. Either the analog mic
preamps, or the internal high quality D/A converters can drive the eight balanced outputs, selectable in banks
of two channels at a time.
Connect to a PC or Mac with the Firewire interface and give your computer eight analog inputs and eight
analog outputs.
The eight outputs are also summed into the headphone output thereby providing a mono or stereo mixer
function for low latency input monitoring, foldback monitoring from the CPU, and a mixed output of both.
Every input channel offers balanced 1/4" phone or XLR input, 70dB of gain, Pad switch, Low-Cut filter switch,
Phase Invert switch, and a wide range LED meter to monitor the preamp output levels. The clip indicators
monitor mic-preamp peak levels. Each channel has a variable output level control allowing you to use the tube
stage for warming effects and adjust to various system levels, or just to completely mute the channel.
INSTALLATION
The TubeFire 8  may be used in a wide variety of applications and environments. In a rack-mountable, all-
steel enclosure, the unit is designed for continuous professional use. Mounting location is not critical. However,
for greater performance reliability we recommend that you not place the unit on top of power amps or other
sources of heat, or strong magnetic fields. The tube circuitry needs about a minute to “warm up” and stabilize
from a cold power up.
AC Power Hookup
The TubeFire 8  has an internal power supply. Only connect the unit to mains power of the type marked on
the rear panel. The power source must provide a good ground connection, and the ground pin on the mains
plug should never be defeated.
Analog Audio Connections
Audio connections to and from the TubeFire 8  are:
Rear balanced combo input: [XLR] Pin 2 = Hot (+), Pin 3 = Cold (-), Pin 1 = Ground
[1/4”] Tip = Hot (+), Ring = Cold (-), Sleeve = Ground
Rear balanced 1/4” output: Tip = Hot (+), Ring = Cold (-), Sleeve = Ground
Front 1/4” input: Tip = Hot (+), Ring = Cold (-), Sleeve = Ground
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