Golden Age Project Pre-73 DLX Microphone Preamplifier

No longer available at zZounds
Plug your microphone (or guitar or bass) into the Pre-73 DLX preamp, and harness sweet vintage tone with a clean signal path and 1073-style high-pass filter.

The Golden Age PRE-73 DLX is a one-channel vintage style microphone-, line- and instrument preamplifier. The signal path uses only discrete components like resistors, capacitors and transistors. The line and microphone input and the line output are transformer balanced, using three different transformers, each one optimized for its purpose.

This is the way audio components were built before integrated circuits became available. The subjective sound quality delivered by vintage equipment is often prefered over the one delivered by modern units, a situation that is even more obvious now when music is recorded with clean-sounding digital audio equipment.

The circuit used in the PRE-73 DLX is similar to the preamp section in the classical 1073 module with a corresponding sound character that is warm, punchy, sweet and musical. These classic characteristics have been heard on countless recordings through the years and it is a versatile sound that works very well on most sound sources and in most genres. The essence of this sound is now available at a surprisingly low cost, making it available to nearly everyone.

Features:

- Vintage Style electronic. No integrated circuits in the signal path.
- Maximum gain on the mic input is 80 dB, enough to handle passive ribbon mics with quiet sound sources.
- Gain range on the Line Input: -20 to +10dB.
- Switchable impedance on the mic input, 1200 or 300 ohms, will change the tone of many mics.
- Switchable phantom power and absolute read more phase.
- A high impedance instrument input for any sound module, electric guitar or bass.
- A simple but effective 4-step LED output level meter.
- The output level control makes it possible to make fine gain adjustments and also to overload the main gain stage(s) for more character and then lower the signal to a suitable level before the output stage.
-Combo XLR/TRS input jacks and separate output XLR and TRS jacks for flexible connectiosn.
- Insert jack for inserting EQ's and other units.
- External high power supply to avoid interaction with the audio circuits and transformers.
- Solid build quality that will last many years of normal use.
- Tantalum capacitors in the signal path.
- Selectable 1073-style high pass filter, 50, 80, 160 and 300 Hz.
- Output Attenuator -7, -14, -21 and -28 dB (located after the output transformer) allows overdriving the output stage and the output transformer for added character by lowering the output signal to a suitable level.
- The circuit board is prepared for Carnhill Mic and Line transformer and high pass inductor.
- The Insert jack can be switched in/out from the front panel. An internal jumper can select that the Insert jack always has an output signal.
- Switchable 600 ohm Output Termination and Ground Lift on the back panel.
- Selectable Active or Passive DI input and selectable input impedance in active mode, Hi Z or 100 kohm, by internal jumpers.
- The DI signal can be selected to pass or bypass the mic input transformer by internal jumpers.
- Relays are used to control internal switching for DI input, Phantom power, Mic Low Z, Insert and Phase for shorter circuit board signal paths. The relays are controlled by front panel switches.
- Revised gain switch for added headroom.
- Circuit board star grounding scheme.
- Revised power supply with separate regulators for the audio circuits and relay and LED circuits.
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For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Web: https://www.goldenageproject.com/contact/

Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. (4 ratings)
Submitted November 11, 2013 by Ron J in Farmington, MN

"High Quality Preamp"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I received my Pre-73 DLX a couple of days ago from zZounds and have basically been just experimenting with it. So far I have tried it out on vocals with a Bluebird mic and on an acoustic guitar track with an ATM31 and it sounds excellent with both. It is my first quality mic pre, I have been using a TA-1VP and the Pre-73 DLX sounds so much better than that unit it's almost laughable. It can go from clean to a nice warm sound easily and colors my vocals in a complimentary way. It's built like a Tank, very solid. This one was a Blemished unit at a great price and after talking with a sales person at zZounds I bought it. It arrived in original factory packaging in mint condition, I certainly don't see any blemishes anywhere. I didn't need factory support because the unit works perfectly as advertised. Needless to say, I'm very happy with it so far and look forward to getting a compressor in the chain and spending more time recording with it. Oh, I'm ordering another one ASAP!

Musical Background:

40 Years playing guitar.

Musical Style:

Rock, Blues.
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No longer available at zZounds

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