THAT Introduces Digitally-Programmable Microphone Preamp

THAT1570/5171 paired chipset  (Click icon for image download)

IMPORTANT: The 1570 is not recommended for new designs.
For your new circuits designs see our latest model 1580 Low-Noise Differential Audio Preamplifier IC. The 1580 is pin compatible with 1570 and offers nearly identical specifications.

Milford, MA, USA  – THAT Corporation has introduced a new digitally programmable microphone preamplifier that offers unprecedented performance and flexibility for designers of pro audio equipment. The THAT1570/5171 paired chipset comprises a low-noise differential audio preamplifier (1570) and a separate high-performance digital preamplifier controller (5171). Compared to competing single-chip implementations that operate from only ±5V supplies, the 1570/5171 enables much greater flexibility with up to 130dB dynamic range when operating from ±17V supplies, allowing designers to tradeoff power consumption versus dynamic range.

The part-pair enables gain to be programmed over 56 1-dB steps from 13.6dB to 68.6dB. An additional gain setting of +5.6dB allows the combination to accept line inputs up to +22dBu. Other high-performance specifications and features include: low noise of 1.5nV/√Hz @ 68.6dB gain, and 20nV/√Hz @ 5.6dB gain; low THD+N of 0.0003% @ 21.6dB gain; and wide bandwidth of 1.8MHz @ 40.6dB gain. In addition, integrated features simplify design, including: a servo for minimizing dc offset; a zero crossing detector and other patent pending techniques for minimizing gain-switching noise, and four general-purpose digital outputs.

Les Tyler, THAT Corporation’s president, said "THAT’s 2-chip approach supports higher supply rails than single-chip solutions yet requires even less printed circuit board space.” He continued, “Those high supply rails allow our solution to support full pro audio input levels, adding up to 10dB more dynamic range. The only other way to achieve this performance is to ‘roll your own’ discrete design, which takes weeks or even months to design, debug and build. And, when you’re finished, you’d have a board full of components costing many times the price of the THAT1570/5171 chipset."

Gary Hebert, THAT’s chief technology officer, added, “Integrating everything onto a single chip inherently requires performance tradeoffs. By planning carefully, we integrated functional blocks using the optimal semiconductor process for each essential function. The result is better performance.”

THAT’s 1570/5171 can be applied to: audio mixing consoles; digital audio snakes, audio distribution systems, PC audio breakout boxes, and more.

Price and availability
The THAT1570/5171 chipset is available now and costs less than $10 in 1000-pc quantities. The 1570 is housed in a tiny 4x4 mm QFN16 package, and the 5171 in a 7x7 mm QFN32. Contact the factory for pricing of the separate chips.

Demo board available
A demo board is available now and provides a complete microphone preamplifier, and includes facility for applying 48-V phantom power under USB control via Windows applications. The board also provides a prototyping area for adding and/or modifying circuitry. The demo board costs $250.

About THAT Corporation
THAT Corporation, founded in 1989, designs, manufactures, and sells high-performance analog integrated circuits for professional audio manufacturers. THAT’s ICs include InGenius® input and OutSmarts® output stages, low-noise preamplifiers, Analog Engine® processors, and its original line of Blackmer® voltage-controlled amplifiers (VCAs) – all used throughout the pro audio industry. Under the dbx-tv® brand name, THAT also licenses patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property to the TV broadcast and reception industries. These include Total Sonics™, Total Surround™, and Total Volume™, audio enhancement technology and digital implementations of worldwide legacy TV audio receiver standards. The company is headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts, with offices in Milpitas, California.

For more information, contact:
  THAT Corporation, 45 Sumner Street, Milford, MA 01757-1656 , USA
  Telephone: +1 (508) 478-9200; Fax +1 (508) 478-0990
  Email:

Editorial Contact:
  Ken Nevard, IC Marketing Manager
  Tel: +1 (508) 478-9200 x108
  Email: