Feature-laden 73-style Pre for Your 500 Series Rack
Time and time again, the 73-style mic preamp has ranked as the number-one desert island choice for studio pros. Boasting vintage-style electronics with UK-made Carnhill transformers, the Golden Age Pre-573 Premier packs this time-tested circuit into your 500 Series rack. This British-flavored beast boasts 80dB of gain — enough for your passive ribbon mics, even on extra-quiet sources. Switchable impedance enables you to pair the Pre-573 Premier with any microphone, and it can easily tackle line-level sources. You'll appreciate how this 500 Series module's 2-position highpass filter attenuates unwanted low-frequency rumble, in addition to the how flexible the front-panel instrument input makes DI-ing your guitar or bass a walk in the park. You also get a separate output knob, which makes achieving those coveted saturated textures effortless, plus an insert jack for patching in your favorite EQ and/or compressor. Polarity reverse, a selectable AIR equalizer, a single-LED level indicator, and phantom power round out the Pre-573 Premier's impressive features. If you're looking for a space-saving, cost-effective 73-style preamp, you'll love what the Pre-573 Premier brings to your studio.
Ultra-flexible input
The Pre-573 Premier offers a tremendous level of flexibility. In mic mode, this 500 Series module's gain range goes from -10dB to +80dB, with 20dB to 70dB handled by a turn switch and an additional 5–10dB handled with a toggle switch. Switchable impedance on the mic input, 1200 or 300 ohms, ensures that this preamp plays well with a variety of microphones. With a flip of a switch, you can also configure the input to accept line-level signals, lowering the gain by 30dB and increasing the input impedance by 10k ohm.
Loads of pro-level features
Looking for a variety of must-have features? You'll be impressed by the Golden Age Pre-573 Premier . Unwanted low-frequency rumble is a nonstarter, thanks to its selectable 2-position 6dB/octave highpass filter with 45Hz and 180Hz settings. This preamp's front-panel instrument input is switchable between a hi-Z active mode and a mid-Z passive mode for added versatility. Driving the Pre-573 Premier into transformer-flavored saturation is easy, courtesy of its separate output knob. You also get an insert jack for patching in your favorite outboard processors, a polarity reverse switch, and a selectable AIR equalizer, which gives you a 6dB boost centered at 30kHz. A simple yet effective single-LED level indicator and +48V phantom power is the final icing on the cake.
The Golden Age Project: affordable, high-quality gear
The Golden Age Project was founded in 2005 on the belief that vintage gear sounds best, and the desire to pass on this sonic legacy to a new generation of musicians, engineers, and producers. All-discrete, Class A signal paths with no integrated circuits; the use of transformers, stepped controls, and military-grade build quality: these are the cornerstones of the legendary British equipment deployed in world-class recording and broadcast studios in the 1970s — the Golden Age of Analog. Fat, warm, punchy, and authoritative; this is the sound heard on countless hits for nigh unto half a century. Locating, purchasing, restoring, and maintaining vintage gear is time consuming and costly. Fortunately, this small, family-owned Swedish company makes gear the same way it was made back in the day — at an amazingly accessible price.
A distributor of high-end studio equipment for many years, Golden Age Project founder Bo Medin wanted to be able to offer products with much of the same exclusive sound in a price range that made them available to a larger audience. Inspired by original designs, Golden Age uses modern technology to re-create that lush, opulent sound, making it surprisingly affordable. They use some modern ingenuity to add new functionality to superb classic designs and produce them in a cost-effective way, which allows them to be both optimized and affordable. From outboard equipment to condenser, dynamic, and ribbon mics, you can outfit your entire studio with vintage-inspired Golden Age gear without exceeding your budget.
Golden Age Pre-573 Premier 500 Series Microphone Preamp Features:
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Vintage-style electronics with UK-made Carnhill transformers, tantalum and polystyrene capacitors, and no integrated circuits
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80dB of gain in Mic mode easily handles passive ribbon mics on quiet sound sources
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Switchable impedance on the mic input ensures that this preamp plays well with a variety of microphones
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Input configured for line-level signals via switch that attenuates level by 30dB and increases impedance 10k ohm
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2-position 6dB/octave highpass filter with 45Hz and 180Hz settings for attenuating low-frequency rumble
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Front-panel instrument input is switchable between hi-Z active mode and mid-Z passive mode for added versatility
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Output level control for fine gain adjustments and driving the main gain stage for more character
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Insert jack for patching in your favorite outboard processors
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Polarity reverse switch and switchable phantom power with LED indicator
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Selectable AIR equalizer gives you a 6dB boost centered at 30kHz
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Simple yet effective single-LED level indicator
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Soft start circuit that ramps up the supply voltage slowly to avoid a power-on current surge
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6.8k ohm phantom power resistors are matched to within 0.1% to maintain excellent common-mode rejection
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Selectable 600 ohm output termination at rear of module
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Circuit board star grounding scheme
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Robust build quality for years of reliable service