New Music Gear Monday: LouderThanLiftoff Chroma+ Customizable Buss Processor/Mic Preamp

When it comes to home studios, versatility is the name of the game. If we’re going to buy an outboard processor then hopefully it will fulfill multiple functions. That’s exactly what you get and more with the new LouderThanLiftoff Chroma+, a totally customizable 1U outboard unit that can act as both a dual channel microphone preamp and as a buss processor and color device too.

Featuring Line, DI, and Mic modes, CHROMA+ is both a line-level processor for groups or mix buss, and a preamp for instrument and mic level sources. At its heart are two Mojo Amps inspired by classic large-format consoles – American (A), and British (N). These Mojo Amps lend their characteristic sonic footprints to any signal passing through the circuit. You can easily audition these two signature sounds during a session by a mere push of a button.

There are 4 controls for each channel – Gain, Color Drive (called C-DRV), Color Mix (called C-MIX on the front panel) and an Output control, along with High and Low Pass filters, and Hi-Gain, 48V, Polarity and Mic/Line switches.

The Color controls are the most interesting in that its sound is determined by a series of plug-in tube or solid state circuit boards, along with some jumper settings. Once you’ve found your sound you can adjust as needed from the front panel.

There’s also an interesting twist called a Mega Mono channel to facilitate more creative processing chains. When the CH 1>2 switch is engaged, the output of channel 1 will feed into the input of channel 2, essentially putting two CHROMAs in series. The channel 1 output will also still be available on its respective XLR connector. Have you ever wanted to record your guitar through an N-style preamp, compress it with an 1176, give it a presence boost, then drive it into a second N-style Amp with a tape-like low-frequency head bump? Mega Mono Mode makes this possible and more.

The FET-input DI is also unusual. It’s capable of both stereo and dual-mono operation from its front panel inputs. Then, a switchable RETRO Mode provides two distinct tonal personalities to the DI. In the ‘out’ position the sound can be classified as “modern” – detailed in the mids and highs, and extended through the lower octaves. When RETRO Mode is engaged the tone becomes more rounded and vintage, with a tighter bottom end and mellower high end. As an added bonus, the second DI input can be configured as a “Thru” jack for the first, via an internal jumper. 

There’s a lot more to Chroma+ and you can check out the details here. The unit is available as a standard unit for an introductory price of $1,399, but that price can vary depending upon the modules desired.

---