Golden Age Project EQ-73 Premier Vintage-Style 3-Band Equalizer
Overview of Golden Age Project EQ-73 Premier Vintage-Style 3-Band Equalizer
- Vintage style electronics. No integrated circuits in the main signal path
- 3-band EQ with a dual inductor based mid frequency band and stepped frequency selection
- A wide selection of frequencies from 20 Hz to 24 kHz and a control range of up to +/- 18 dB
- Separate bypass switches for each band
- Two UK made Carnhill inductors in the midrange section
- Tantalum capacitors in the main signal path, polystyrene capacitors in the gain stages
- Burr Brown OPA 2602 IC used for the balanced output stage
- Soldered internal connections
- Can be used together with one of our preamp´s with an insert jack or as a standalone unit
- TRS jack for the INSERT mode in- and output connection, the nominal working level is around -18 dBu
- IC-based in- and output stage for the LINE IN mode with balanced TRS and XLR connectors
- Selectable ground lift jumper
- External power supply to avoid interaction with the audio circuits
With internal enhancements over the MKII version and a look that matches other Premier-series modules, the Golden Age Project EQ-73 Premier is the company's flagship 3-band equalizer. It uses vintage-style electronics and high-quality components from Carnhill and Burr Brown in the signal path to deliver classic tonality for musicians, producers, and audio engineers. Balanced XLR and 1/4" I/O connectors enable traditional operation with professional outboard gear, while the 1/4" TRS insert jack provides unbalanced connectivity for easy insertion into insert jack-equipped Golden Age Project gear or other unbalanced audio equipment.
Built in the style of a classic 1073 EQ module, the EQ-73 Premier's Class-A circuit has stepped frequency controls that reach from 20 Hz to 24 kHz, a dual inductor-based midrange bell-type band, and shelving filters for the low and high bands. Apply generous gain to each band—the low and mid bands have ±15 dB, while the high band has ±18 dB—and bypass individual bands via the dedicated EQ in/out switches between each band's frequency and gain controls.
EQ-73 Premier Enhancements vs EQ-73 MKII
- Blue-and-gray color scheme (versus red-and-black scheme on the MKII)
- Vintage-looking knobs and switches
- Upgraded inductors from Carnhill
- Burr Brown op-amp
- Soldered internal connections
An Updated Take on a Classic
- Warm, punchy, sweet, and musical sound
- Vintage-style, Class-A electronics with no integrated circuits in the main signal path
- Similar to the EQ section in the classic 1073 module, minus the high-pass filter
- External power supply helps avoid interference with the audio circuits
- Selectable ground-lift jumper
- Durable build quality
Quality Components
- Two UK-made Carnhill inductors in the midrange section
- Tantalum capacitors in the signal path
- Polystyrene capacitors in the gain stages
- Burr Brown OPA 2602 IC used for the balanced output stage
- IC-based I/O stage for the line input
Three EQ Bands
- Three bands with dual inductor-based midrange band
- Stepped selection of frequency bands
- Frequency selections from 20 Hz to 24 kHz
- Up to 15 dB of boost/cut for low and midrange bands, up to 18 dB of boost/cut for high band
- Low and high bands are shelving filters, midrange band is bell type
- Bypass switch per band
Balanced and Unbalanced I/O
- Balanced XLR-1/4" combo input, and XLR and 1/4" TRS balanced outputs for line-level operation
- Unbalanced input and output connections via 1/4" TRS insert jack with nominal working level of approximately -18 dBu
- Works as a standalone EQ or with Golden Age Project models equipped with insert jacks
Compact and Rack-Compatible
- Compact, half-rack width
- Desktop friendly
- Can be rackmounted with a Golden Age Project Pre-73 preamplifier via a UNITE rack kit (both available separately) for a 19" 1073-style signal chain