Golden Age Project PRE-73 Manual

PRE-73
Vintage Pre Amplifier For Studio Recording
INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on choosing the Golden Age Project PRE-73 microphone preamplifi er!
The PRE-73 is a one-channel vintage style microphone-, line- and instrument preamplifi er. 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 pur-
pose. This is the way audio components were built before integrated circuits became available.
Integrated circuits are small and cheap and they are widely used in most modern designs. It is clear though
that audio components built with modern technology doesn´t always provide the best perceived sound quality
or the type of character that the modern user desires.
On the contrary, 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.
This is the reason why so many vintage audio components are cloned and produced again and also why the
vintage originals are often very expensive on the second hand market.
The circuit used in the PRE-73 is similar to the preamp section in the classical 1073 module with a corre-
sponding 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 intergrated 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 + 10 dB.
- Switchable impedance on the mic input, 1200 or 300 Ohms, will change the tone of most mics.
- Switchable phantom power and absolute 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 fi ne 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 fl exible connections.
- External high power power supply to avoid interaction with the audio circuits and transformers.
- A solid build quality that will last many years of normal use.
I
W W W . G O L D E N A G E P R O J E C T . C O M