Arkham Sound Introduces the Abyss Tube Preamp

Arkham Sound Abyss Tube Preamp

Maine’s Arkham Sound has expanded their line of tube preamps with the Abyss. Described as a mid-priced addition to their lineup, the preamp features the same core circuit as their Bullet and Zephyr models and can be used standalone or mounted in a rack.

The Abyss centers around a 12AX7 preamp tube, which the company says was selected for good tone and low microphonics. It has an XLR output plus a Mosfet buffered Lo-Z output designed to drive modern solid state power amps and work with recording interfaces. EQ controls include Treble, Bass, and a Range knob that sweeps the tone stack midpoint anywhere between 150Hz and 1kHz. More broad sculpting can be had with Hi, Mid, Lo, and HPF switches.

Arkham crafts the preamp with turret board construction, mil-spec Teflon wire, carling switches, Switchcraft jacks, Belton sockets, and more. It is housed in a power-coated steel 2U, 1/2 rack chassis and weighs in around five pounds.

The Arkham Sound Abyss tube preamp is built to order in Maine with a direct price of $650.

Arkham Sound Abyss Tube Preamp Features:

12AX7 preamp tube selected for good tone and low microphonics, and run at correct voltages (not a starved plate design)
Mosfet buffered Lo-Z output, drives modern solid state power amps or recording interfaces with ease.
Balanced DI output, featuring a hefty Edcor transformer for full frequency response. Ground lift switch for good measure.
Gain, Treble, Bass controls - uses a James Tonestack to provide a wide adjustment range with minimal interaction.
Range control – sweeps the tone stack “midpoint” anywhere between 150Hz and 1KHz
Hi switch – adds a “bright cap” to the circuit to open up the high frequencies a bit.
Mid switch – provides a healthy bump around 250Hz
Lo switch – another healthy bump, this time at 80Hz (without any mud!).
HPF switch - a gentle roll off beginning around 100Hz
DC referenced heaters, for ultra quiet operation.
Turret board construction, Mil-spec Teflon wire, etc.
Carling switches, Switchcraft jacks, Belton sockets, etc.
Powder-coated steel 2U, 1/2 rack chassis. 8.5″ x 8″ x 3.5″. Weighs ~5 lb.
Includes rack ears for mounting, and rubber feet for standalone use.
Anodized aluminum faceplate, all stainless steel hardware.

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