A beautiful and inspiring classic look is combined with an innovative approach to working on analog console. N‑Trophy is an exceptional console in so many aspects, like never before. It removes digital ’junk’, and brings life, vitality, air, space and depth back to your tracks. It brings back the pleasant feeling of communing with what is close to every human being by nature꞉ the beauty of analogue sound. Truly, the N‑closure channel strips give you a ’Back to The Nature of Sound’ experience.

How did we do it? The secret behind the N‑Trophy

We designed High‑End discrete class A mic preamps, custom audio transformers and discrete opamps, as well as unique six‑band passive EQ, THD Stage, and the Tube Optical Compressor / Limiter with innovative detection and compression circuits that work differently than ones found in other studio equipment. At the same time, we eliminated all points where classic analog consoles used to be weak or overcomplicated. The signal path is also as short as it can be, despite the plenty of N‑Trophy’s and N‑closure’s sound shaping tools.

On the rear panel of the N‑closure, you will find an AC power socket and balanced XLR and Combo sockets – identical to the sockets on the rear panel of the N‑Trophy channel section. The only difference is the number of connector sections, depending on whether it is the N‑closure2 or the N‑closure6 housing. The sockets are꞉

SIX ‑BAND PASSIVE EQ WITH WIDE SLOPES AND LPF/HPF FILTERS

Our original design of an amazingly musical‑sounding mastering grade equalizer. We have spent a great deal of time on the perfect selection of frequencies and how the bands overlap. The idea behind the equalizer is to find the right balance of your sound quickly and creatively. Once you start using it, you’ll see how fast and intuitive it is, and how beautifully it brings out the ’life’ and three‑dimensional space of your recordings. N‑closure equalizer uses rotary switches just like all mastering equalizers. Its phase and characteristics are perfectly matched, so you can use it with confidence on multiple channels with the same settings, achieving identical sound.

ROUTING WITH VARIABLE ORDER OF BLOCKS꞉ INSERT, COMPRESSOR, EQ

All audio signal routing is lossless, passive, based on relays with gold‑plated contacts.

Top quality VU Meters with excellent ballistics.
PREAMP GAIN (db): Gain switch for the selected signal input.
+48 V: Phantom power switch for condenser mics.
TAPE GAIN: 0/+6/+12dB switch for TAPE IN input signal.
PRE SRC: Input source for the preamp꞉ Mic/Off/Line.
PRE PH / TAPE PH: Phase reverse switches for Mic/Line/Instr inputs and TAPE IN (line level) signals.
Preamp + Channel / Tape + Channel: Select channel’s physical input.
X-FORMER: Switch for the interstage audio transformer located after the mic preamp.
THD LVL / THD TYPE: Select type and level of saturation.
DIR SRC: Select the audio output point for DIR OUT꞉
– Preamp ‑ after the preamp, before processing
– ChOut ‑ after all sound processing in the channel
TRIM: Pot for additional trim level of DIR OUT (direct output) signal, with on/off switch.
INSERT / BLEND: Insert switch and insert dry/wet blend pot with switch. When the BLEND switch is set to off, the channel insert point signal is 100% wet.

ORDER: Select processig order꞉C (Compressor), E (EQ + filters), I (Insert).

METER: Select the metering point for the VU Meter. G.R. ‑ Gain Reduction of the Compressor.

S.C. MODE: Compressor sidechain mode꞉ Internal, L/R Link (stereo link),  Key for external key inputs. 

KEY SRC: Select KEY1 of KEY2 for sidechain inputs

S.C. FILTER: The cutoff frequency for detection circuit in Internal sidechain mode.

Comp: Switch in OPTO COMPRESSOR. In Byp mode the compressor is bypassed,

TYPE: Select compressor characteristics, from Comp (slow) to Lim (fast).

THRESHOLD: Compression depth. Attack and release depends on the gain reduction depth.

BLEND: dry/wet mix balance of compressed and uncompressed signal.

Phase reverse switches for Mic/Line/Instr inputs and TAPE IN (line level) signals. }

but the tube is still active.

Gain Makeup ‑ signal level boost after compression. Tube circuit.

Low pass filter, frequency selection with stepped rotary switch. 6dB/oct slope.

High pass filter, frequency selection with stepped rotary switch. 6dB/oct slope.

High‑frequency passive EQ, independently selectable frequencies for BOOST and CUT.

Equipped with stepped rotary switches. Gently overlapping (6dB/oct).

Amount of boost (dB) for HF band.

Amount of cut (dB) for HF band.

Shelf/Peak switches for BOOST an CUT.

Low‑frequency passive EQ, independently selectable frequencies for BOOST and CUT.

Equipped with stepped rotary switches. Gently overlapping (6dB/oct).

Amount of boost (dB) for HF band.

Amount of cut (dB) for HF band.

Shelf/Peak switches for BOOST an CUT.

Mid‑frequency passive EQ, independently selectable frequencies for BOOST and CUT.

Equipped with stepped rotary switches. Gently overlapping (6dB/oct).

Amount of boost (dB) for MF band.

Amount of cut (dB) for MF band.

Low‑frequency passive EQ, independently selectable frequencies for BOOST and CUT.

Equipped with stepped rotary switches. Gently overlapping (6dB/oct).

Amount of boost (dB) for HF band.

Amount of cut (dB) for HF band.

Shelf/Peak switches for BOOST an CUT.

On/Off switch for the channel EQ circuits.

N-Trophy has 8 mono Group Busses, which is more useful than ordinary stereo ones. By hard panning Left / Right, you have perfectly matched stereo groups.

All groups are the same quality as the Main MIX Bus and are based on our proprietary design of Summing Matrix, with discrete Jensen JE990 opamps.

Groups have also external XLR inputs straight to the fader, so you can use them for summing external sources, instead of routing signals from channels.

8 mono AUX RETURNS with Pan pot and routing to MAIN Mix or to Groups 7-8. Each Return is equipped with a PAN MODE switch (L<PAN>R) similar to that available in all channels, allowing for perfect stereo separation when needed.
All AUX Returns have identical quality like input channels, so they are perfect for stem summing / mastering applications when you order N-Trophy in a form of a Center Section alone. SOLO SAFE switch protects AUX RETURN from muting, similar to the channel’s SOLO PROTECT.

8 mono AUX MASTERS.
Each is equipped with HPF and LPF filters, identical to filters found in channel strips. You can independently switch on / off each AUX MASTER.

8 mono pre or post-fader AUX SENDS for each mono Group bus. This feature is unusual in analog studio consoles but opens many new possibilities.

When you use AUX 7 or AUX 8 as internal sidechain busses, you can also send key signals from groups. You can even freely mix different portions of keying signals from different groups and channels for unlimited creative compression. Each N-Trophy’s compressor has access to these sidechain signals.

Group inserts with Dry / Wet Blend feature. Blending is done using rotary switches. It is easily recallable and ensures perfect stereo matching of adjacent groups.

Group PAN knobs with PAN MODE switches, similar to that found in channels and AUX RETURNS.

Stereo WIDTH adjustment on each stereo group, with fantastic results. It is our proprietary design module, that works in a different way than the typical width adjustment found in some studio processors. It preserves low-end energy and has no influence on the centre of the stereo image when adding dimension to tracks. It is a similar design to one found in our LAAL – Analog Look Ahead Mastering Limiter.

Space for the current standard full-size wireless MAC or PC keyboard. For PC users we recommend using Logitech MX wireless keys.

Classic scribble strip for group tracks and earphone outs description with a dry marker.

Highly reliable MUTE and 0dB buttons. 0 dB button for bypassing fader, and setting channel output level at fader unity gain for straight summing purposes. Fader itself can control the DAW fader level if this option is selected in Center Section’s Automation Setup.

100mm high precision stepped motorized faders based on fixed resistors.

This is an absolutely unique HUM Audio Devices design of ultra-precise, high-resolution stepped analog fader. Up to now, it was impossible to achieve this level of accuracy in analog consoles, using standard analog faders. Our design ensures fader position settings are ideally matched and repeatable through all console channels. It is a fantastic feature for precise stem summing and/or mastering applications.

Classic Flying Fader design is the best quality solution. We do not use any VCA, which could lead to sound loss. High resolution of DAW automation. N-Trophy’s fader scale exactly matches the Pro Tools fader scale, for user convenience.