Your friend may be referring to a Millennia Preamp.
http://www.mil-media.com/
I was present during the recording sessions in Miami for the 1st Jaco Pastorius Big Band album a few years ago and several of the guest bassists (Richard Bona, Victor Wooten, etc.) played through a Millennia preamp to cut their tracks. It's an excellent sounding piece of gear. I don't recall the exact model number that was used, but I did make note of it for future reference. Unfortunately, I'm not at home to look it up.