The classic 1073 wrote the book on characterful mic preamplification, so in designing their Pre-73 Premier mic pre, the Golden Age Project aimed high. Given its accessible price tag, it's amazing how well they succeeded. The single-channel Pre-73 Premier is a versatile mic/line/instrument preamp with 80dB of gain that lets you easily mic subdued sources with passive ribbons. Cranking the main gain stage provides your tracks with tasty vintage-style coloration. Also onboard: phantom power, a broad gain-range DI, an 80Hz/200Hz highpass filter, switchable impedance, polarity reverse, and Golden Age's Air EQ circuit, all in a robust half-rack chassis. If you want an affordable, well-equipped classic-style preamp with punch, the Golden Age Pre-73 Premier delivers.
The Golden Age Project
The Golden Age Project was founded in 2005 on the belief that vintage gear sounds best and on 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. Our advice: 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:
- 1-channel mic/line/instrument preamplifier
- UK-made Carnhill mic input and line output transformers
- Tantalum capacitors in the signal path
- Vintage British styling with Marconi Gain and fluted Output knobs
- Amplifier circuits with polystyrene capacitors
- Sturdy toggle switches with gold-plated contacts
- Connector-free internal wiring, all connections are soldered for the purest signal path
- Beefy power supply with external adapter to eliminate electromagnetic interference with audio circuits and transformers
- Prepared for mounting of 1 or 2 units in the Unite Premier rack kit
- Air EQ circuit, selectable for 3dB or 6dB at 30kHz
- 80Hz/200Hz highpass filter, polarity reverse, and 14dB Output Pad
- May also be mounted in the other Unite rack kits and combined with red and black Golden Age products