Golden Age Audio PRE-573 Premier 500 Series Vintage Style Microphone Preamp

Golden Age Project Pre-573 Premier 500 Series Preamp Overview
The Golden Age Project Pre-573 Premier 500 Series Microphone Preamp offers vintage-style sound with modern versatility. Inspired by the classic 73-style preamp, it features UK-made Carnhill transformers, giving you a rich, characterful tone that has become a staple in studios worldwide. With 80dB of gain, switchable impedance, and a range of flexible features, the Pre-573 Premier is perfect for both quiet sources like passive ribbon mics and high-output instruments. Whether you're recording vocals, guitars, or line-level signals, this 500 Series preamp delivers exceptional sound quality and creative control, all within a compact, cost-effective module.

Vintage-Style Electronics with Modern Flexibility
Designed with vintage-inspired electronics, the Pre-573 Premier includes UK-made Carnhill transformers and high-quality tantalum and polystyrene capacitors, ensuring that you get the warm, punchy sound characteristic of classic analog preamps. The signal path contains no integrated circuits, keeping the tone pure and true to its analog roots. This preamp’s versatility is enhanced by the inclusion of a switchable input impedance, offering both 1200 ohms and 300 ohms to accommodate a variety of microphones. With these features, the Pre-573 Premier is able to produce rich, dynamic sound suitable for any recording setup.

Flexible Gain Control for All Recording Scenarios
The Pre-573 Premier offers a generous 80dB of gain in mic mode, which makes it capable of handling even the most delicate sources, including passive ribbon mics. Whether you’re working with quiet vocals or loud instruments, this preamp provides precise gain control to ensure optimal levels. The gain range of -10dB to +80dB can be easily adjusted using the rotary switch and toggle switch, which provides an additional 5–10dB of gain. This flexibility ensures that whether you're tracking soft, subtle sounds or capturing loud, dynamic performances, you have complete control over the signal.

Additional Features for Professional Sound Control
The Pre-573 Premier doesn’t just stop at gain control. It’s packed with features that enhance your recording workflow. The selectable 2-position highpass filter (45Hz and 180Hz) helps attenuate low-frequency rumble, ensuring a cleaner signal. The preamp also includes a front-panel instrument input, which can be switched between hi-Z active mode and mid-Z passive mode to accommodate a range of instruments, from electric guitars to basses. For added versatility, the output level control allows you to drive the preamp into transformer saturation, giving your recordings a vintage-style coloration with ease.

Integrated Processing for Enhanced Workflow
In addition to the core features, the Pre-573 Premier offers an insert jack that allows you to patch in your favorite outboard processors like EQs or compressors. This makes it easier to integrate additional gear into your recording chain. The preamp also includes a polarity reverse switch, phantom power with an LED indicator, and a selectable AIR equalizer that boosts high frequencies centered at 30kHz, enhancing the overall clarity of your sound. These features give you even more tools to shape your recordings and capture the ideal sound for your project.

Built for Durability and Reliability
The Pre-573 Premier is engineered for long-term use in professional environments. Its robust build quality ensures it will stand up to regular use in both home and commercial studios. The soft-start circuit gradually ramps up the supply voltage to avoid power-on surges, protecting your equipment from potential damage. With a star grounding scheme on the circuit board and 6.8k ohm phantom power resistors matched to within 0.1%, this preamp maintains excellent common-mode rejection, providing a clean, noise-free signal for your recordings.