Soyuz The Launcher Inline Active Preamp

Vintage Console in a Box

Imagine a small, affordable box that, used with just a common dynamic mic plugged into an ordinary interface or PA system, delivers the old-school magic of a vintage analog console. Now that we have your attention, Sweetwater would like to direct your attention to the Launcher by Soyuz. Unlike other signal gain boosters, transparency is not the Launcher's forte — color is. Featuring a custom handwound transformer and 26dB of colorful gain, this in-line microphone preamplifier employs a proprietary Soyuz circuit to infuse your signal with character and warmth that will take your sound to the next level. Handcrafted by the expert technicians at Soyuz, the Launcher opens up new worlds of sonic potential for the dynamic and passive ribbon microphones in your mic locker.

Rediscover your dynamic and low-output ribbon mics

Rocking the big stages or recording at home, the Soyuz Launcher breaths new life into your dynamic and low-output ribbon mics. Yes, we're talking gain — a robust 26dB of it — but along with that comes a sonic transformation, converting what would be a lackluster recording into a vibrant one that aggressively punches out of the speakers with weight and authority. The launcher works its magic with virtually any interface or preamp, boosting and optimizing the sound of your source while attenuating the audible noise in your signal chain.

Take your sound with you

Whether you're a musician, engineer, video producer, podcaster, and voice-over artist, the Launcher will take your sound to the next level. You don’t need a big studio to produce a big sound. On the road or in the studio, the Launcher will get you there. What is the secret sauce behind its special sonic alchemy? What we do know is that its custom transformer and proprietary circuit are the result of years of beta testing and feedback from musicians and engineers around the world. And that it's one of Soyuz’s most closely guarded secrets!

From Russia with love

The Russian word "soyuz" means alliance, and it signifies the partnership that is the driving force behind Soyuz Microphones. In 2013 American vocalist David Arthur Brown and Russian entrepreneur Pavel Bazdyrev teamed up and launched a company to build world-class microphones in Russia — a country where less than five percent of small businesses last more than two years. Soyuz now has 20 full-time employees, and Soyuz microphones are being used by top engineers, producers, and artists such as Coldplay, Radiohead, The Lumineers, and Paramore.

What's in your mic locker?

Among the most cherished assets of any world-class recording studio are its microphones. Take a peek in the mic locker and you will almost certainly find vintage European tube and FET models made in the 1950s, '60s, or '70s. The "human-touch" manufacturing methods and discrete handwired circuitry of that era yielded microphones with sonic characteristics that are distinctly different from modern computer-assisted designs. Soyuz's original tube and FET microphone designs — while not clones of vintage models — are produced in the old-school way, using manual lathes and drill presses and leveraging the former Soviet Union’s rich technological legacy as a foundation. So, what's in your mic locker? The answer will determine the sound of your recordings.

Soyuz The Launcher In-line Microphone Preamplifier Features:

• Rediscover your dynamic and low-output ribbon mics
• Proprietary circuit with custom transformer
• Gain: 26dB (load >1k ohms)
• Frequency Range: 10Hz–20kHz (-1dB)
• Maximum output level (0.5% THD): 8.3dBV (2.6V)
• Output noise level: 8μV (JIS-A)
• Powering: 48V phantom, according to IEC 61938
• Electrical impedance: 1k ohms
• Recommended load impedance: >1k ohms
• Current consumption: 5.0mA
• Connectivity: 3-pin male, female XLR connectors