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TB12 Black is a tone shaping microphone preamp and DI with switchable transformers, switchable op-amps, and a tone control that changes the character of the circuit rather than equalising the output. One channel that can be several different preamps.
Swap the transformer and the op-amp, and it is a different preamp.
Unleash the Beast! The TB12 Tone Beast Black is a fully professional preamp design with loads of gain that can effortlessly capture an array of sources very well. It is a swiss army knife full of options and tones. With top notch CineMag transformers and multiple discrete signal paths, it's hard to beat the Tone Beast's big, bold, fully-professional sound at this price. The Tone Beast Black is a mic pre that likes to be pushed and when pushed will colorize your signal ever so sweetly. 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 pre into harmonic distortion, the unique character of each of these components becomes apparent. The Tone Beast Black is customizable and allows users to source and swap in their own opamps. The output control on the TB12 allows you to limit the signal exiting the preamp even when pushing the gain to really hot levels, giving you maximum control. When designing the TB12 Tone Beast Black, Warm's goal was to make a microphone preamplifier affordable and jam packed full of options, without compromising the quality and design parameters that make this type of microphone preamplifier so desirable. Premium Components: The TB12 Tone Beast Black is a fully discrete, high-voltage microphone preamplifier, utilzing CineMag USA Transformers. Have no fear of hurting the Beast, you can push it very hard into full-on distortion if you wish, and these can sound quite nice on electric guitar, bass or anything else that likes some grit. The different component options in the TB12 are subtle, but when driven into saturation are noticeable and can make a big difference to the way your final mix will sound. Home-based musicians and professional studios alike will find the Tone Beast Black to be an extremely powerful and fully professional piece of gear that is capable of warming and shaping signals/mixes in a way that is very pleasing to the ear.
At a Glance
| Brand | Warm Audio |
|---|---|
| Model | TB12 Black |
| Product type | Microphone Preamp |
| Series | Same Original Tone Beast, Now in Black! |
| Warranty | Warm Audio limited warranty |
What Do the Switchable Transformers and Op-Amps Change?
They are the two components that most define a preamp's character. Switching between them changes the harmonic content and the transient behaviour at source, which is a real change to the circuit rather than an EQ applied to the result.
Why Buy This Instead of a Dedicated 1073 or 312 Clone?
Because it covers several voices in one channel. A dedicated clone does one thing very well. The Tone Beast is for a studio that wants options rather than a single committed character.
Can It Take an Instrument Directly?
Yes, it includes a DI input, so bass and guitar can go straight in and take on whichever transformer and op-amp combination you have selected.
Why Warm Audio
Warm Audio builds recreations of the classic studio hardware most engineers will never get to own, at a fraction of what the originals cost. The company sources premium components, CineMag and custom transformers, Fairchild-grade capacitors, NOS tubes where the design calls for them, and puts them into circuits copied closely from the originals rather than approximated. It has grown from microphones and preamps into compressors, EQs, direct boxes, guitar pedals and cable.