Track One

The Track One comes very close to the Channel One sound at a significantly lower price, and successfully combines high quality with operational simplicity. queeze the Track One into a 1U package without compromising the inherent quality of the audio path. If you need paper proof, the frequency response is -3dB at 10Hz and 200kHz, with a dynamic range of 115dB and an impressively low noise floor. The Track One comprises a preamp, de-esser, compressor (with switchable limiting mode), and three-band EQ. As with the Channel One, the control layout is deceptively simple, due to the automation of functions such as the compressor attack and release. A link jack with master/slave switching enables two units to be linked for stereo operation and there's the option of adding a plug-in digital interface card capable of outputting all the common flavours up to 24-bit, 96kHz (the same card as can be fitted to the Channel One). There's also the option of specifying a Lundahl input transformer. A horizontal bar-graph metering system shows the output level and the amount of gain reduction. The preamp has switchable phantom power and low-cut filter with both mic and line/instrument inputs located on the back panel. Gain is controlled via a single knob, while buttons select between the various inputs. The balanced output is on both XLRs and jacks with a further jack enabling two Track Ones to share one converter card. A Ground Lift button is also fitted. The input stage is followed by SPL's de-esser, which is unusual in that it doesn't need a threshold control. Only the sibilant region of the audio spectrum is filtered out during de-essing, so side-effects are minimal. A single control adjusts the amount of de-essing required, and the de-esser, compression and EQ stages all have individual bypass buttons. The switchable, soft-knee compressor/limiter features Compression and Make-up controls. This is an extremely low-distortion design where the attack and release automatically adapt to the signal.