Warm Audio TB12-500 Tone Beast 500 Series Microphone Preamp

The Tone Beast is a great 500-format microphone preamp with loads of gain that effortlessly captures a broad array of sources very well. With top notch CineMag transformers and multiple discrete signal paths, its big, bold, fully-professional sound confounds its attractive price.
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The Tone Beast likes to be pushed. With strong input signal and engaged controls, the Tone Beast colorize your signal with a sweetness that could charm the birds out of the trees. The 2 opamps and 2 output transformers at the flip of their switches won't appear to be much different, but as one drives the preamp, its inherent harmonic distortion becomes more present and the unique character of each of these components becomes likewise more apparent. Additionally the Tone Beast is customizable and allows for other opamps to be sourced and easily swapped into the unit.

Unleash the Beast
Warm Audio’s goal was to make a microphone preamplifier affordable without compromising the quality and design parameters that make this type of microphone preamplifier so desirable.
​Home-based musicians and professional studios alike will find the Tone Beast to be a powerful and professional piece of gear that is capable of warming and shaping signals and mixes in a way that is both pleasing and beastly indeed.

• Utilizes premium grade CineMag USA Transformers
• 71db of gain
• Transformer selection provides both Steel and 50% Nickel CineMag output transformers for varying character
• Transformer bypass switch allows for removal of the output transformer from the circuit
• Discrete Opamp selection allows for choosing between a 1731(vintage) and 918(cleaner) style opamp
• Impedance switch labeled TONE to switch between 150 and 600 ohms input impedance
• 2 Meg Ohm True HI-Z input on front panel sends instrument signal through entire circuit including both Cinemag Transformers and the discrete operational amplifier
• Great for guitars, bass, keyboards and other instruments that have a 1/4 in. output jack
• Capacitor selection between Tantalum and Electrolytic for different characters
• 80hz hipass filter
• Polarity Reverse
• +48V phantom power
• Output attenuation allowing for saturation flexibility of both the opamps and transformers.
• ¼" insert for the use of inline compressors, eq's etc
• Balanced XLR mic, balanced TRS line, and ¼" instrument inputs
• -20db Pad
• LED VU Meter.
• Compatible with standard 500 series racks.