The vintage 1081 console module commands reverence. Introduced in 1972 as a 4-band upgrade from the 1073 (itself a legend), the 1081 was deployed in classic Neve boards such as the 8048. Fitting testimony to how good they sounded, vintage 8048s with 1081 input modules are still in use today at world-class studios such as The Village in LA. But you don't have to book time there to enhance your tracks with definitive British EQ. Golden Age designed its EQ-81 MKII with a vintage 1081-style circuit with broad frequency coverage and unrivaled punch. This is the authoritative, audacious sound behind countless hits — and it can be yours for a song, with the Golden Age EQ-81 MKII.
The Golden Age Project
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 gentle 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.
Features:
- 4-band equalization with inductor-based mid bands
- Vintage-style electronics with no integrated circuits in the signal path
- Tantalum capacitors used in the signal path
- Stepped frequency selection
- Broad selection of frequencies from 33Hz to 15kHz
- Control range up to ±18dB
- Each band is switchable out of the circuit
- Defeatable ground lift
- External power supply (no interaction with audio circuitry)
- Classic sound, ideal for most sources and music styles
- Rugged build quality will provide many years of service