Mercenary Audio - Little Labs IBP Analog Phase Alignment Tool

The most you've probably played with phase has been the tried and true "phase reverse" switch that flips the polarity 180 degrees. This "in/out" approach to phase often will not fix your problem because like so many things in audio, phase isn't only "in" or "out". The IBP provides 0 to 180 degrees of continuous control over a mono signal which will allow you to fine tune phase between two closely placed microphones (a common occurrence when recording drums) or between a micked amp and a DI (commonly found when recording guitars or bass or any other electric instrument).

Little Labs IBP features

The IBP was designed to help engineers effectively eliminate the undesirable hollow sound when combining out-of-phase and partially out-of-phase audio signals. The IBP will allow engineers to put an audio signal in phase, when the mixing desk's polarity button will not. Whether combining direct and miked signals, drum kit tom-tom mics, or multiple split-guitar amps, audio signals will be put in phase quickly and easily with the Little Labs IBP analog phase-alignment tool.

The Little Labs IBP combines real-time, line-level phase control with audiophile quality. Additionally, its selectable instrument input stage utilizes the super-fidelity circuitry of the well respected Little Labs Multi Z DI and PCP Instrument Distro.

Simply used as a direct box, the IBP allows a bass player to walk into a session, feed the console desk line level and send a buffered guitar signal out to a combo amp. When levels are brought up to the desk, the bass player himself can tweak the IBP phase-adjust putting the miked and direct tracks in phase. Producing a solid in-phase bass sound with the IBP will make the engineer and bass player both look and sound great.

line/instrument selects between the line level xlr input on the rear (unity gain) and when pushed in the instrument in on the front (hi Z 10M with gain) for using as a direct box.
Earth lift lifts the ground (pin 1)of the output xlr.
Phase adjust bypass does just that, bypassing all phase adjust circuitry and allows you to use the IBP without phase adjust, as an active DI or when using the line input, a transformer isolated line driver.
Phase invert is a simple polarity reversal as you would find on a mixing console out is 0 degrees, in is 180 degrees.
Phase adjust 90 degrees /180 degrees selects between two stages (button out) or one stage of phase adjust. This allows a more extreme phase adjustment with a full swing of as much as 180 degrees or a less extreme 90 degrees of phase adjustment.
Phase center lo/hi selects between a higher bandwidth phase adjust (button out)and a primarily lower frequency phase adjust (button in). This and the phase adjust button create the phase curve. It is important to note phase is frequency dependent and is different than time. For example depending on the two sources you are combining, and whether one source is direct and one is miked- between room reflections distance from the cabinet etc. determines what the curve would need to be. (e.g. you need to get the G note in phase as well the A note).
Phase adjust knob determines the degree of phase adjust.
On the rear of the unit you have a buffered instrument out which follows the instrument input and is designed for running long guitar cables.
This output is unaffected by the phase adjust. Also you have the xlr balanced line input and output. The gain trim for the Di can be reached with a standard trim tool and can be set from 12 to 26 db of gain.

MANUALS & PDFs

Little Labs IBP Manual Adobe pdf

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