A 73-style Pre That Won't Break the Bank
Heritage Audio's value-packed ELITE series leverages the expertise gleaned from years of making acclaimed vintage-inspired equipment. For the HA73 ELITE, Heritage Audio set its target high: their own widely respected, hand-wired HA73jr and DMA73 preamps — themselves based on the most iconic vintage console preamp in history. In Sweetwater's opinion, they have succeeded. You might ask how Heritage can offer the same world-class sound and performance at such a budget-friendly price. Through economies of scale, mostly. They don't cut corners on components (the HA73 ELITE employs genuine Carnhill input and output transformers), but they do order parts and build in quantity, using lean manufacturing and modern construction techniques, in the same Spanish factory as the rest of their line.
Related Videos: HA73 ELITE Microphone Preamp
A potent dose of vintage vibe
The Heritage Audio HA73 ELITE microphone preamplifier packs your rack with a potent dose of vintage vibe. It's based on what's arguably the most iconic recording console ever built, amplifying any microphone or instrument with vibrant clarity and punch. Drive the input harder to get rich, saturated sound like you would on a vintage British console. With 80dB of gain, you've got a preamp that's ready to bring out the best in any microphone — condenser, dynamic, or ribbon. Trust us: it's really difficult to make this thing sound bad!
Add rich transformer saturation to any source
The Heritage Audio HA73 has Carnhill input and output transformers, ready to add warmth, girth, and authority to any sound source — mic, line, or even DI instruments. The DI circuit is ahead of the mic input transformer, perfect for adding some hair to DI bass signals on the way in. The HA73 has separate input and output gain controls, so you can crank the input to get more transformer color, without overloading the output stage.
Heritage Audio HA73 ELITE Mic Preamp Features:
- Fully discrete, 3-stage Class A mic preamp with 80dB of gain
- Industry standard Carnhill transformers hand-wound in St Ives, England
- Separate input and output gain controls let you drive the input for saturation without overloading the output
- Line input on separate XLR for adding warmth and girth to prerecorded tracks
- 20dB PAD on the mic input to avoid overloading the input transformer when desired
- LOZ switches the input impedance of the mic transformer from 1200 to 300 ohms
- 80Hz highpass filter; +48V phantom power; polarity reverse
- Ultra-high-impedance JFET-based DI input
- Rugged 19" 1RU format chassis
- External universal power supply for worldwide use
