Since Rupert Neve designed the original 1073 preamplifier, this solid-state circuit was copied, replicated, reversed-engineered, sampled, emulated, and sound-shaped. And yet, these days any home studio is able to buy a 1073-style microphone preamp that is simply a good analog, transformer-isolated version of the original. Monoprice is now the latest company to join the club with its faithful looking and impressive Stage Right Studio 2-Channel 1073-Style Microphone Preamp.
Since Rupert Neve designed the original 1073 preamplifier, this solid-state circuit was copied, replicated,
improved, reversed-engineered, sampled, emulated, and sound-shaped. And yet, these days any home studio is able to buy a 1073-style microphone preamp that is simply a good analog, transformer-isolated version of the original. Monoprice is now the latest company to join the club with its faithful looking and impressive Stage Right Studio 2-Channel 1073-Style Microphone Preamp.
The Monoprice SR Studio is in fact a vintage-style microphone, line, and instrument preamplifier, with an internal signal path that uses only discrete components - the reason why they who an open chassis, so we can appreciate the resistors, capacitors, transistors and the dual transformers. Both the input and output in each channel is transformer-balanced, using two different transformers, each optimized for its purpose.
As Monoprice explains, the circuit is similar to the preamp section in the classic 1073 module, with a corresponding sound character that is defined as "warm, punchy, sweet, and musical" or "classic characteristics (that) have been heard on countless recordings throughout the years." As Monoprice also highlights, this SR Studio provides "a versatile sound that works well on most sound sources and in most musical genres."
For the price of what normally is offered as a single-channel 1073-style mic preamp, the SR Studio is a two-channel unit in 1U that is able to deliver up to 80dB gain with microphone sources, being capable of handling passive ribbon mics with quiet sound sources. Even with line sources, the circuit delivers an impressive amount of gain, providing the sought-after saturation effect preserved on countless recordings.
And Monoprice not only backs the product with a 30 day money back guarantee, but it also delivered a rugged design that offers everything as expected, including red/blue caps on the potentiometers. That is, two each for the two independent channels for microphone, line and instruments, with balanced inputs and outputs in a combination of XLR/TRS input jacks and separate output XLR and TRS jacks for flexible connections. And yes, there are instrument/DI inputs in the front panel!
www.monoprice.com
