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Pre-73 MKIII Mic Line Preamp

Based on 52 reviews
Condition: New
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$299.00
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Availability: In Stock.
Fulfilled by Sweetwater Sound

Arrives Monday, Nov 16
Order within 2 hours and 54 minutes

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At a glance

Condition
New
Model
PRE73MK3
Weight
6.8 lb
Color
Red
Material
Stainless Steel
Power Source
Corded Electric
Amplifier Type
Solid State
Warranty
2-Year Warranty
Works with
all

Features 5

  • Single-channel Mic/line Preamp with 80dB of Mic Gain
  • LED Output Level Meter
  • Switchable Impedance
  • Phantom Power

Description

The classic Neve 1073 wrote the book on characterful mic preamplification, so in designing their Pre-73 MKIII mic pre, Golden Age aimed high. Given its mild pricetag, it's amazing how well they succeeded. The single-channel Pre-73 MKIII is versatile, with 80dB of gain that lets you easily mic subdued sources with passive ribbons. Cranking the main gain stage imbues your tracks with tasty vintage-style coloration. Also onboard: phantom power, a broad gain- range DI, flexible I/O, switchable impedance, and an LED output level meter, all in a robust half-rack chassis. If you want a characterful pre with punch, Sweetwater recommends the Golden Age Pre-73 MKIII. Golden Age Pre-73 MKIII Features at a Glance: Vintage-style electronics with Tantalum capacitors Simplified Gain control with Mic/Line switch makes all gain levels available for line input 80dB of gain easily handles passive ribbon mics on quiet sound sources Mic input with switchable 1200/300 ohm impedance

Specs 17

Brand Golden Age Project
Color Red
Material Stainless Steel
Item Weight 6.8 pounds
Number of Bands 1
Power Source Corded Electric
Output Channel Quantity 1
Amplifier Type Solid State

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If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Monday, Nov 16

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View our full returns policy here.

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Top Amazon Reviews


Absolute Value
Some users have noted possible quality control issues, but I have none of that with my unit. Nothing but stellar performance for money from this Chinese behemoth. I use mine as both a DI and to give extra drive to an SM7B. It allows for extra gain that slightly colors the signal, as much or as little as you’d like. You can turn the gain down and crank the output, turn the output down but crank the gain, or anywhere in between! I will update if the unit fails me, but I hope to hold on to her for a long time. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2022 by Adam

It’s big, it’s cool, it generates some serious clean sounding power
Sounds great, quality is legit. It does what is asked and looks pretty freaking Cherry.
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2022 by RGNation

Phenomenal Piece of Hardware
Absolutely perfect for what I was looking for. When you are looking for a preamp you need to know what type of color you are looking for (because everything analog adds color) and what you need it for. This Transistor-based preamp is a discrete preamp (as stated, it works phenomenally in that capacity) it works great with Guitar, Bass, Vocals even Synthesizers! It has become the workhorse of the studio and all of my clients are in love with it. They refuse to record without it. I chose this over a Tube-based preamp as my main microphone is a Tube Mic and i wanted a more transparent preamp that doesnt further excite sibilance like stacking multiple instances of Tube-based equipment in the same signal chain would. All in all, sound quality is great! The transistors when cranked sounds great too. Real solid old-retro 50s transistor radio effect. Definitely going to remain a dominant tool in my recording signal for a long while. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2021 by AudioGuy

Packs a lot of punch without draining your wallet
It would seem from other reviews that some have encountered QC issues. Thankfully, this has not been the case for me. There’s a lot of competition in this market space, but most of the competing products are both a.) more expensive, and b.) have fewer features. I’m very pleased with this preamp, and find that it is an excellent match for sources that require more gain than the preamps in a recording interface simply can’t deliver. For other applications it can certainly add a coloration reminiscent of the design it was derived from- albeit not quite the same. This can also be overdone. Overall, a great addition to the home enthusiast’s toolbox, and something to inspire more creativity and exploration. Frankly, I’m inclined to think it would even be suitable for professional applications. From my perspective, the build quality is reflected in the price. Do better options exist? Perhaps. But you won’t get them at this price point, and they’ll likely be missing some of the features found here. Highly recommend. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2020 by Aaron T

Impresionante!!!!
impresionante ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️impresionante🔥😦 La recomiendo %100 no vas a perder el dinero, Solo te dire que no te dejes llevar por su precio esta maquina es otra cosa, deveras su sonido es demasiado igual a la neve 1073 no lo encontraras en ningun otro preamp de este precio es lo maximo deveras aun sin creer como trabaja esta maquina COMPRALA SIN PENSARLO!!!! La recomiendo %100👍🏽 ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2018 by Jomar Quińones

Good sound, questionable quality.
I was conflicted on whether I should leave 3 or 4 stars. Consider this a 3.5 stars. Unit sounds good, but quality out of the box was questionable. The power switch was rubbing on the metal frame and doesn't move smoothly. I figure I will just leave it in the "on" position all the time instead of returning it. These units are made in China and there is a reason they are inexpensive. Many of the parts are kinda cheap. Going forward I will try to purchase audio products made in the USA or the UK. Also, the led light is blazingly bright. I had to put tape over it to make it bearable for my tastes. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2017 by Nicholas Michael

A good value, if you get one that doesn't break
I would echo other comments here - although you get a nice analog coloration with useful features, the quality is questionable. After one year of gentle use living in a rack, the XLR input in the back doesn't work, and the warranty is over. So, now it's a very expensive DI box. If you get one that stays functional, I would still say the sound quality to cost ratio makes the unit a good piece to have in the home studio toolbox. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2017 by DYMinneapolis

Nicely excites vocals when you drive the gain
Has a warm sound, that provides a definite upgrade to any beginner studio. Nicely excites vocals when you drive the gain. The Air feature gives the vocals a nice top end breathiness. However, I would recommend that prospective customers save up a little more and opt for another company, as the quality is much improved with offerings from Warm Audio, FMR, or Universal Audio. All in all, this mic pre does the job, but leaves much desired in the vocal, and creates a lot of work in post. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2016 by andrew milad
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