A Designs Audio PACIFICA What we're going do is go back... WAY back...back into time... to the early 1970s, when the recording industry was starting to bloom with the new technology of solid state. (Dig?) Hit products were pumped out as fast as hit records—one after another. There was a creative industry within the audio world. It was, without question, a golden age. Some companies that emerged during that period were Neve, API, and Quad Eight. Although it’s been decades, the benchmarks they set are still held as industry standards today. Little is known about Quad Eight, though many feel that they were the best in their field. While debating is usually best left to the history books, A-Designs took up the challenge to take a closer look into the past and decide on its own. With much research, interviews, and listening, we came up with a product that we feel needs to see the light of day again. With Quad Eight Ventura, Coronado and Pacifica console preamplifiers for reference, we closely examined the design and composition of the heart and soul in the consoles of these great pieces. After much design, A/Bing, and beta testing, the result is a solid state, single space, rack mounted, microphone pre amplifier from the “glory days.” Cloning being what it is (same old same old), we decided to head outside the box and make the tribute something other than the legacy. We added our own touch to bring it to present day applications of the recording world. And so the new A-Designs PACIFICA was born.
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"The A-Designs Audio Pacifica is astonishingly close both sonically and visually to the original Quad Eight desk. It's an excellent choice for anyone who wants a clean, punchy microphone preamp packed full of character and versatility." Russ Long (Wilco, Sixpence None The Richer, Dolly Parton, Reliant K)
"They have a certain midrange energy that really makes synth sounds come to life, particularly on soft synths and virtual instruments. Nice for cutting guitar sounds too, very forward without sounding harsh or eq'ed....A great secret weapon pre that always have people saying 'What are you tracking that sound through?'" Jeremy Harding
Jeremy Harding is an engineer, producer, musician, DJ and manager whose 2 Hard recording studio (and label of the same name) has a prominent hold on the music scene in his native Kingston, Jamaica. Learn more about Jeremy and his favorite gear in our Producers Corner.
