When the Golden Age Project Pre73 Jr was released, it brought the Neve 1073 style mic pre into a new realm of affordability, while keeping the quality that we all have come to expect from such a preamp. The sound output was thick and weighty, delivering that classic 1073 sound. Now, Golden Age Project is releasing the Pre73 Jr MKII and we thought it would be a great time to highlight this micpre and the updates that this release brings.
Design wise, those familiar with the previous generation should be right at home with the Pre73 Jr MKII, with some new additions brought from the original Pre73, including selectable High Pass filters, as well as the selectable AIR mode, which boosts the 30 kHz frequency by 3 or 6 dB. The unit is built like a tank, with a solid metal chassis and controls that don't feel cheap in any way. Speaking of controls, lets take a look at the front of the unit.
On the top left, you get the selectable high pass filter 40 or 170 Hz), as well as a selectable AIR mode, which can boost the signal either 3 or 6 dB @ 30kHz. The high-impedance instrument input sits on the bottom left, giving you a dedicated jack for an electric guitar, bass, or any instrument that you want. The 48V phantom power button is next to the DI, and has an indicator LED when it is engaged. The middle of the unit sports the 20 - 70 dB Gain knob, with detents every 5 dB to help you dial in the level you want. On the right side you have the output level control, which gives you more fine-tune control of your sound, or to overload the main gain stage for a bit more character. Finally, the absolute phase button rounds out the features and controls on the front of the Pre73 Jr MKII.
While it doesn't have the signal metering, Low-Z, or Mic/Line selector that the half-rack Pre-73 MKIII has, it still packs a ton into a unit that is half the size. Speaking of size, four of these units can be mounted in the Golden Age Project Unite MKII kit do create a nice 4-channel mic-pre in a single 1u rack space.
The back of the Pre73 Jr MKII is the same as the Pre73 MKIII or the Pre73 Jr. A combo XLR/TRS input jack and separate output XLR and TRS jacks for flexible connections, as well as an insert jack for inserting EQ´s and other units. There is also a dedicated power switch so you can turn the unit off without unplugging it.
The original Pre73 Jr was a solid preamp, and we were pleasantly surprised to find out that they were coming out with this updated version. With the addition of the High Pass filters and AIR boost, the Pre73 Jr MKII has even more versatility than the previous generation, and is sure to find its way into many a recording studio.
