Golden Age Project Pre-73 Mk3

Mono micpreamp med transformatorfärgning av soundet.

Detta är en enkanalig micpreamp som ger mycket för pengarna. En helt diskret (utan IC-kretsar) signalväg med tre separata audiotransformatorer för mikrofoningång, lineingång och utgång. Den kan ge 80dB gain, som räcker till alla sorters mikrofoner - och gain på lineingången är -20dB till +10dB. Det finns också en högohmig instrumentingång. Ingångsimpedansen för mikrofon kan ställas till 300 eller 1200 ohm. Vidare finns det en fas-switch och en 4-stegs LED nivåmätare. Mk2-modellen har dessutom försetts med ett obalanserat insertjack, för inkoppling av exempelvis kompressor eller annat i signalvägen. Bruset har också kunnat reduceras vid höga gainnivåer jämfört med den ursprungliga konstruktionen, tack vare en förbättring i spänningsmatningsdelen.

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The Mk2 update consists of:

- An unbalanced insert jack (nominal level about 18 dBu) added on the back panel for inserting units like the coming GAP EQ-73, a three band eq.

- LED meter levels adjusted.

- 600 Ohm termination resistor and jumper added to power supply board (accessible from the inside of the unit).

- Revised Gain switch, turning the know clockwise now increase the gain.

- Reduced noise at high gains by a change to the power supply grounding scheme.

The PRE-73 Mk2 is the first one-channel low-cost preamp on the market that is using a fully discrete signal path with three separate transformers for the balanced mic input, the line input and the output.

The circuit is very similar to the classical preamp section of the Neve 1073 pre/eq module with a corresponding sound character that is warm, punchy, sweet and musical.

This classical sound has 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 PRE-73 Mk2 has a maximum gain of 80 dB on the mic input and the gain range on the Line input is -20 to + 10 dB. There is also a high-impedance instrument input.

The PRE-73 Mk2 is perfect for almost any signal source, no matter if its a microphone with a high or low sensitivity (like a passive ribbon mic), a syntheziser or sound module or an electric guitar or bass.

The input impedance of the microphone input can be switched between 300 and 1200 ohms, which makes it possible to affect the tone of most microphones. There is also phase switch and an simple 4-step LED signal level meter.

The output level control makes it possible to make fine gain adjustments and also to overload the main gain stage for more character and then lower the signal to a suitable level before the output stage.

Given the very affordable price of the PRE-73, it´s performance is astonishingly good, as is its build quality.

... I cant detect any serious corner-cutting, and the aim of presenting a warm, vintage sound that´s musically attractive has been met extremely well indeed.

It´s difficult to recommend anything else in this price range when it comes to mic amps of character

Sound on Sound, March 2009