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Golden Age Project
Pre-73 MK2 Description
LIMITED TIME OFFER: BUY A NEW MK2 FULLY MODIFIED, SAVE $50!
Now's your chance to own a hot-rodded unit at the "old price", normally $299 extra.
See Our YouTube Video: Original PRE73 vs MK2 Differences
Choose Stock or 2 Levels of Modification
TT "Tantalum / Transistor"
- All capacitors replaced with original Neve value
tantalum style
- Output transistor replaced with Motorola 2N3055
Full Mod "TT + Transformers"
- All capacitors replaced with original Neve value
tantalum style
- Output transistor replaced with Motorola 2N3055
- Mic input & line output transformers replaced with British Carnhill
Want
to hear the PRE73?
Listen To The ZenPro
"1073 vs The Clones" Shooutout
The PRE-73 is the
first one-channel low-cost preamp on the market that is using
a fully discrete signal path with three separate transformers for the
balanced
mic input, the line input and the output. The circuit is very
similar to the classical preamp section of the Neve 1073
pre/eq module with a corresponding sound character that is warm,
punchy, sweet
and musical.
This classical sound has 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 PRE-73 has a maximum gain of 80 dB on the mic input
and the gain range on
the Line input is -20 to + 10 dB. There is also a high-impedance
instrument
input. The PRE-73 is perfect for almost any signal source, no matter if
it’s a
microphone with a high or low sensitivity (like a passive ribbon mic),
a
syntheziser or sound module or an electric guitar or bass. The input
impedance of the microphone input can be switched between 300 and
1200 ohms, which makes it possible to affect the tone of most
microphones.
There is also phase switch and an simple 4-step LED signal level meter.
The output level control makes it possible to make fine gain
adjustments and
also to overload the main gain stage for more character and then lower
the
signal to a suitable level before the output stage.
Option: RACK
KIT allows 2 PRE-73 units to mount side by side in a single space.
Download
the PRE-73 manual.
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Golden Age Project PRE73 Review / See All ZenPro Audio
Reviews Here: Review Page
Coming in at an excellent
price
point for those who might only want a single channel (you can also
neatly rack
a stereo pair side by side with the Golden Age rack) Golden Age Project
has
done a good job at delivering high gain and character in a very decent
1073
clone. The bright red box looks good too, along with the black / silver
knobs
in the rack.
The PRE73 features
transformers on
the mic and line inputs (yes, it accepts line level separately) and an
output
transformer. There is a direct instrument input on the face. It is a
discrete
design, no IC’s in the signal path. The power supply is the “wall wart”
type
(yeah, I know). Mic input impedence ratings are selectable between
300ohm and
1200ohm (ala original Neve) and phantom power and phase reverse is
available on
the front panel as well.
In comparing the PRE73 to
an all
original Neve 1073 there are certainly some differences. However,
comparing
this price range with a street price easily 10x higher for a re-issue
(or up to
20x higher for an original) we’ve got to be somewhat forgiving here.
The fact
is that the PRE73 right out of the box is easily within that 1073 family
of sound and character. It has its share of that rock n roll attitude
and a bit
of drive when pushed. The PRE73 is somewhat brighter by comparison, but
not
worlds apart. The low end of the original 1073 is certainly deeper and
more
harmonically rich by comparison in the low and low mids. If you did not
have an
original 1073 to compare it to though, well it’s not like you’d
consider it
lacking either.
Our ZenPro mods offer two
levels of
enhancement: the “TT” mod which upgrades all capacitors in the signal
path to
tantalum style using original Neve values, and our “Full ZenPro” mod
which is
the TT mod + replacing the mic input and line output transformers with
Carnhill
brand (formerly St Ives). The TT mod brings a cool but slight edge to
the
sound, and more harmonic content is heard as well as clarity. The full
mod
brings this but also a richness to the midrange and a depth and
character to
the lows and low mids that is so close to the original 1073 it’s scary.
Still I
have to say, for the cost of the TT mod it brings a lot to the table
and don’t
consider it being TOO cheated by not having the original transformers.
You can
hear our test page clips linked off the product page as well.
Conclusion: Nobody offers
anything
as cool in a preamp in this price range. The Golden Age guys have been
dealing
with high end gear for years in
Sweden and have
taken an
excellent swing at bringing a Chinese 1073 clone to market that is nice
to have
around in home and pro environments. Hard to say you can go wrong
stock,
partial or fully modified.
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Reviews:
| (10 Ratings, 10 Reviews) |
Average Rating:
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Wow
Bruce Landry
(Burbank, CA)
4/18/2011 11:24 PM
The TT Mod version arrived tonight. Incredible. I'm getting the Ghost In The Machine bass sound :)
Very happy customer here, thanks Warren.
Now I've got some coffee beans I need to grind.....
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Incredible preamp!!!
Peter Wyndham
(San Diego, CA)
3/10/2011 1:29 PM
Hey now!,
I'm a newb to home recording, have had my studio for a little over a year and was using the X-Max preamps in my Presonus Firestudio Mobile unit. I was not thrilled with the sound quality by any means. I've been a professional musician since age 15 and am 41 so I like to think I know a bit about what sounds good, to my ears at least. Well, I am just putting the finishing touches on my latest original song but this time everything was recording using my new Fully modded ZenPro GAP Pre73. Wow!!!! What a difference my GAP73 has made in overall sound quality. It is truley amazing and I am 100% satisfied and so happy I took the $600 plunge in getting this thing modded. I think I'll be set for preamps for my solo artist needs for quite some time. Getting more specific, everything just sounds incredible now, way cleaner, crisp, more powerful and structured low end, very detailed and open 3D sound. I can hear the beautiful harmonic content provide by the Carnhills and Tantalums doing their thing. Definetly a magnificant unit and I cannot recommend enough. What a night and day difference this has made over the Presonus X-Max preamps,which don't get me wrong, work and in a true pros hands, I'm sure would be just fine. But for myself, as a green engineer and someone that is writing and recording rock n roll, punk rock, folk punk rock, I really enjoy the character of the Neve 1073 sound it imparts and the ability to adjust and dial in less or more character. Many claim this pre nails quite well the 1073 sound. I don't know enough about Neve 1073's to make that claim, but, again, I am nothing short of ecstatic and am over the moon with my new GAP Pre73.
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More Open and Realistic than the Onyx
Chris Henry
(Sterling, VA)
10/20/2010 8:33 PM
Just got the premap in today, and I've been doing some testing. First of
all, thanks for the coffee! I've really had a good feeling about the
purchase, from all the great reviews and speaking to you about it. First I
plugged the 4060 into it and I couldn't really tell much of a difference
compared to the onyx. But then I plugged the 103 in and after some very
careful listening (my first real preamp A/B) I'm starting to hear the
detail on the top which is exactly what I was looking for. There seem to
be a whole range of frequencies and upper harmonics that the onyx is
missing in my experiment. The Onyx sounds slightly, but noticebly duller
on top where the detail really counts so much to relieve some of the stress
of getting the vocal to be able to penetrate a thick mix like rap or
something like that. I am tickled, and thanks!
And I just went back and listened to the 4060 test, and I'll have to give
it to the Onyx, they really are great preanps, but with this super clean
open and ear-friendly top sound of the GAP-73, I am really tickled to
realize that the slightly dull top end of the vocals will now be replaced
with a fuller harmonic spectrum, which will make listening and mixing much
easier I believe!
I really 'preciates it.
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AMAZING PRODUCT!!!!
Matt Willinger
(Miamisburg, OH)
8/20/2010 9:12 PM
I just bought and received a fully modded Pre 73, Very fast shipping, Which is great. The fully modded pre has a nice smooth sound throughout all frequencies, with a very nice extra low mid, and sound very full and deeper or spacious i quess you would describe it. I couldn't imagine getting this product from anyone else except Warren, and he threw in a great bonus, But you will have to buy from here in order to find out what i is!!
Thank so much Warren, I will for sure buy more from you very soon.
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mojo filter
Jonathan Byrd
(carrboro, NC)
7/9/2010 10:30 AM
The fully modded Golden Age preamps are precisely what I wanted. I've used a real 1073- I don't know how similar they are, but the Golden Age gives me the same *feeling.* The thing that makes you take your hands off the knobs and listen. Getting EQ and levels is effortless. There's a cushy pillow of forgiveness. There is a beautiful, dark silence behind the sounds.
I just started a mix project for a country music duo. A guy in New Mexico recorded them with 57s, Pro Tools, and a rack of Presonus preamps. The recordings are actually clean and quiet, but very two-dimensional. Gray. Kind of cardboard-ish.
I re-recorded their vocals through the Golden Age pres and the guitars through my ART MPA II. Dorothy wakes up and the world is in color. Somehow colored and transparent at the same time. Sounds like a Twin Reverb on 11. Enormous, detailed, sweet and intimate. An aural paradox. It's perfect for their sound, very professional, and definitely vintage. Beautiful job, Warren. Thank you for helping me achieve classic sound for an unbeatable value. I wouldn't have thought it possible.
Jonathan Byrd
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