Product Overview
Renowned for its influence in shaping characterful mic preamplification and equalization, the iconic 1073 remains synonymous with the powerful, dynamic sound of 1970s rock and has since become a staple in countless recordings and live performances. Today, the Golden Age Project PREQ73 Premier offers an opportunity to capture this revered tone at an astonishingly affordable price. This vintage-style, single-channel mic/line/instrument preamplifier and 3-band EQ incorporates all-discrete circuitry, akin to the preamp and equalizer sections found in the esteemed 1073 console module. As a result, the PREQ73 Premier exhibits a warm, punchy, sweet, and inherently musical sound. The preamplifier section delivers an impressive 80dB of gain, allowing for capturing subtle sources with the utmost fidelity, especially when paired with beloved passive ribbon microphones. The mic and line inputs, along with the line output, are meticulously transformer-balanced, utilizing three distinct UK-made Carnhill transformers, each meticulously optimized for its designated function.
Golden Age Project PREQ73PREMIER Features:
- Vintage-style Class A electronics with no integrated circuits in the signal path
- 80 dB of gain, enough to handle passive ribbon mics with quiet sound sources
- 23-position Line/Mic gain switch with 5dB steps and a gain range of 20db–80dB for mic and -10dB–20dB for line
- 2-band LF (±15dB) and HF (-20dB) shelving equalizer with two selectable frequencies for each band
- Inductor based —15dB midrange EQ section with three selectable frequencies (lowest selectable between 350HZ and 700Hz)
- Switchable impedance in mic mode, 1200 or 300 ohms, will change the tone of most mics
- Input impedance in line mode is 10k ohms
- Switchable 48-volt phantom power and absolute phase (polarity)
- High-impedance instrument input for any sound module, electric guitar or bass
- Simple but effective 4-step LED output level meter
- Output level control for fine gain adjustments and intentional overload of the main gain stages for additional vintage character
- Separate combo XLR/TRS jack for the Mic and Line input
- Separate output XLR and TRS jacks for flexible connections
- Selectable 600-ohm output termination
- Classic-style knobs and buttons
- Prepared for mounting 1 or 2 units in optional Unite Premier rack kit
- May also be mounted with red/black Golden Age Project units in optional Unite rack kit
- Connector-free internal wiring; all connections (except the ones to the gain switch) are soldered for the purest signal and most long-term stable signal path
- UK-made Carnhill microphone input and line output transformers
- The PCB is prepared for optional Carnhill 9046M line input transformer
- Polystyrene capacitors in the amplifier circuits
- Tantalum capacitors in the signal path
- Beefy power supply
- Sturdy toggle switches with gold-plated contacts
- External power supply avoids interaction with audio circuits and transformers
- Solid build quality for long-term reliability
Golden Age Project PREQ73PREMIER Specifications:
- Preamp Type: Solid State
- Number of Channels: 1
- Phantom Power: Yes
- Pads: -14 dB
- Polarity Switch: Yes
- EQ: Highpass, Air EQ
- Analog Inputs: 1/4" (Hi-Z), XLR-1/4" combo (line), XLR-1/4" combo (mic)
- Analog Outputs: XLR, 1/4"
- Power Source: 24 V AC Power Supply (included)
