Modern 500 Series Mic Pre with Serious Old-school Swagger
Taking the circuit topology from its renowned Sta-Level tube compressor and pouring it into a single-slot 500 Series microphone preamp, Retro Instruments has created a new primary color to include in every recording engineers’ palette. Brimming with vintage vibe, the 500PRE has High and Low gain select for loads of flexibility to dial up a range of crisp clean tones or creamy tube overdrive, and with a separate output trim, you can smack it hard without fear of clipping. With three TAD 12AT7 new-production tubes and high-quality CineMag transformers, the 500PRE’s throwback sound is set on a modern foundation with the high headroom and low-noise performance you’ve come to expect from new-school gear. The recording gurus at Sweetwater agree: Retro Instruments’ 500PRE is taking echoes from the past and projecting them far into the future.
Related Videos: 500PRE 500 Series Microphone Preamp
Control your color with gain select
Gearheads love their tubes, and it’s no wonder why. Inserting them into a signal chain adds instant character and warmth, snugging an instrument or vocal into the fabric of a mix in a way unachievable by any other method. Many engineers think of tube preamps as having a built-in compressor and EQ section, essentially preprocessing a signal in a distinctly smooth and musical fashion. To coax as much tubey goodness as possible out of the 500PRE, Retro Instruments equipped it with three TAD 12ATZ new-production tubes in switchable 2-stage and 3-stage amplifier configurations and independent input and trim knobs for incredible tonal control.
About Retro Instruments
Since 2006, Retro Instruments has quietly established itself as a premier vintage-gear revivalist. Never content to simply replicate classic designs, Retro Instruments treats its carefully selected precursors as launching points for creative reimagining. Adhering to the exacting standards of the industry legends it emulates, Retro Instruments crafts loving tributes to the gear of yesterday with updated features appreciated by contemporary engineers.
Retro Instruments 500PRE 500 Series Microphone Preamp Features:
- Shares the same circuit topology as Retro Instruments' renowned Sta-Level tube compressor packed into a single-slot 500 Series unit
- Switchable gain stages, featuring 2-stage Low gain and 3-stage High gain topologies with 48dB or 76dB of gain
- Effectively dials up a range of tones, from clean gain to light saturation to dense overdrive with rich harmonic overtones
- Output trim lets you drive the tubes hard without clipping
- CineMag transformers deliver high headroom and low-noise performance
- Stocked with high-quality new-production TAD 12AT7 tubes
- Soft-start circuitry eliminates unnecessary stress on tubes and power supply when powering up
