Golden Age Premier PRE-73 PREMIER

Description

The PRE-73 PREMIER is a one-channel vintage style microphone-, line- and instrument preamplifier. The signal path uses only discrete components like resistors, capacitors and transistors. The in- and output is transformer balanced, using two different transformers, each one optimized for its purpose. This is the way audio components were built before integrated circuits became available.

The circuit used in the PRE-73 PREMIER is similar to the preamp section in the classical 1073 module with a corresponding 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 integrated circuits in the signal path.

– Maximum gain in mic mode is 80 dB, enough to handle passive ribbon mics with quiet sound sources.

– Gain switch range is 20 – 80 dB. Line mode switch, gain is reduced by 30 dB in line mode.

– Selectable two position high frequency air eq boost mode, 3 or 6 dB @ 30 kHz.

– Selectable 6 dB/octave high pass filter at around 80 Hz (HP1) or 200 Hz (HP2).

– 14 dB output pad allowing the user to overdrive the output stage and transformer.

– Switchable impedance in mic mode, 1200 or 300 Ohm, will change the tone of most mics. The input impedance in line mode is 10 kOhm.

– 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 fine gain adjustments and also to overload the main gain stage(s) for more character.

– Combo XLR/TRS input jack and separate output XLR and TRS jacks for flexible connections.

– Insert jack for inserting EQ´s and other units.

– Selectable 600 Ohm output termination.

– Classic style knobs and buttons.

– Prepared for mounting one or two units in the UNITE PREMIER rack kit. It can also be mounted in one of the other UNITE rack kits and combined –with the red and black Golden Age Project products.

– Connector free internal wiring, all connections except the ones to the gain switch –are soldered for the purest signal and most longterm stable signal path.

– UK made Carnhill input and line output transformers.

– Polystyrene capacitors in the amplifier circuits.

– Tantalum capacitors in the signal path.

– Beefed up power supply.

– Sturdy toggle switches with gold plated contacts.

– External power supply to avoid interaction with the audio circuits and transformers.

– A solid build quality that will last many years of normal use.

PRE-73 PREMIER manual

MEASUREMENTS
Flat with and without termination engaged
Flat + 2 x High Pass + 2 x Air EQ

The difference between the PRE-73 MKIII Plus and the PRE-73 PREMIER
The PRE-73 PREMIER has the following improvements:
– a classic style with grey front panel, a red gain knob, white rectangular push button switches and a grey output level metal knob.

– most connections are soldered, only the connections to the GAIN switch uses a connector.
Compared to the MKIII, 20 connection points that are directly located in the signal path are replaced by a soldered connection. Adding connections for the power rails, 24 connection points are soldered.
Please note that each and one of those 24 connection points actually consists of three separate connections in the MKIII (and in other products using a similar connection method):
1. the cable wire crimped to the female metal connector part.
2. the female to male connector metal part
3. the male connector metal part soldered to the circuit board.
Only no 3 is used in the soldered connections in the PRE-73 PREMIER, so there are actually 24 x 2 = 48 less connections in the PREMIER compared to the MKIII Plus.
The advantage of doing it like this is a higher signal integrity and better long term reliability.
The disadvantage is that it that it´s much more work demanding to use soldered connections, it makes the production process more complicated which increases cost. This is reason why most manufacturers use connectors instead of soldered connections.

– polystyrene capacitors in the amplifier circuits.

– the capacitor value in the power supply is doubled

– a – 14 dB output pad is added allowing the user to overdrive the output stage and transformer.

PRE-73 MKIII vs PRE-73 PREMIER:
The main difference between the Project and Premier line  that the Premier line uses the Carnhill transformers, polystyrene capacitors, a beefed up internal power supply, mostly soldered connections and classic looking box and controls. The PREMIER also have the Output pad switch.

GA video
Sound on Sound review
Bonedo.de review
Gearslutz review
AMAZONA.DE review
A German speaking video
Blind shoot-out:
http://bit.ly/Premier-PRE-73_vs_Neve-1073DPA
Normal shoot-out:
http://bit.ly/Premier-PRE-73_vs_Neve-1073DPA_GS

Additional information