AEA TRP3 User manual
OWNER’S MANUAL
THE ORIGINAL 2-CHANNEL RIBBON PREAMP
AEA TRP
3
But it's great on every mic
WELCOME
Congratulations on your purchase of the AEA TRP3 microphone
preamplifier, AEA’s third iteration of our low noise, ultra-high gain
and impedance architecture. Inspired by its older siblings the TRP
and the TRP2, the TRP3 improves upon a trusted blueprint using the
most up-to-date technology available. At AEA, we put the same
thought and care into our preamps as we put into the development of
our microphones: sonic quality comes first.
Since 2006, AEA's preamps have surpassed the limitations of 20th
century electronics, allowing you to fully appreciate the sonic
complexities of your microphone. The TRP3 leans on the side of
neutral but is unlike other "clean" preamps because of its rich and
musical tonality. It offers up to 85 dB of effortless gain for any
microphone and sonics that invite hearts to listen deeper.
Your TRP3 is 100 percent handcrafted in Pasadena, California. AEA is
a family-owned company with a small crew of skilled technicians,
many of whom are musicians themselves. Proudly independent, we
still manufacture all our ribbon microphones and preamps by hand,
in-house, from locally sourced parts. We hope the TRP3 helps capture
many magical musical performances. Read this manual thoroughly to
make sure you get the best sound and longevity from your new
preamp. We invite you to become part of the AEA community by
sharing your experiences with the TRP3 via email, phone, or our
social media channels.
The AEA Team
CONTENTS
WELCOME
INTRODUCTION
WARRANTY
SUPPORT
GENERAL GUIDELINES
FRONT PANEL GUIDE
CONNECTIONS GUIDE
SETTING THE GAIN
OTHER FEATURES
SPECIFICATIONS
2
4
4
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5
5
6
7
8
11
3
INTRODUCTION
The TRP3 is a half-rack, two-channel, high gain and high impedance
microphone preamp. Specifically designed for ribbon
microphones, the TRP3 (The Ribbon Preamp) excels at drawing out
the warmth and lush sound ribbons are uniquely known for.
However, when a preamp works well with a passive ribbon
microphone, it will excel on every microphone. With 85 dB of sweet
JFET gain, the TRP3 delivers the quietness and headroom needed
for today’s high-resolution recordings. The TRP3 is a cost-effective,
high-quality solution providing a pure and transparent signal path
for all ribbons, condensers, and moving coil microphones. The
TRP3’s combination of ultra-low noise, low-distortion op-amps,
ultra-high 68 kΩ input impedance, and 85 dB of clean gain
provides all the dynamics, subwoofer bass, and fast transients that
your microphones can deliver. As with all AEA electronics, the
circuit in the TRP3 was designed by Fred Forssell.
WARRANTY
Your TRP3 comes with a one-year
limited warranty on parts and
labor*. Registering your preamp
within 90 days will extend the
warranty to three (3) years. Scan the
QR code or visit our website to
register.
*AEA is not responsible for shipping costs
SUPPORT
If you should encounter any problems with your preamp or have
questions regarding using the TRP3 in specific application, please
To contact us by phone, please call 626-798-9128 from 9:00 a.m.-
5:00 p.m. PST Monday-Friday. AEA's repair center is located at
1029 N. Allen Ave, Pasadena, CA 91104, U.S.A.
4
GENERAL GUIDELINES
FRONT PANEL GUIDE
5
1 - Mic Gain rotary switch:
This twelve-position switch selects from +7 dB to +65 dB of
preamplifier gain.
2 - Phantom Power (P48) switch:
OUT is off; IN applies full-spec P48 phantom power to the
input. The red LED below the switch will indicate when P48
phantom power is engaged.
3 - Polarity Invert switch:
OUT is normal; IN is inverted.
4 - Output Level control:
This continuously variable control provides up to +20 dB
additional output gain following the optional CurveShaper™
EQ circuitry. Fully counter-clockwise -- 0 dB -- indicates unity.
5 - High Pass Filter (HPF):
3-position switch provides a gentle 6 dB per octave with a
choice of -3 dB points at 115 Hz or 230 Hz.
6 - Audio Signal Level Indicators:
The green LED snaps on at -20 dBu to indicate the presence of
signal. The yellow LED snaps on at 0 dBu. The red LED snaps
on at +20 dBu to warn of approaching signal overload.
7 - Power Switch:
OUT is off; IN powers on unit.
Green LED above the switch will indicate that the unit is on.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
⬆ ⬆ ⬆ ⬆ ⬆ ⬆ ⬆
CONNECTIONS GUIDE
The TRP3’s rear panel supplies one Neutrik 3-pin XLR input per
channel. Microphone input connections are made via female XLR
connectors with Pin-2 + or high, Pin-3 – or low, and Pin-1 ground.
The XLR Input routes through the preamp gain stage, high-pass
filter EQ, and Output Level control to the XLR output.
The output of the TRP3 emulates a transformer-coupled output and
can be used as either a balanced or unbalanced signal (depending
on how your cable/system is configured). When balanced, the
maximum output level is +27 dBu; when unbalanced, the maximum
level is +21 dBu. (These are as measured into a 600 Ω load; the
recommended load is > 10 kΩ; 0 dBu = 0.7746 V rms.)
When unbalancing the XLR Output, pin-3 must be tied to ground
at the receiving end (i.e. the input of the following device). Do not
tie pin-3 to ground directly at the output of the TRP3.
6
To maintain the best performance from your new AEA TRP3
preamp, take note of these two requirements:
Never place preamp in close proximity to electromagnetic
fields or hot surfaces. Electromagnetic fields created by power
transformers, motors, or RF transmitters can potentially damage or
interfere with the preamp functionality. Make sure to keep your
preamp away from these sources in addition to hot surfaces.
Before turning on the power, all connections to the preamp
should be made and the Gain and Output Level controls set at
their minimum settings. Be sure to examine your signal chain
before powering up the preamp to ensure sudden loud noises are
not emitted which could damage your system or hearing.
To prevent damaging the equipment in your system, it is a good
idea to test your microphone cables regularly to determine whether
they have any open, shorted, reversed, or intermittent connections.
SETTING THE GAIN
The TRP3’s minimalist JFET circuit design delivers up to 85 dB of
clean, quiet gain. With extended bandwidth from below 10 Hz to
beyond 200 kHz, it delivers effortless dynamic range and transient
response that complements all microphones.
As with any piece of audio equipment, setting and maintaining
proper signal levels is critical to obtaining optimum performance. If
the level is set too low, noise performance is sacrificed; if the level
is too high, there’s a risk of overload distortion.
Setting the AEA TRP3 gain begins by setting the first stage GAIN
and second stage OUTPUT knobs fully counterclockwise. The first
stage GAIN control has 12 precision steps from +7 dB to +65 dB.
The second stage OUTPUT potentiometer knob when all the way
down (counterclockwise) adds no gain, and all the way up adds
+20 dB. The three LEDs: green, yellow and red (ref.#6) snap on at
-20, 0, and +20 dBu to indicate signal activity.
First Stage GAIN Control Adjustment
Connect the microphone and then, if needed, turn on phantom
power. Have the performer(s) play a louder section and click up the
GAIN (ref.#2) until the yellow LED usually lights and the red LED
rarely lights.
Second Stage OUTPUT Gain Trim
The OUTPUT Control (ref.#4) potentiometer adjusts gain from 0 dB
(unity gain) at the bottom to +20 dB gain when fully turned up. Like
the 12-step GAIN control, the 0 dB and +20 dB OUTPUT positions
are accurate and repeatable. Approximate OUTPUT gain at 9, 12,
and 3 o’clock are +3 dB, +7 dB, and +17 dB. The red LED lights
7 dB before clipping with a balanced load, so listen carefully to see
how it sounds when the red LED lights up more often.
7
8
We actively encourage users to visit AEAribbonmics.com to
access our comprehensive collection of in-depth articles and
tutorials featuring AEA preamps, along with a library of audio
and video demonstrations of the preamps in action.
OTHER FEATURES
INPUT IMPEDANCE
Passive ribbon microphones and numerous moving coil dynamic
microphones are very particular about how they interact with
preamps and their respective impedances play an important part
in this. Since passive ribbon microphones and some dynamic
microphones generally have a very high impedance, they are
sensitive to what is referred to as “loading.” The lower impedance
a mic must drive, the harder the mic has to work. If the input
impedance of a preamp is too close to the impedance of the
microphone, it may exhibit increased distortion, decreased
headroom, poor transient response, and less overall frequency
response. There are no negative consequences to using high
input impedance preamps.
The ultra-high gain JFET circuit has two input impedances:
11.3 kΩ with phantom power "ON" and 68 kΩ with phantom
power "OFF." The 68 kΩ brings out the best in passive ribbons
and tube mics, and also provides a unique balanced input for
vintage, high-impedance dynamic mics. This versatility ensures
the highest sensitivity, bandwidth, transient response, and clarity
possible for a wide variety of microphones.
LOW CUT FREQUENCY FILTER
The TRP3’s Low-Frequency filter (ref.#5) features two 6 dB per
octave slopes at 115 Hz and 230 Hz. This Low-Frequency filter is
intended to moderate the bass boost “proximity effect” inherent
with a ribbon microphone when used up close.
Directional microphones when moved closer on-axis to a sound
source become more sensitive to low frequencies. This proximity
effect becomes more pronounced the closer the distance. With
some Big Ribbon™ mics, such as the AEA R44C, proximity effect
begins at six feet and is extremely pronounced at a distance of
one inch. However, sometimes such strong low frequency content
can mask high frequency intelligibility. The TRP3’s high-pass filter
helps diminish this low frequency energy. The frequencies of the
TRP3's high-pass-filter were specifically chosen to tame the
proximity on a variety of microphones in a variety of
configurations, especially AEA ribbon mics.
POWER SUPPLY
An external switching power supply with a grounded AC plug is
used with the TRP3 so hum fields can be kept away from the high-
gain electronics. The power supply allows the TRP3 to be used in
any country without any modifications made to the unit.
The power supply is a universal switching supply. It provides 3
regulated outputs +/-18.5 VDC and 52 VDC; these voltages are
then regulated internally again to provide clean power for the unit.
The power supply is not designed to be used in a wet
environment.
9
10
TRP3Single Line Drawing
SPECIFICATIONS
Max Gain at 1kHz:
EIN (Max Gain 22 Hz to 22 kH
z):
Frequency Response:
THD+N:
XLR Output Maximum Level:
Input Impedance:
Input Impedance (P48 Engaged):
Output Impedance:
Max Input Signal Level:
Mic Gain Control:
Output Trim:
High Pass Filter:
Input and Output XLR Polarity:
LED Signal Level Indicators:
Dimensions:
Weight:
Power Supply Weight:
Power Supply Length:
85 dB
130 dBu (typical), 40 Ω source unweighted
128 dBu (typical), 150 Ω source unweighted
30 dB gain: (-0.5 dB from <10 Hz to 200 kHz)
85 dB gain: (-3 dB 9Hz to >200 kHz)
0.0015% (1 kHz, 22 Hz-22 kHz @30 dB Gain
+4 dBu output)
+27 dBu into 600 Ω load
68 kΩ
11.3 kΩ
50 Ω
+20 dBu (minimum gain)
12-position switch from +7 dB to +65 dB
Continuously variable from 0 dB to +20 dB
Switchable, passive first-order high-pass filter
Selectable frequencies (-3 dB) at either 115 Hz or
230 Hz
Pin-2 is high
Green LED ≅ -20 dBu;
Yellow LED = 0 dBu;
Red LED ≅ +20 dBu (clipping +27 dBu)
Half-rack wide (8.5 in), 1 rack unit high (1.8 in)
8 in deep (measured with knobs)
(21.59 cm x 20.32 cm x 4.6 cm)
2 lb (0.894 kg)
1 lbs 1 oz (0.483 kg)
7 feet 8.5 inches (2.3 m)
Power supply length may be
supplemented with longer IEC cable.
11
In compliance with the following requirements: RoHS2 Directive: 2011/65/EU
AEARIBBONMICS.COM | @RIBBONMICS | I[email protected] | 626-798-9127
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