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Key Features
OverviewVoiceMaster Pro boasts the same award-winning preamp as its predecessor, the industry standard VoiceMaster. This pre-amp demonstrates the same wide bandwidth philosophy featured in the original vintage Focusrite units, ensuring low noise and distortion. Mic and Instrument inputs are both located on the front panel, allowing quick and easy connection without the need for a separate DI box. Sections labelled Vintage Harmonics and Tube Sound can be used to further enhance the sonic character, offering tape-based vocal enhancement techniques and cutting edge valve emulation. With such controls at your fingertips, the range of sounds obtainable from the VoiceMaster Pro is extremely wide, from pristine clarity with subtle colouration to warm with luscious overtones. Focusrite’s British EQ has become a by-word for excellence, and the VoiceMaster Pro EQ is no exception, featuring controls specifi ed to give immediate results with live or prerecorded vocals. Add to this an Optical Compressor and De-esser and you truly have all you need to produce a vocal that sits perfectly in the mix. The FF PreAs with the Red and ISA ranges, the Mic-pre technology found in the Platinum and Saffire ranges is designed to the highest possible standards. They uphold the same wide bandwidth philosophy featured in the original forté console, back in 1989. All Focusrite mic-pres feature custom components, which have undergone an intense testing and qualification process. With the facts and figures in, Focusrite designs then have to pass the essential listening stage. Any design can measure well on the test bench but only a great design can be qualified in the studio. The FET-based design in the Saffire range is no exception and ensures the same low noise and distortion performance as earlier transformer-based designs. It delivers clarity without colouration and exhibits the signature transparency for which Focusrite have become famous. FAQsQ: VoiceMaster Pro seems incredibly affordable for a Focusrite box. Is the VoiceMaster Pro the same quality as other higher-price Platinum products - Does it use the same components? A: Yes. Recent developments in manufacturing technology mean that cutting-edge companies like Focusrite are now able to offer truly professional quality at much lower prices than ever before. Q: Who is the VoiceMaster Pro designed for? A: Professional and project level recording studios, radio and TV stations, post-production facilities and anyone who desires a higher level of performance than is typically available from a mixing desk. Q: How many rack spaces does the VoiceMaster Pro occupy? A: The VoiceMaster Pro is a 2U device. Q: Is the VoiceMaster Pro mic pre a Class-A design? What does that mean? A: Yes, it's the Class A award-winning mic pre used in the Platinum VoiceMaster. Like all Platinum range products, the VoiceMaster Pro features a Class A mic pre. Class A devices allow audio to be processed in a more linear fashion, so put simply, the VoiceMaster Pro's mic pre is able to reproduce all the detail of the input source without distortion or unwanted colouration. Q: I heard that Class A devices generate a lot of heat. Is that something to worry about? A: Absolutely not - all Class A devices do indeed run warm, it's a direct function of the way they enable audio to be passed transparently, and the VoiceMaster Pro has been designed specifically to deal with this kind of situation. However, the usual Class A device rules apply, so it makes sense to put your VoiceMaster Pro at the bottom of your rack, leave a 1U space above it, and leave the back of your rack mount case open when using the rack to ensure good ventilation. Q: Does the VoiceMaster Pro have an instrument input? A: Yes, on the front panel, so you can connect a guitar, bass or other instrument directly to the unit with no need for a DI box. Q: How does the VoiceMaster Pro enable latency-free recording? A: Latency is often a problem when tracking vocals to DAW's - by the time the vocal signal has been recorded to disk AND returned to a monitoring device, significant delays have occurred, making it difficult to sing in time with pre-recorded tracks. The VoiceMaster Pro features a separate, stereo monitor section, and front panel controls allow the user to mix levels of vocal and main mix and e.g. reverb BEFORE they reach the A/D converter/DAW. (VoiceMaster Pro has a pair of monitor inputs and outputs, AND an FX loop send/return, so signals can be routed to headphones and mixed according to taste.) Q: How do the Vintage Harmonics work? What effect are they emulating? A: The Vintage Harmonics section has been designed to emulate the effect that was used by many famous recording artists like Queen in the 1970s. They would record tracks with Dolby A Noise Reduction on, then play back with Dolby off. The result was an enhanced set of harmonics in the upper mid-range and high frequency ranges of the sound spectrum. The VoiceMaster Pro's Vintage Harmonics recreates this effect using custom dynamics, (frequency-specific compression.) NB The Vintage Harmonics processing is in no way a noise reduction scheme and is in no way connected with the Dolby company. Q: Does the VoiceMaster Pro feature the original VoiceMaster's Expander? A: es, but it now features a new opto design, and also includes a dedicated, full-range, 6-LED meter. Q: Has the VoiceMaster Pro compressor been updated over the original? A: Yes, the new version uses the same opto-based circuit design, but the noise performance has been further improved. Q: OK so it's easy, flexible, and sounds great. But what benefit do I gain from compressing in the first place? A: Yes, the new version uses the same opto-based circuit design, but the noise performance has been further improved. Q: OK so it's easy, flexible, and sounds great. But what benefit do I gain from compressing in the first place? A: Put simply, compressing any signal makes the loudest parts of that signal quieter and the quietest parts louder. This allows you to record higher levels to recording media without distortion, and produces a smoother overall result. However, there's a lot more to say about compression; if you're interested in this subject check out features Q: Has the VoiceMaster Pro's Tube Sound circuit been enhanced? A: Yes, it now includes a tone control as well as a drive control, so you can now choose exactly in what way you will get down and dirty, as well as to what extent! There's also an ever-changing super-large 3-colour LED, which is sexy as hell. Q: Can any of the processing blocks be moved around like on the ISA 430? A: Yes, the Vintage Harmonics section can be pre- or post-compressor, and the compressor can in turn be pre- or post- EQ: Hence these three sections can be arranged in four different signal flow positions! Q: Is the de-esser similar to the original VoiceMaster? A: No. It uses the design from our world-class ISA 430 model, (de-esses ultra-cleanly via phase-cancellation) and includes the 'listen' feature, which enables the user to 'solo' the sibilant sounds to enable simple and quick setting up. Q: I want the classic sound of analogue compression, but can I convert the output to a digital audio signal before I leave the box? A: No problem, the VoiceMaster Pro uses the same 24-bit/96 kHz A/D card option as the TrakMaster and PentA: (S/PDIF only, 24 bit only, all sample rates supported, 44.1 thru 96kHz.) The external ADC input on the rear panel means that the VoiceMaster Pro can be used as a stand-alone 24/96 A/D converter. Q: Can the analogue and optional digital outputs be used at the same time? A: Yes they can, a fact which makes the VoiceMaster Pro ideal for use when backing-up digital recordings to analogue tape. Q: The input meter is set to a 'digital scale.' What does that mean? A: The meter is calibrated to read 0 dBfs at the top of the meter. This has been set up to enable simple metering - making sure digital clipping does not occur when recording to digital media. The best level to set for recording depends on your recording medium. If recording to analogue media e.g. tape, where extra headroom may be required for later EQ-ing etc, a level of -18 dBfs will give a suitable +4 dBu equivalent output. So if your input meter level is lower than you are used to seeing with traditional 'analogue scale' meters, this is not necessarily a problem. Q: s it easy to see signal levels at each stage? A: Yes, there are now 6-stage LED meters for input, expander gain reduction, Vintage Harmonic gain boost for each band, compressor gain reduction, and de-esser, PLUS a custom, back-lit, Ocean Blue peak-reading Focusrite VU meter. Q: What does the back panel of the VoiceMaster Pro look like? A: From right to left; mic input XLR, line input jack, insert send/ return jacks, XLR balanced main- and pre-de-ess- outputs, jack unbalanced main output, FX send and stereo return (to allow a feed of e.g. a reverb unit to the monitor circuit,) L+R monitor input jacks, L+R monitor output jacks, and ADC input jack (allowing connection of 2 x VoiceMaster Pro to 1 x A/D option.) See specifications Q: What other unique features does the VoiceMaster Pro have? A: Variable hi-pass filter, phase reverse, phantom power, hard/soft knee and slow/fast attack compressor configurations, Focusrite audio quality throughout, hard bypass for each individual section as well as global bypass, frequency shift in the HF and control of depth of notch filter in the hi-mid EQ circuits. Specifications• Gain range = 0 dB to 60 dB continuously variable • Input Impedance = 1K4 Ω from 10 Hz to 200 kHz • EIN = 128 dB measured at 60 dB of gain with 150 Ω terminating impedance and 20 Hz/22 kHz bandpass filter • THD at minimum gain (0 dB) = 0.0004% measured with +16 dBu input signal and with a 20 Hz/22 kHz bandpass filter • THD at maximum gain (60 dB) = 0.003% measured with a –36 dBu input signal and with a 20 Hz/22 kHz bandpass filter • THD at maximum input level (26.5 dBu) = 0.005% measured with a 20 Hz/22 kHz bandpass filter • Frequency response at minimum gain (0 dB) = flat at 10 Hz and –2 dB down at 200 kHz • Frequency response at maximum gain (60 dB) = –2 dB down at 10 Hz and 200 kHz • CMRR at full gain (60 dB) = 80 dB Line Input response • Gain range = -10 dB to +10 dB continuously variable • Input Impedance = 10K Ω from 10 Hz to 200 kHz • Noise at main output with gain and fader set to unity (0 dB) = -94 dBu measured with a 20 Hz/22 kHz bandpass filter • Signal to noise ratio relative to max headroom (27 dBu) = 121 dB • Signal to noise ratio relative to 0 dBfs (+22 dBu) = 116 dB • THD at unity gain (0 dB) = 0.0006% measured with 0 dBfs (+22 dBu) input signal and with a 20 Hz/22 kHz bandpass filter • Frequency response at unity gain (0 dB) = 0.25 dB down at 10 Hz and –3 dB down at 200 kHz Instrument Input Response • Gain range = 0 dB to 40dB continuously variable • Input Impedance = > 1 Meg Ω • Noise at minimum gain (0 dB) = -90 dBu measured with a 20 Hz/22 kHz bandpass filter • Noise at maximum gain (40 dB) = -78 dBu measured with a 20 Hz/22 kHz bandpass filter • THD at minimum gain (0 dB) = 0.006% measured with –10 dBu input signal and with a 20 Hz/22 kHz bandpass filter • Frequency response at unity gain (0 dB) = 0.5 dB down at 10 Hz and –1 dB down at 200 kHz • Frequency response at maximum gain (40 dB) = 6 dB down at 10Hz and –1dB down at 200KHz Weight • 5kg • 11Ibs Dimensions • 484mm (W) x 85mm (H) x 180mm (D) • 19" (W) x 3.5" (H) x 9.3" (D) Awards Future Music Magazine 2002  Pro Audio Review 2002 ReviewsJanuary 2003 Jon Musgrave On the face of it, this box is all you'll need for getting any source signal (mic, line or instrument) into your recording system with the minimum of fuss. If we were to take a quick comparison of the VM Pro versus its predecessor, the most obvious addition would be the latency-free monitoring section, but there are many other changes too. These include the vintage harmonics section, designed to emulate the characteristics of Dolby encoding, an overhauled 'tube sound' section with three-colour LED, and general improvements to the EQ, expander, de-esser and compressor section. In fact, every part of the box has been improved, right down to the LED meters and new VU output meter. The most interesting section of the VoiceMaster Pro has to be the Vintage Harmonics. This brand new design actually takes its cue from a rather dated analogue practice. Back in the days of Dolby A noise reduction, it was discovered that if you recorded something with the noise reduction on and played it back with it off, you could get a quite pleasant high frequency enhancement. What Focusrite have done is harness this idea but in a much more usable fashion, incorporating two distinct bands, each with their own threshold so you have complete control over how much the signal gets processed. You can 't have looked at the VoiceMaster Pro without wondering about the new latency-free monitoring section. Designed with the project studio or single user in mind, this incorporates one effects loop (mono send, stereo return) with level control, a headphone feed, and a headphone balance (between voice plus effects and monitor signal). You get two sets of jacks on the back, one for inputting your monitor signal and one to parallel that monitor signal on to your amplifier or mixer. The monitoring section is an absolute doddle to set up. Simply connect the VoiceMaster Pro in series between your computer output and your monitors and you're away. You'll even find that when you plug the headphones in, the monitor parallel gets cut. Obviously if you're recording on your own in the same room as the monitors this is pretty useful. The VoiceMaster Pro 's de-esser takes its design from the ISA 430 Producer Pack so you know it's going to be good, and it doesn't disappoint. The phase cancellation method it uses seems much less brutal than standard sidechained compressor designs. They've even fine-tuned the Key Listen function so that not only do you hear the spot frequency, but you also hear how much action it's having too. In use,both the Optical Compressor and Expander are easy to use, and I am a particular fan of the Focusrite optical compressor, especially for vocal recording. The new Vintage Harmonics section is an absolute winner, great for adding attack and sparkle to many instruments (my particular favourite being classical guitar). In fact you'll find yourself wanting to try it on everything (though like any enhancer, it 's often a case of less is more!). Conclusion: The VoiceMaster Pro is most definitely a fantastic box, both visually and sonically. It combines the best of new ideas for home recordists (low-latency monitoring) with new takes on traditional designs (De-esser, Vintage Harmonics) and carries the Focusrite quality name. Verdict: Sound/results - 10/10. A serious overhaul of the VoiceMaster and another cracking addition to the Platinum range. What's next, we wonder? Sound on Sound Magazine quotes Sound on Sound January 2003 In this particular incarnation, [the VoiceMaster Pro] offers just about everything you could ask for in a channel strip, plus a zero-latency monitoring system for working with soundcard systems. The mic preamp is electrically quiet and clear-sounding [...] and it also works well for DI'ing instruments such as guitars and basses where this is artistically appropriate. I wasn't sure what to expect from the Vintage Harmonics section, but I soon found out that it could be very flattering if applied carefully, especially in the high band [...] At the lower depth setting, the high band adds a pleasant breathiness to vocals and also addes shimmer to guitar parts, so it's definitely a feature worth having. The compressor held few surprises, as I've met this design before, and, on the whole, it does a great job without burdening the user with too many controls to adjust. It works fine for general vocal control and can also be used to impart more attitude if the harder ratio setting is chosen. On guitar and bass, the slower attack setting creates a nice percussive character to the start of notes as well as evening out the overall level. As a compromise between flexibility and ease of use, I think Focusrite have got this dead right. I like the idea of an EQ designed specifically for vocals and, in most respects, this one works extremely well. It sounds musical, it's easy to adjust and it provides plenty of control range. Also worthy of praise is the de-esser, where the side-chain Listen function makes it incrdibly easy to tune into the frequency band where sibilance is causing problems. Once this has been located, you only need to adjust the threshold control to pull down the offending sounds, and this can be accomplished without trashing the overall vocal tone. Very nice indeed. The master section is pretty straightforward, though adding a send and return to allow a digital reverb to be used on the headphine monitor mix is a neat touch. Zero-latency monitoring via hardware is nothing new, but it is well implemented here, with both input and output connections to save the user having to make up any special split cables. There's plenty of headphone level and the general quality of the headphone sound is good. The VoiceMaster Pro is capable of clean, quiet amplification, or it can be used to radically reshape a sound via its various processing sections. In the context of recording, this means you can create a useful range of vocal characters without having to switch microphones. In particular, there's plenty of control over low-end warmth and high-end air and sizzle, while the compressor evens things out and makes vocals sound more confident. Given its extremely attractive UK price, its diverse processing abilities and the option of fitting an affordable digital output card, the VoiceMaster Pro has to be seen as great value. Pro Audio Review Magazine quotes March 2003 Kevin Becka The VoiceMaster Pro, the newest product in the Focusrite Platinum Series, was a PAR Excellence award winner at the 2002 AES show, and for good reason: never before had so much been available for so little. Targeted squarely at the project studio, the Pro lives up to its name, offering professional processing at a price accessible to all. Focurite promo test the box as an able all-in-one voice recording tool, but they're selling it short. As you will see, I was also able to use it on guitars with good results. The front panel is well laid out and, in all but a few cases, anyone with moderate experience should be able to figure out the unit without cracking the manual. However, after the initial out-of-the-box euphoria and experimentation phase, I would highly recommend reading the well-written manual cover to cover. It is packed with thorough explanations of each section plus additional information titled 'Obtaining Good Quality Sound', 'A Beginners Guide to Compression/EQ' and some FAQs with answers. The de-esser (same as in the ISA 430) is highly functional and closely mimics the operation on the dbx 902 adding a nice listen feature to monitor what you're cutting. There is a 'Cut Frequency' dial, variable from 2 kHz to 10 kHz, and a threshold control variable from -40 to -10. This section worked great, with the final results being a fairly surgical removal of sibilance. The response of the circuit was quick, making even drastic de-essing nearly transparent. Although the unit is optimised for vocals, I could not help but try it on guitars. It excelled as a guitar processor. I took an electric guitar and played around with the various sections, I found that the Vintage Harmonics, Tube Sound and EQ sections worked very well and gave me a number of options for tonal wizardry. Once again, it's the subtle nature of this unit that makes it exceptional - it's hard to make it sound bad. Summary: Focusrite really thought this one out and it provides a nice array of switchable processors in a tight, easy-to-use package. What I liked most about the VoiceMaster Pro is that it is subtle in all the right places. You would expect EQ and dynamics at this price to be harsh and heavy-handed, but that is far from the case. You can finesse a track using this box and the home recorder would benefit by having it in their rack. At this price, it is a no-brainer. My one wish for the box would be to have a link control so you could use two of them for stereo outboard use. Audio Media Magazine review quotes May 2003 Simon Tilbrook The pre-amp has proved itself to be a very quiet, not entirely neutral pre-amp. The colouration is subtle and not at all unpleasant. The expander on the VoiceMaster Pro works exactly as you would expect, simple and efficient, and the optical compressor for me is one of the Platinum range's best designed features. Its usefulness defies the number of parameter controls. The EQs on both the Trak Master and VoiceMaster Pro have great working ranges. Both are capable of corrective and very subtle and musical equalisation tasks. They're very smooth and can produce airy and present mids on vocals, or a nice edginess to guitars - overall the EQ sections of both units are very pleasing. The Tube emulations on both Trak Master and VoiceMaster Pro give a warm roundness and broadening effect to the lower mids. With the VoiceMaster Pro the drive control allows for a much more overdriven sound as a greater degree of harmonic interaction is introduced. Also, using the Tube Sound processing alongside the Vintage Harmonics gives you a great deal of creative control over vocal presence in particular. The Vintage Harmonics alone give a spacey, present feel to vocals. The VoiceMaster Pro de-esser, taken from the Focusrite ISA 430, is amongst the least destructive units of its type. The ability to isolate the sibilant frequency selection through the listen function works beautifully, and lets you apply the minimum amount of cut. It's a bonus to have this processor on this device. The well thought design approach of Focusrite carries through to the VoiceMaster Pro. This unit does indeed justify its Pro legend. Its wonderfully creative processing gives such a wide range of tonal possibilities, especially with the targeted vocal applications. When you look at the Trak Master and Voicemater Pro in terms of price, you will undoubtedly be seeing quite a few of these units in the widest range of sound facilities. Resolution Magazine review quotes July/August 2003 George Shilling The Drive knob has an associated tricolour LED that indicates how much Tube effect is occurring. This was surprisingly good... it adds a smidgen of richness that might help to poke a vocal through a noisy mix. The Voice Optimised EQ... on good recordings it sounds sweet. Many project studio operators will find [the Latency-Free Monitoring section] useful - especially those without a patch bay or multi or parallel sockets or leads. Or indeed, even those without a mixing console The main unit is ridiculously cheap considering the features present and at this price the sound quality is remarkable. Recording April 2004 Rick Davies Many musicians are rediscovering analogue tape recording as a preferred first stage in the production process, even if they later edit the tracks digitally. The VoiceMaster Pro seems to directly address the needs of this group of recording musicians, and it certainly could gain favour with the digital set too. Overall, the VMP pre-amp does its job admirably. The VMP’s pre-amp itself is very simple and clean and hardly colours the sound at all. If you’re looking for "tube warmth", you’ll be interested in the rest of the VMP’s modules. If you’re not, you have the option of a very clean input just on its own. If the meter doesn’t give you enough to go on, you can use the de-esser’s Listen switch so that you only hear a narrow band around the cut frequency. I found this module very easy to use (and to abuse, mind you). I also appreciated not having to use the compressor for de-essing duties. The Tube Sound module adds the type of distortion for which tubes are so popular... the result is a simple control set that delivers a broad range of rich textures. This definitely sets the VMP apart! The Vintage Harmonics mimics the effect of recording with analogue noise reduction... the effect can be delightful. "The EQs do their job effectively, without much fanfare, and without imparting artefacts that aren’t already in the signal. Nice." There’s plenty to like about the VoiceMaster Pro. It packs a lot of voice-friendly features and offers many ways to patch into them... the more I worked with the VMP, the more I liked it. Getting a good vocal sound became very, very fast. So, is it a good tool or a good deal. Yes and yes. You might be able to assemble a stereo chain that covers the pre-amp and dynamics for something approaching the street price of a VoiceMaster Pro, but I wouldn’t count on getting the de-esser, tube sound, vintage harmonics, EQ or monitoring section in the same package. I could easily get used to having the VoiceMaster Pro in my rack! Your ThoughtsRod Biggins “Sometimes I have the threshold quite high and hardly compressing at all...it just gives a certain kind of glistening over the mix, which is nice. The other bit of Focusrite I?ve got is the Voice Master unit, which, for the money, is just amazing. I record all my vocals through that.” Jim Marr, Producer (Producer of Billie, Martine McCutcheon etc.) "There's a Focusrite mic pre-amp...that's a fantastic bit of kit, Stick a mic in one end and you can go straight into VST." Chicane "I do a huge amount of spoken word production. The Voice Master is wonderful for both natural, clean results as well as heavily "effected" ones when needed-- and just about anything in between. When I first got it, I used it on some existing tracks and it replaced what used to take 3 different units-- and provided better results. Even better is when it is used from the get-go. Bravo on a really nice balance of price/performance. So affordable, guess I'll run off and buy a second one!" Richard LePage "This is truly a multi-purpose piece of gear. For what you get at the price point - it is unbeatable. Before I used VM Pro as a mic pre for the lead vocal live. Now, I have been using VM Pro as an insert for ALL vocals live. It can make the deadest mains come to life. No more worrying about what mains you are running into when playing a new venue. This kicks ass and should be shared at demos." Dan G Berkery, US Related Products |
