Golden Age Project PREQ-73 Premier Microphone Preamp/EQ
Best vintage inspired sound for budget conscious studio engineers.
This single-channel preamp delivers a vintage-style sound with a warm, punchy, and musical character, reminiscent of classic modules. Its three-band equalizer, featuring an inductor-based midrange, offers smooth and effective sound shaping. Utilizing discrete components and transformer-balanced inputs/outputs, it provides a rich audio path. Ideal for various sound sources and genres, it brings sought-after vintage tones to your setup at an accessible price. Features include switchable impedance, phantom power, phase reverse, and a high-impedance instrument input for versatile connectivity.
$649.00
Owner Satisfaction
4.6
/ 5
Category Rank
251
/ 566
#251 in Microphone Preamps
Price vs Category Average
-60%
Below average
Chassis
19
/ -inch Rack-Mount
Who it's for
- Audio engineers and musicians seeking iconic vintage sound without breaking the bank.
- Producers and artists needing immediate sonic sculpting at the source.
- Budget-conscious studios and independent artists desiring premium audio quality.
Who should skip it
- Purist audiophiles and professional studios demanding absolute authenticity.
- Engineers seeking highly versatile preamps with diverse sonic options.
- Engineers accustomed to the highest-tier, bulletproof studio equipment.
Performance breakdown
Vintage Character
Discrete circuitry delivers that sought-after warm, punchy classic console sound.
EQ Versatility
Inductor-based midrange provides smooth, musical shaping for diverse sound sources.
Gain Headroom
With 80dB of gain, it handles low-output ribbon mics with ease.
Build Integrity
Transformer-balanced components offer a robust, professional feel for studio environments.
Connectivity Options
Combo inputs and DI functionality make it a versatile studio workhorse.
Form Factor
Compact half-rack design saves space but requires mounting hardware for stability.
Key Specs
Chassis
19-inch Rack-Mount
Rack Spaces
1/2U
Number of Channels
1
Preamp Circuitry Type
Solid State (Discrete components)
Phantom Power
Yes (48V)
Input Pad
Yes
Phase Reverse
Yes
Instrument Input DI
Yes
Know before you buy
This preamp is designed to emulate classic vintage hardware, offering a warm, punchy, and musical sound. Because it uses discrete components and transformer-balanced inputs and outputs, it adds a distinct weight and color to your signal that is often missing from clean, transparent interfaces.
The inductor-based midrange provides a smooth, natural-sounding curve that is particularly effective for shaping vocals and instruments. Unlike many digital EQs that can sound clinical, this hardware EQ adds a subtle, musical saturation that helps sources sit better in a mix.
Yes, it features a dedicated high-impedance instrument input on the front panel. This allows you to plug a guitar or bass directly into the unit to take advantage of the preamp's vintage-style circuitry and EQ before your signal hits your interface.
Switchable impedance allows you to change how the preamp interacts with your microphone's output. By toggling between settings, you can subtly alter the frequency response and transient behavior of your mic, giving you more tonal variety without needing to swap microphones.
The PREQ-73 Premier has a 1/2U rack-mountable chassis. You will need a rack tray or a compatible rack ear kit to secure it into a standard 19-inch equipment rack.
Yes, it offers up to 80 dB of gain, which is more than enough to drive power-hungry ribbon mics or dynamic microphones like the Shure SM7B to healthy levels without excessive noise.
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