Great River MP-2 (introduced 1997)
Documentation on the Great River MP-2 is thin. The period recording press left a small, consistent picture: it was a two-channel microphone preamplifier, introduced in 1997 by Great River Electronics of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota.
Mix (January 1999, p.140) field-tested the MP-2 and liked its simplicity. Gain is set by a 24-position rotary switch, with 22 steps in 2 dB increments covering 22 to 64 dB. In the same test, a pair of CAD VX2 tube microphones went through the MP-2 in a Blumlein arrangement to record a vocal group. EQ (February 1998, p.147) measured the output stage and reported that the MP-2 delivers 24.5 dBm - about 40 volts peak-to-peak - into a 600-ohm load. The level rises only a quarter decibel when the load is removed.
By 2002, EQ (June 2002, p.110) was covering the MP-2NV Mercenary Edition, a vintage-style variant. It looked back at the original as clean and accurate, a sonically neutral preamp that simply amplified the signal and gained immediate respect when it appeared. The same review described the Great River sound as classic Neve character at an affordable price, and listed the maker's Minnesota address.
No full specification sheet, original price, or production timeline has surfaced in the sources available to the Archive.
Known facts, drawn from the reviews above:
- Two-channel microphone preamp
- Gain: 22–64 dB via 24-position rotary switch, 22 steps in 2 dB increments
- Output: 24.5 dBm into 600 ohms (approx. 40 V peak-to-peak), +0.25 dB unloaded
- Introduced 1997; MP-2NV Mercenary Edition variant documented by 2002
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