Golden Age Premier PRE-573 PREMIER

Full Description

Vintage-style electronics

The Golden Age Premier PRE-573 PREMIER bases its design on vintage microphone preamps, utilising the same-style circuitry found in classic mic pre’s. The PRE-573 PREMIER builds on previous versions, incorporating new tantalum capacitors within its signal path, as well as unique controls for shaping and sculpting your sound. One of the most prominent changes to the design is the revised and streamlined Gain switch, featuring a separate switch for the mic/line selection. All of the gain settings can now also be used in LINE mode for added flexibility.

The all-discrete circuitry is reminiscent of older preamps, capturing the essence of the vintage sound. No integrated circuits are used, only high-end discrete components such as resistors, capacitors and transistors. This ensures optimal audio fidelity and performance, resulting in that classic warmth and grit associated with vintage analog pre’s.

High-quality DI instrument input

Ideal for connecting your direct instruments such as electric guitar or electric bass, the PRE-573 offers a convenient way to record high-quality direct signals. With two selectable modes, Passive Mid-Z and Active Hi-Z, you can connect a myriad of different instruments and achieve a wide range of unique tonalities in your signal. The Active mode uses a FET buffer and has an input impedance of about 1.5M Ohm before the signal is passed through the input transformer to the input gain stages. Passive mode feeds the input TRS directly to the gain stages, resulting in an impedance of roughly 100K Ohm.

Driving your signal through the Active input will have a more coloured tonality, offering more character and warmth thanks to the FET-buffered circuitry. Using the Passive input is an ideal way to capture a clean recording, where the exact tone that outputs from your instrument will be sent through the Pre-573 preamp. Some instruments may require a more clean sound, free from any colouration so experimentation is encouraged to find what is best for your recording.

Flexible control

In the studio, it's vital to ensure you have all the tools you need to get the best sound for your session. Thankfully, the Pre-573 PREMIER recognises this fact. Coming equipped with phase polarity reversal, AIR EQ, high-pass filters and input impedance switchers in a compact 500 series format, you can face whatever challenge enters your studio.

Selectable via a switch, the high-pass filter rolls off at 6dB/Octave in two positions, 45Hz at HP1 and 180 at HP2. This makes it ideal for recording a number of different instruments or vocals, helping to remove any unruly low-end that can eat up frequency response and most importantly, headroom when recording detailed compositions.

The input impedance switch can be flipped between 300 and 1200 Ohms, giving you the flexibility to test your microphone selection to see how the sound differs. Lowering the microphone impedance will slightly alter the frequency response and timbre of your microphone, offering a wide range of sound shaping options.

The final front-mounted switch features two powerful studio tools, phase polarity reverse switch and AIR EQ boost. When in the down position, the PRE-573 reverses the phase of your signal, ideal for capturing two sources with simultaneous microphones such as snare drum wires and top to sum the two microphones in phase with each other. When in the up position, PRE-573 PREMIER engages a boost in the upper treble region from 30kHz onwards at 6dB. Perfect for adding brightness to dull sound sources, or for articulating vocal recordings, this AIR boost will be heard down to 5kHz for added bite and clarity in the upper midrange.

Features

• Vintage-style electronics with no integrated circuits in the signal path
• Designed with top-shelf components such as UK-made Carnhill input and output transformers
• Fully-floating balanced output transformers lets you drive a 600 ohm load up to +28dBu
• Maximum microphone gain of +80dBu allows you to connect virtually any microphone type including passive ribbon microphones
• Wide gain range from -10dB to +80dBu with additional +5 or +10dB of gain with toggle switch
• Switchable microphone input impedance from 300 to 1200 ohms
• Accepts both direct signals as well as line-level signals from external sources
• Line-level input input is lowered by 30dB and impedance increased to 10K ohm for the best sound quality
• Integrated high-pass filter at 6dB/octave switchable between 45 and 180Hz
• Switchable Hi-Z active input and Mid-Z passive input
• Output level control allows for fine-adjustments in output gain or to overload circuit for added character to your sound
• Soft-start circuit that ramps up supply voltage slowly to avoid power-on current surges
• Phase switch to reverse polarity of your signal
• Switchable +48V Phantom power makes it ideal for use with studio condenser microphones
• LED overload indicator, activated at +4dBu
• Selectable AIR EQ to add a boost of +6dB at 30kHz
• Tantalum and polystyrene capacitors used for ultimate audio fidelity
• Selectable 600 ohm output termination at the back of the module.
• Excellent build quality to ensure durability over time

Specifications

• Preamp type: 500 series
• Input types: Direct, Line-level
• Output transformer: Balanced, fully-floating Carnhill. To drive a 600 ohm load up to 28dBu
• Maximum mic gain: 80dB
• Total gain range: -10 to +80dB
• Mic impedance: Switchable from 300 to 1200 ohms
• High-pass filter: 6dB/octave switchable from 45 to 180Hz
• Impedance modes: Hi-Z, Mid-Z
• Polarity switch: Phase switch included
• Air EQ boost: 6dB boost at 30kHz
• Signal overload meter: At +4dBU
• Output termination: 600 Ohm
• Product code: PRE-573-PREMIER