JOEMEEK ProChannel VC3Q

Description

The JOEMEEK PROCHANNEL VC3Q is an input conditioner. A microphone or musical instrument preamplifier designed to bridge the gap between the performing musician and the recording studio. It has been designed specially to be easy to operate, yet will give the finest professional 'glitter' to the sound; but without hours of tweaking knobs and switches with unrecognisable names!
QUALITY AND BIG SOUNDS
It's my theory that 'big' sounds can only be produced if the lower frequencies in an input amplifier are kept absolutely flat and under control. To achieve this, the JOEMEEK PROCHANNEL has an extended frequency range down well below 20Hz. This ensures that there are no sudden phase shifts in the low end. The proof of the theory is that it sounds great!
OVERLOAD MARGINS
In the mid 1970s I designed a range of mixers specifically for Independent Local radio stations and the BBC. One of the specification clauses insisted on by them was an extreme overload margin on the microphone amplifier. The reason was that although momentary overloads (transients) are not audible, they have an effect on the quality of the sound you hear. A high overload margin amplifier just sounds better. Nowadays, many of these notions have been forgotten and 'quality' electronics is getting rarer and rarer.
But the JOEMEEK range of Studio channels and the PROCHANNEL apply these professional rules and you can hear the difference! The function of a microphone preamplifier is not too difficult and the microphone/input amplifiers on normal professional mixers do it quite well; BUT they cut costs and corners.
The JOEMEEK PROCHANNEL has a specialist approach, it uses a super quality transformerless input stage in combination with a low-noise line amplifier; the overall design produces a virtually unburstable input stage with excellent low noise characteristics. An interesting fact is that the cost and quality of the parts in the ProChannel input amplifier are on a par with those used in the very top professional mixers and microphone amplifier outboards.
As well as giving the best performance with keyboards, guitars and basses, the ProChannel is also designed to work well with the best capacitor microphones; it is particularly good with the JOEMEEK JM47, Neumann range, the AKG C414, Microtech Gefell, and Audio Technicas.
It's best to think of the JOEMEEK VC3Q PRO CHANNEL as three separate pieces of equipment:
THE INPUT AMPLIFIER
The input amplifier takes audio signals from any microphone (XLR socket), musical instrument or high level source (1/4 inch jack socket), and amplifies them up to 'line' level; that is, from a few millivolts, up to about a volt. The
phantom power supply (rear panel push-button switch) provides power to capacitor microphones. Dynamic or ribbon microphones should be used with the phantom power turned off, then full advantage can be taken of the
extreme low noise performance of this amplifier.
THE JOEMEEK COMPRESSOR
And now for the part of the JOEMEEK PROCHANNEL that gives it character; - the compressor. It can pull voices forward, control recording volume levels, help with internal mix balance, and add 'presence' to your sound.
THE Meequalizer (Equalizer)
The equalizer controls the volume in three audio bands. It's used to modify the tonal sound of the signal in the VC3Q. The three bands are set at 80Hz at the 'low' end, 1.8KHz in the mid frequencies, and 8KHz in the high frequencies. The equalizer is after the input amplifier and before the insert point and the compressor. The effect of the equalizer can be switched in and out with the EQ IN/OUT switch. When the EQ is in circuit, a yellow light shows beside the switch.