ReviewSimpleWayJ1D.IBoxPublished:01-010-2019ByJulianZafra

Latviaisperhapsacountrysomewhatunknowntomany.Asmallcountrybutwithagreathistorybehinduntilachievingitsindependenceanditsownsovereignity.Sweden,GermanyorRussiaweresomeofthosewhoruledthecountryforsometime.ThatisperhapswhyLatviahasmanagedtotakethebestofallthemallandcreateditsownproductlineinaleaguewerethebiggestcompetitorsareplaying.AlthoughtheSimplewaybranddatesfrom2003,itissomewhatunknowntomany.Sinceitisnotabrandwhichwefindwidespreadinthemarketamongthemostpopularmanufacturersthatareusedtobeingpresentinit.Thingthatasweallknowbynow,commercialityandpopularitydoesnotalwaysjustifythequalityoftheproductthatisadvertised.OnethingwhichisexclusiveintheSimpleWaybrandbynothavingtoomanyreferencesofthis.TheLatvianbrandmanufacturesseveralproducts,includingtheMicOnemicrophone,apreamp(MP)thesizeofaguitarpedal,aguitarbooster(GB)andaseriesofbothactiveanddiscreteinjectionboxesandfieldeffecttransistorswherewefindmodelJ1whichisgoingtobetestedinthisreview.TheJ1wasdeliveredbyitsdistributorinSpainAlexeyBelyy,whichverykindlybroughtmeuptodatewiththebrandaswellasitsrangeofproductslaunchedtothemarket.Becauseofitsaestheticappearance,myfirstimpressionofcatchingthiswastoexpectaheavyandrigidunit.Quitetheoppositeofwhatitis,sincebeingthecaseofthismadeofaluminum,itsweightisverylight,butwhichisstillaveryrobustunit,designedfortheworldoflivesound,aswellasItisgivenitsexcellentsoundqualitytotallypracticalandoperationalintherecordingstudio.itssimilaritytotheRadialmanufacturerinaestheticsisnotorious,however,botharedifferentunits.

JFETsound

FETscanbethoughtofasavoltagecontrolledresistor,andthisisexploitedinmanydifferentways.Quicklyadoptedforapplicationsthatrequiredhighimpedanceinputs.arevoltagecontrolled,andrequireno(static)currentfromthesignalsource.HoweverthisonlyapplieswithDC,becausegatecapacitancehastobeconsideredforAC.AllFETsareratheruniqueassemiconductordevices,inthattheyconductmore-or-lessequallyinbothdirections(i.e.both'normally'andwithdrainandsourceinterchanged).Insideandintheassemblyoftheelectronicboard,itdetailsthelocationwiththenameofthemainelectroniccomponentsassembledintheunitSometypicalFETapplicationsare:

• HighInputImpedanceAmplifier• Low-NoiseAmplifier(butit'snowhardtofindgenuinelow-noiseJFETs)• DifferentialAmplifier• ConstantCurrentSource• AnalogSwitchorGate• VoltageControlledResistor

Inuse

Doingalittlehonortothenameofthemanufactureritself,certainlytheJ1isverydirectandeasytouse.Sinceithasallthebasicoperationalfunctions,wecanfindpracticallyanyoftheothermodelsinthemarket.Onthefrontwehaveajackinput,a-20dbattenuatorpadselectoraswellasathruoutput.Forthethruconnectionisthattheultra-highinputimpedanceisguaranteedregardlessofwhatmaybeconnectedtothethrusocketwithadirectlinkconnection,thethrudestination’sinputimpedancewilltendtodominatetheactualimpedanceseenbytheinstrument.

Rightinthebackandtheopossiteoftheunit,wefindaphantomandgroundledindicatorssoifthereisanunsafevoltagebetween2connecteddevices,theindicatorlightsup,ablueLEDtoindicatethepresenceofphantompower(thereisnointernalbatteryoption,sophantompowerisessentialforthisDIboxtowork),aXLRLow-Znominallymic-levelouputmadebyagoodqualityNeutrikconnector.Thegroundselectoriswellinsertedinthechassis,indicatingthatitisconsciouslydesignedtoavoidanypossibleerrorwhenhandlingtheunit.Whichdoesnothappenwithotherunits,wheretheselectorsprotrudemuchfromtheunit,beingveryeasytoactivatethesewhenhandlingtheunits.BecauseLo-Zcablescontainapositiveconductor,negativeconductor,andaground,it’spossibletohavecablesuptoseveralhundredfeetlongwithoutsignificantsignaldegradationoroutsideRFinterference.

Theunithasbeenclearlydesignedforvirtuallyeternaldurability,duetoitsrobustnessandstrength.withsomereinforcementscrewsdistributedthroughoutthechassis.Whichmakethiscancopewithwhatthehardbattlesoftheworldoflivesoundentail.

ItssoundTheunitbringstogethereverythingthatcanbeexpectedinitsdiscretetopology.Actuallyanysignalthatpassesthroughtheunitresultsinanoticeableandgracefulsonicbenefit.Softeninganydigitalsignal,offeringwarmthandasoundbenefitofatruediscretecircuitsuchastheSimplewayJ1model.Inthetest,iperformedtherelevantchecksonthetwooutputsoftheunit,boththethruandtheLow-Zoutputs.Bothhaveahighquality,sincetheThruoutputhasahighimpedanceguaranteed.Iwastestingthesoundofanelectricbassandthatofanacousticguitar,bothsignalswerefirsttesteddirectlyenteringaninterfaceandthenfollowedthroughtheJ1.whichbenefitsandimprovesthesignalsubstantially,offeringwarmthandsubtractingsomesignal“sterility“and“aggressiveness”.Sothosewhodonotknowityet,acquiringaunitoftheSimpleWayJ1isanaffordablewaytoacquireakindof“qualitypreamp”forlineinstruments,whichisasubstantialimprovementwhenmakingourrecordingsofbass,keyboards,acousticguitarsoranyotherlineinstruments.Atthesametime,theunitoffersanexcellentresponseinthetransients.TheJ1doesn’treallylikesignalsmuchgreaterthanabout+4dBu/+5dBuwithoutthepad,introducingsomeaudibledistortionforsignalsaboveabout+4dBu,butswitchingthepadinreducestheinputimpedancedramatically

allowingabetterandcontrolledsignalleveladjustement.SomethingelseworthnotingistheverydifferentbehaviournearclippingfortheJ1thruandmainoutputs.Theformerclipsheavilyonthenegativehalfofthewaveformonly,andtheresultingdistortionisveryobviousandunpleasant,whilethebalancedXLRoutputclipssymmetricallyandmuchlessdramaticallyatthesamelevel.Thismeansthatifthethruoutputisbeingfedtoalocalamplifier,themusicianwillprobablybecomeawareofimpendingdisasterbeforetherecordingorPAoutputisbadlyaffected,whichcouldbeausefulfeatureasacontrolreference. AlternativesThemostobviousdirectcompetitionistheRadialProDI,whichappearstohaveinspiredthedesignoftheJ1,buttheRadialdoesofferseveraladditionalfeaturesandfacilities.Otherwell-provenandhigh.qualityJ-FetDIboxesincludetheTelefunkenTDA-1,whichisaunitwhichcostalotmore.Features!J-Fetinputtransistor!TrueA-Classdevice!Noopamps!Nonegativefeedbackloopamplification!Solidstatetransistorsonly !Ultralowoutputimpedance-10Ω!Ultrahighinputimpedance-4MΩ!Groundlift!-20dbPad !Jackin/out!XLRout Someofitstechnicalspecifications: Inputimpedance:>4,7MohmInputimpedancewithPADenabled:47kOhmPADreduction:20dBUnbalancednoiselevel(10-20kHz):<-100dBuNonlineardistortion,PADenabled(-20dB,guitar):<0.001%Nonlineardistortion,inputlevelat0dBu,at1kHz:<0.005%(typically<0.004%)Nonlineardistortion,inputlevelat0dBu,at100Hz:<0.006%(typically<0.004%)Maxinputlevel(<3%distortion):>+11dBuMaxinputlevelwithPADenabled(<3%distortion):>+29dBuBalancedoutput(XLR)impedance:<10Ohm

10dBuinputcauses0.25%distortion

Printed by: SpectraPLUS Professional EditionLicensed to: OldSchool

Tue Oct 01 22:33:25 2019

Sampling: 48000 HzFFT size: 65536Averaging: 10Window: Hanning

SimpleWay J1 THD@1kHzb

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THD: 0.00384 %Peak: -12.928 dB

Thereisalsoapracticalversioninarackofx8channels Pros

• True discrete J-Fet sound • Very rugged case • Very good technical performance • Discrete Class-A electronics • Light • Resistant

Cons

• High cost

Price:175€Website:https://simpleway.audio