Millennia HV-3D Four and Eight Channels Microphone Preamplifier User Guide

Millennia HV-3D Four and Eight Channels Microphone Preamplifier

Authentic Transparency for Unrestricted Creativity

• Unsurpassed ambience retrieval
• Transformerless design with matched hi-speed discrete tran-sistor octet has 23 dB input headroom: no attenuator “pads” needed
• Uncolored timbral accuracy at all dynamic levels
•  Entirely balanced audio path with precision components maintains signal integrity: THD under 5 ppm (.0005%)
• Effortless, vividly realistic, musical performance
• Laser-trimmed FET-based output stage has 32 dB headroom: drives 1000 foot (300m) cable runs with ease
• Standard 36-step gain controls (1.5 dB per step) are stereo-matched to .08 dB
• Ultra-clean switching power supply
• Gold and silver switch contacts
• OFC audio wiring
• Silver Teflon power wiring
• Welded 16 gauge steel rack chassis

Options

• DPA (B&K) +130 V mic inputs
• DC inputs for ideal performance with dynamic and ribbon microphones
• MADI
• Dante

Not Quite What You Need?

• HV-316 Remote Controlled
• HV-3C Stereo Mic Preamplifier
•  HV-32P Portable Stereo Mic Pre
• HV-35 500 Series Module

Digital Delivery Demands Total Clarity

Microphone preamplifiers mag-nify the input as much as 1000:1. There’s no “Undo” after this point. Coloration or distortion become part of the signal. Lost information can never be recovered. Data com-pression algorithms (MPG, AC3, DTS etc.) are unable to distinguish signal from noise, so preserving the clarity and integrity of the signal through the recording and produc-tion process is critical to commu-nicating the artist’s intention and individuality.

Sound So Open You Can Drive A Truck With It

Location recording is a high-wire act, with only one chance to capture the living moment of performance in its original ambience. Digital plug-ins can’t “uncolor” sound or restore lost upper harmonic partials. The HV-3D is designed to transmit microphone signals to recording devices unaltered and has proven its ability to drive extremely long cable runs. No matter how subtle or at tractive, a colored “signature” sound destroys options at every link in the chain. The HV-3D’s open, transpar-ent signal path has defined “high definition” since its introduction.

Experiment, Experience, Excellence

The HV-3 Series was developed to be accurate enough for the world’s finest acoustic recordings. Text-book theory is an incomplete guide, and test instrument readings don’t reliably measure the quality of the listening experience. We took a rigorously empirical approach, exploring many design approaches by attempting to perfect each one. Experimental designs were evalu- ated on the lab bench and in our own production facility, where we could compare recordings directly to live performances. We proved to ourselves that there’s no such thing as a straight wire with gain. But the HV-3 Series’ transformerless input, balanced audio path, minimal amplifier design has brought us closer than any other to our goal of absolute accuracy and uncompro-mised sonic realism. Today, over 40,000 channels are performing in symphonic halls, stadium concerts and studios of all sizes and shapes. Whatever the venue or musical style, the HV- 3D delivers the authentic sound of vocalists, acoustic instruments, drums, triple guitar stacks… delight-ing artists, engineers, producers and listeners around the world.

You Can Pay More, You Can’t Spend Less

Initial purchase price is never a de-sign target at Millennia Media: we strive to maximize return on invest-ment and minimize total cost. Our HV-3 Series is the mic pre of choice at the highest levels of the profes-sion: the HV-3D combines multiple channels to minimize redundant mechanical and electrical parts. This is a tool you can build a career around: it will remain valuable and useful no matter how far your sonic explorations take you.. Acquiring an HV-3D is a step off the upgrade treadmill: a step that will ultimately save you much more than your initial investment.

Specifications

HV-3DSpecifications

Minimum Gain| 8.5 dB
Maximum Gain
(1.5 dB per step, 36 steps)| 65 dB (up to 75 dB on request)
Frequency Response
+0 / -3 dB| sub 3 Hz to beyond 300 kHz
Noise
60 dB Gain, 10 Hz – 30 kHz, Inputs common| -133 dB EIN
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise
35 dB Gain, 10 Hz – 20 kHz bandwidth, +27 dBu Out| < .001%, Typ. < .0005% (< 5 ppm)
Intermodulation Distortion
(50 Hz & 7 kHz) 35 dB Gain, +27 dBu Out| < .0009%
Phase Response
35 dB Gain, 50 Hz – 20 kHz bandwidth, +27 dBu Out| < 2 degrees deviation
Common Mode Rejection Ratio
35 dB Gain, 10 Hz – 20 kHz bandwidth, 100 mV C.M.| > 65 dB, Typ > 85 dB
Slew Rate
35 dB Gain, +27 dBu Out| > 25 volts per microsecond
Maximum Input Level
20 Hz – 40 kHz| +23 dBu (no attenuator pads required)
Maximum Output Level
20 Hz – 40 kHz| +32 dBu
Phantom Input Impedance
1 kHz| 6,750 ohms
Output Impedance| 24.3 ohms (x2)
DPA (B&K) Mic Powering| +130 V dc max, (non-phantom)
Phantom Powering| +48 V dc, +/- 2 V dc
Power Consumption| 45 watts maximum
Power Requirements| 100V to 240V, 50/60 Hz
Dimensions/Shipping Weight| 19” W x 3.5” H x 12.5” D, 23 lbs.

The sound is great — sweet, refined, full of dynamics – fabulous on grand piano. Tony Faulkner, Greenroom Productions, UK owner of HV-3D and M-2B preamplifiers The HV-3D is one of the finest pieces of gear with which I have ever had the pleasure to work. I use three of them to record the Na-tional Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, with spectacular results. Charles Lawson, Senior Recording/Produc-tion Engineer WETA Radio, Washington, DC This is an outstanding mic preamp. I’ve never heard our mics sound this clean on piano. We’ve been using our [46 channels of] Millen-nia preamps on everything… Jack Renner, President, Telarc Records Inter-national Our HV-3D is primarily dedicated to making a great drum sound instantly available. It’s truly a beautiful thing and it sounds awe-some… The HV-3D has added so much more to the feeling of creativity in our studio and I just want to say thanks for making such a great unit. It’s a solid piece of work, looks great and it sounds amazing – I’m in love!John Haggins, DigiNote Studio, Miami Beach, FL “For the HBO Live Broadcast of The Rolling Stones from Madison Square Garden 1/18/03, we used 82 channels of HV-3s on stage to drive about 800 feet of wire five stories down to the Silver Truck. I am absolutely amazed at how good it sounded with that length of cable! Those HV-3s could drive the Atlantic phone cable to London!” David Hewitt, Chief Engineer, Remote Recording Services I like to get on tape (or on hard disc) what I hear in the room. When I was looking for a new mic pre, the main concerns were – no colouration, transparency and the lowest possible noise floor and reliability, because we record 360 days a year. I simply could not find anything better than the HV-3D. Jörg Mayr, Audio Engineer, Music Producer Vienna Symphonic Library

Reviews
Lots of Pure Clean Gain Monte Vallier, EQ The sound is great — sweet, refined, full of dynamics – fabulous on grand piano. Tony Faulkner, Greenroom Productions, UK owner of HV-3D and M-2B preamplifiers The HV-3D is one of the finest pieces of gear with which I have ever had the pleasure to work. I use three of them to record the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, with spectacular results. Charles Lawson, Senior Recording/Production Engineer WETA Radio, Washington, DC  This is an outstanding mic preamp. I’ve never heard our mics sound this clean on piano. We’ve been using our [46 channels of] Millennia preamps on everything… Jack Renner, President, Telarc Records International Our HV-3D is primarily dedicated to making a great drum sound instantly available. It’s truly a beautiful thing and it sounds awesome… The HV-3D has added so much more to the feeling of creativity in our studio and I just want to say thanks for making such a great unit. It’s a solid piece of work, looks great and it sounds amazing – I’m in love! John Haggins, DigiNote Studio, Miami Beach, FL “For the HBO Live Broadcast of The Rolling Stones from Madison Square Garden 1/18/03, we used 82 channels of HV-3s on stage to drive about 800 feet of wire five stories down to the Silver Truck. I am absolutely amazed at how good it sounded with that length of cable! Those HV-3s could drive the Atlantic phone cable to London!” David Hewitt, Chief Engineer, Remote Recording Services I like to get on tape (or on hard disc) what I hear in the room. When I was looking for a new mic pre, the main concerns were – no colouration, transparency and the lowest possible noise floor and reliability, because we record 360 days a year. I simply could not find anything better than the HV-3D. Jörg Mayr, Audio Engineer, Music Producer Vienna Symphonic Library “Over a period of months, I used the HV-3 on all types of sessions, ranging from stereo-miked chamber ensembles to multi-track pop sessions. In all cases, the HV-3 provided an absolutely faithful rendition of the microphone’s sound, without imparting any coloration of its own… An excellent value offering impeccable audio specs, first-rate construction, and sonic transparency under any conditions. The Millennia Media HV-3 is…for those who seek absolute purity in reproduction.” MIX Magazine, Feature Review By George Petersen, Editor “Just to let you know, the recording we did of the Penderecki Credo won this year’s Grammy for “Best Choral Recording”. We used 16 channels of Millennia pre-amps on stage.” THANKS FOR THE GREAT SOUND!! Don Harder, Chief Audio Engineer, Canadian Broadcasting Company (March 2001)

DESCRIPTION

1. HIGH RESOLUTION GAIN CONTROL
   Detented, 36-position gain control employing a superior quality Grayhill mil- spec gold plated rotary switch. Switch gain is approximately 1.5 dB per step and is inter-channel matched to better than 0.08 dB at all settings. After a brief warm-up period, adjustment of this switch is virtually silent. Two illuminating pushbutton switches (Green and Amber) determine the gain “range” of the rotary switch. When the pushbutton switches are not depressed (non- illuminated), the mic preamp gain provided is as printed on the front panel (9.0 dB, 10.5 dB, 12.0 dB, etc..). When the green pushbutton switch (only) is depressed and illuminated, add 18 dB to the gain settings as printed on the front panel.\When the green and amber switches are both depressed and illuminated, add 36 dB to the gain settings as printed on the front panel. For example, with both pushbutton switches depressed and the rotary switch at 12:00 o’clock position, the preamp gain would be 54 dB (18 + 36).

2. PHANTOM POWER SELECT SWITCH (“+48V”) Illuminating pushbutton switch which provides phantom power (+48VDC) to the microphone inserted into that channel. When this switch is depressed (illuminated red), phantom power is applied simultaneously through dual 6.81k ohm resistors to pins 2 and 3 of the three-pin female XLR input. Use phantom power with condenser and other microphones requiring traditional phantom supply.

3. HIGH VOLTAGE SELECT SWITCH (“+130V”) Optional Illuminating pushbutton switch which selects the four pin XLR input (+130VDC) for DPA (B&K) high voltage microphones type 4003, 4004, 4009, and 4012. When this switch is depressed (illuminated amber), the HV-3 series preamp receives mic-level audio from the four pin XLR input. If you are using a B&K (DPA) high voltage microphone with four pin XLR connectors, depress this switch so that it illuminates. If a conventional microphone is used, do not depress this switch. The HV-3 series preamp will not combine (“mix”) both conventional and high voltage microphones on one channel. NOTE: The HV-3 series preamp is designed to provide uninterrupted DC power to B&K (DPA) high voltage microphones, regardless where this switch is set. Use care that high voltage microphone cables are not inserted or extracted from the unit when power is on.

4. SIGNAL INDICATORS “OL” & “SP” LEDs
   The green “signal present” (SP) LED indicates that a nominal signal is present at the microphone input. It is set to illuminate in the neighborhood of -35 dBu.
   The red “overload” (OL) LED has been set to illuminate when the balanced output reaches a level of +25 dBu. However, the HV-3 series preamp can produce unclipped, undistorted levels over twice this voltage. Hence, the overload LED is not an indication of preamp clipping. Rather, it is a general reference showing a nominal “system” peak level. If clipping is occurring in your recording path, check all devices connected after the HV-3 series preamp and reduce system gains accordingly. In the event that B&K (DPA) 4004 or 4012 microphones are used with hazardous sound pressures (over 130 dB, SPL), an attenuator may be required between microphone and preamp.

5. POWER SWITCH “POWER and PILOT INDICATOR LIGHT LED – Rocker switch for switching AC line power on and off. When LED is illuminated, shows that the HV-3 series preamp unit is powered up and active.

Rear Panel

1. CONVENTIONAL MIC INPUTS “48V IN ” Conventional 3-pin female XLR input jacks for use with all conventional balanced microphones, both phantom and non-phantom powered. Provides +48V Phantom powering. Standard input impedance is approximately 6,200 ohms. Pin 1 is ground. Pin 2 is positive polarity. Pin 3 is negative polarity.

2. OPTION MIC INPUTS Two input options are available; a 130V input and a DC-coupled “ribbon” input. The option inputs are installed in the center row. The drawing shows eight 130V inputs installed.

   • 130V Option Four-pin female XLR connector for use only with DPA (B&K) models 4003, 4004, 4009, and 4012 microphones. Pin 1 is ground. Pin 2 is not connected. Pin 3 is +130 Volts DC power and pin 4 is unbalanced audio signal. Connecting anything other than the above listed DPA models to this connector may result in serious damage to microphone, the HV-3 series preamp, or both.
   •  DC Option Three-pin female XLR connector optimized for dynamic microphones (ribbon, etc.). The DC option bypasses the entire phantom circuit and routes a microphone directly to the bases of the ultra-matched gain transistors.

3. LINE LEVEL OUTPUTS “OUT”
   Conventional three pin male XLR connectors providing balanced, line level microphone output. Pin 1 is ground. Pin 2 is positive polarity. Pin 3 is negative polarity. The line level output is designed for driving 600 ohm loads and long, high capacitance cables. Outputs may be configured in an unbalanced configuration by either grounding one of the audio polarities (pin 2 or pin 3), or taking one audio polarity directly as an unbalanced signal (recommended). In the former configuration, the output is automatically decreased by 6 dB. Millennia Media HV-3C and HV-3D

4. AC VOLTAGE MAINS SELECTION Note that since 2017, HV-3C and HV-3D preamplifiers have shipped with switch-mode power supplies. These SMPS’s detect mains voltages (90VAC to 243VAC) and adapt automatically.

5. FUSES 5 x 20 mm,1000 mA, slow blow, 250 V, Littelfuse 218 or equivalent

POWER ENTRY

“IEC Power Receptacle” An IEC-type AC line-power receptacle for use with removable cords. Use only the power cord provided with the HV-3 series preamp unit or equivalent U/L approved type SV, SVT, SJ, or SJT AC power supply cord. Do not defeat the third pin earth ground. The complete HV-3D and HV-3C manuals are available on-line: HV-3C and HV-3D Full Manual

HV-3 Preamp Model Comparison

Switching

| Switching or

Battery

Maximum Output| +32 dBu| +28 dBu| +22 dBu
Maximum Input| +23 dBu| +20 dBu| +34 dBu
Noise| -133 dB EIN| -129 dB EIN| -131 dB EIN
Precision Stepped Gain| Yes| No| Yes
130V Option| Yes| No| No
Front Panel| Extrusion| Flat Stock| Extrusion
Ribbon Option| Yes| Included| Included
Instrument Input| No| Yes| No
Output Pad| No| Yes| Input Pad
Dante Output Option| HV-3D Yes| No| Standard I/O
MADI Output Option| HV-3D Yes| No| Planned
USB Output Option| HV-3D Planned| No| Planned

Millennia Media, SPC http://www.mil-media.com
Diamond Springs, CA, 95619 530-647-0750

Millennia Music & Media Systems Diamond Springs California USA T 530-647-0750
http://www.mil-media.com sales@mil-media.com

References

• The future of media | Media.com
• Home | Millennia Music & Media Systems
• Home | Millennia Music & Media Systems

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