Introducing the Cascadeur PRE from Handcrafted Labs. This 3U rack beast is not just a feast for the eyes with its vintage aesthetic and array of knobs, but it's also a powerhouse of sound design and recording capabilities.
The Cascadeur PRE is a modern producer's "secret weapon" for creative sound design and everyday recording. It's a masterful blend of a Class A tube preamp, an opto compressor/limiter, and a distortion module. This combination of features, honed years of development and testing, has birthed a versatile studio device that's as powerful as it is unique. The Cascadeleur PRE's design consists of several modules, offering a myriad of signal processing options. The input stage features a transparent Cinemag transformer-based tube preamp, a "-20db" switch, phantom power +48V switch, phase flip switch, and a high pass filter. It also includes a High Z instrument input on the front panel, which feeds signal through input transformer as well.
The compression module houses a smooth opto compressor/limiter, offering, low cut/full range compression switch. The heart of the Cascadeur PRE is its distortion module, a playground for the creative producer or sound designer. It offers a switch that routes the signal in what HCL engineers call vertical/horizontal modes. Horizontal mode is a main mode of operation of distortion module, when signal is fed directly to the output after distortion.
The Drive and Bias knobs control the intensity and character of the distortion, and you can choose between three distortion modes and triode or pentode configurations. It can also be utilized in parallel using Vertical mode with clean signal fed to output at – 10 dBu and distorted sound added with Master Level knob.
The output module incorporates “Master” volume control knob. In this case it is a choice between transparent Class A tube signal and slightly spiced tube sound with some tube harmonics in it. And again, after all the creative stage the signal’s been through you’re given this choice. How cool is that! There’s also a great feature called “Brilliance” on the output stage which is there to compensate the highs after a heavy distortion or just to give an extra presence and brilliance to the sound. And last but not least the device has an insert switch. It gives an extra two ways to work with: first – to use the Cascadeur PRE on the insert of your console (you can use compressor and distortion modules separately or combined), and second – to use external device (like EQ) inserted in the Cascadeur PRE.
With all that choice you are given a great creative tool to express your musical and sound design ideas and talents in a fast, convenient and greatly sounding way. In fact these are three high quality devices all under the same hood – preamplifier, opto compressor/limiter and a creative distortion module. So you get really good value for you money. And speaking of that, the price is extremely competitive while the quality is uncompromised.
https://youtu.be/yPt2se50yFM?si=6BlVghAJMYclOQ3t
Nominal output level +4 dBu
220/110V operation (please inform us after purchase).
Assembled after the purchase, assembly time may vary (6-8 weeks). We may have it in stock or in assembly though.
Price is NETTO and DOES NOT include VAT and Customs duties (client is responsible for paying all taxes and duties).
