Analog hardware (not simulated) preamp gain control

[bcosta]

Hi all,

I just purchased a Mod Dwarf and I am loving it! Thanks for creating such a flexible portable device.

I see in the specs it says: Dwarf Technical Specs - MOD Wiki

input adjustment between -12dB and +35dB, adjustable in 0.5dB steps

I was wondering if there is any control of the analog preamp gain (i.e. the hardware preamp on the device before the ADC)?

I have tried the gain plugins, but I believe they apply in the digital domain and I assume they don’t adjust the gain of the analog preamp before the ADC and the result will be increasing the noise floor with the signal.

Is there some way to programmatically control the input analog preamp gain (I couldn’t find any)?

My use case is to connect different devices, sometimes mics sometimes guitars, synths audio out etc. They all have different input levels and it would be great to be able to assign one of the knobs to adjust the input level before the ADC to get the best input signal.

Thanks.

[bcosta]

I wrote most of this question last night. I have since done more searching through the interface and found these can be controlled via the settings on the device:

https://wiki.moddevices.com/wiki/Dwarf_Device_Settings#Audio_Inputs

I was looking for a “plugin” that allowed me to do this which is why I missed it. I hope this question/answer can help any others if they are searching for the same information.

[lunardigs]

I believe the only solution is to use a DI of some kind. I’ve used a Voco-Loco by Radial in the past for mics and works well.
Something like this might be what you’re looking for: Firefly - Studio Quality Direct Box | Radial Engineering

On a related note, I hope Mod offers devices in the future with TosLink/S/PDIF input, so that I can bypass the analog stage for reamping, etc.

That said, for guitar–or any other transformer/inductor based source–controlling the analog preamp stage is indispensable if you ask me. Especially where the next stage is digital gear.