Golden Age ProjectPRE-73 MKIV
intermediate
New retail price (MSRP)
$349
Used market: $285*
Specifications
3 of 8 values have a recorded source- Type
- outboard_preamp·
- Inserted gain
- 80✓
- Input connector
- Combo 3-Pin XLR / 1/4" TRS·
- Output connector
- 3-Pin XLR Male + 1/4" TRS·
- Description
- Discrete 1073-style preamp: transformer-balanced in and out, mic gain switchable 20-80 dB, switchable input impedance, two-frequency high-pass at 40 or 170 Hz (6 dB/oct), and an AIR shelf of 3 or 6 dB at 30 kHz.·
- Passes phantom power
- yes✓
- Needs phantom power
- no✓
- Indexable Locales
- en·
Expert Audio Engineering Commentary
Gain staging
80 dB is enough for a passive ribbon, which is the point of buying it. It plugs into the line input of an interface, not the mic input — feeding 80 dB into another mic preamp is how people get a hiss they then blame on the box.
Production Warning
Opposite of a booster: this box supplies 48 V to the microphone instead of eating it. A condenser works here; the interface's own phantom should stay off.
Setups using this gear
* Estimated with the depreciation fallback (~82% retained value).