Golden Age Project PRE-73 DLX MKII Mic Preamp - Direct Box 1073 Style
This is the way audio components were built before integrated circuits became available. The subjective sound quality delivered by vintage equipment is often preferred 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 MKII 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 electronics. No integrated circuits in the signal path.
• Custom made mic and line input and line output transformers and highpass inductor. The circuit board is prepared for the Carnhill transformers and high pass inductor.
• Traditional 1073-style gain switch that is also used to select the mic or the line input jack.
• Two combo XLR/TRS mic and line input jacks and separate output XLR and TRS jacks for flexible connections.
• Maximum gain on the mic input is 80 dB, enough to handle passive ribbon mics with quiet sound sources.
• Switchable impedance on the mic input, 1200 or 300 ohms. Changing the load impedance will change the tone of many mics.
• Gain range on the line input: -20 to + 10 dB.
• An active instrument input for guitar and bass that passes the signal through the mic input transformer, with selectable input impedance, hi-Z or 100 kohm, by an internal jumper.
• Switchable phantom power and absolute phase.
• Gain switch plastic knob and metal knobs for the other controls.
• The phantom power can deliver up to 10 mA according to the specification standard. The 6.8 kohm phantom power resistors are matched to within 0.1% to maintain good common-mode rejection in the circuit.
• Selectable 1073-style inductor based highpass filter at 50, 80, 160 or 300 Hz with a slope of 18 dB / octave.
• Selectable two position AIR EQ with a boost of about 3 or 6 dB at around 30 kHz.
• An output pad allows the user to add character by attenuating the output signal after the output transformer by -7, -14, -21 or -28 dB for overdriving the output stage and the output transformer by adding gain and then lower the output signal to a suitable level with the pad.
• A simple but effective 4-step LED output level meter.
• Tantalum capacitors in the signal path.
• Switches on the back panel for 600 ohm output termination and ground lift.
• Relays are used to control internal switching for phantom power, mic low-Z, insert and DI for shorter circuit board signal paths. The relays are controlled by front panel switches.
• Circuit board star grounding scheme.
• Power supply with separate regulators for the audio circuit and the relay and LED circuit.
• External power supply to avoid interaction with the audio circuits and transformers.
• A solid build quality that will last many years of normal use.
Q & A
Reviews
Protect your investment with the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty
A warranty can be a very important factor when making a buying decision. Because repairs can be very expensive in terms of parts and labour costs, manufacturers usually only provide one year limited warranties that generally only cover items that malfunction due to a manufacturer’s defect. With an important purchase such as a musical
instrument or piece of studio gear, however, many people want to have the peace of mind in knowing that their investment will be protected should the product no longer be performing at 100%.
Because of this, Long & McQuade provides our customers with a FREE one-year Performance Warranty on most of our products. The Long & McQuade Performance Warranty supplements the manufacturer’s warranty to ensure that our customers receive complete “no hassle” warranty coverage within their first year.
How does the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty differ from most manufacturers' warranties?
- Performance Guarantee: Normal wear and tear is covered, so your product will be performing as well as the day you purchased it for the entire duration of the coverage. Band and Orchestral Performance Warranty does not include replacing pads or cleaning for woodwind instruments, unless deemed necessary by our repair staff. Ultrasonic cleaning for brass instruments will be provided if deemed necessary by our repair staff, but is not routinely offered under the Performance Warranty.
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Purchasing additional years of coverage
Some manufacturers provide warranties for longer than 1 year; however, these are usually limited warranties that do not provide the same coverage as the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty. Customers interested in more complete and convenient (but not necessarily longer) coverage are still able to purchase additional years of the Performance Warranty.
If you are interested in receiving this coverage for longer than one year, you have the option of purchasing additional years of the Performance Warranty. The pricing is as follows:
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