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Gear / Technical Help => Battery Boxes, Preamps, Mixers, ADCs, and Processors => Topic started by: Jhurlbs81 on March 01, 2013, 10:42:36 PM

Title: littlebox/tinybox
Post by: Jhurlbs81 on March 01, 2013, 10:42:36 PM
Is the tinybox the newer version of the littlebox, or are they two different preamps with different designs (or both)? (More interested in the internal differences than size or connectors..)

Are both still being offered? I only saw the tinybox on the Niant site, so Ai wasn't sure if the Tinybox was just the updated version or the little box or not.

I'd be curious on the differences of how they're powered also.

Thanks!
Jesse
Title: Re: littlebox/tinybox
Post by: HazyShadeofWinter on March 02, 2013, 01:47:21 AM
littlebox is discontinued.  I consider tinybox to be a better design that is much smaller and also easier to build, so it was time for littlebox to retire.

tinybox is a similar circuit to littlebox (the tinybox amplifier IC is the same from the last version of littlebox), but it's not identical.  The low-noise amp option (different IC) was not offered with littlebox.  The power circuit is different; tinybox is more efficient but has lower maximum output (littlebox could supply 10mA per mic phantom current; tinybox can only do about 6mA).  The output stage can be very different, depending on the option selected.  For example, the tinybox headphone out is completely different than the littlebox option (which did have a separate level control)--the tinybox headphone amp is much more capable.

tinybox is internal rechargeable lithium only; littlebox had a wide range of power options.

I'm a novice in the audio field, but I was struck by the fat that the tinybox has no knobs. Does that mean the gain is done manually? Or is it controlled through the recording device itself despite having the tinybox inline?
Title: Re: littlebox/tinybox
Post by: Marshall7 on March 02, 2013, 02:28:08 AM
Well...mine has switches :)
Title: Re: littlebox/tinybox
Post by: jibooer on March 02, 2013, 06:31:37 AM
As per Jon's site:

Gain on the tinybox:
•Stereo three-position configurable gain switch

 •+0dB to +44dB gain range
 •+0dB to +56dB gain range for low-noise amplifier

 •Standard gain settings: +4dB, +18dB, +32dB

So you start with the gain setting on the amp. and then dial it in on the recorder.
Title: Re: littlebox/tinybox
Post by: Jhurlbs81 on March 02, 2013, 07:10:31 AM
Was there a separate switch on the littlebox for phantom?

I'm going to be running mics that do not require phantom.
Title: Re: littlebox/tinybox
Post by: DiggerinVA on March 02, 2013, 08:51:34 AM
I had a Big Box(mostly larger format) configured so I could defeat the phantom. It was not stock that way. But Jon fixed me up.  Dern he beat me to it.