Golden Age

The Golden Age Project P2 is a classic, circular nylon pop filter, designed for reducing plosive pops on vocal recordings. It comes with a goose neck and a stand clamp.

The Golden Age Project P1 is a classic, circular nylon pop filter, designed for reducing plosive pops on vocal recordings. It comes with a goose neck and a stand clamp.

The engineers at Golden Age used top-drawer componentry to take the original R1 Active design to the next level. This ribbon microphone has a discrete amplifier, Lundahl 1927A transformer, and top-of-the-line capacitors for an exceptionally realistic sound. Like the standard R1 Active microphone, the R1A Premier comes with an internally shockmounted ribbon, selectable highpass filter, and 10dB pad. What’s more, active circuitry drives long cable runs with absolute ease — a major plus in the eyes of Sweetwater. You’ll also receive a detachable cable made with Mogami wire and durable gold-plated connectors. Choose the Golden Age R1A Premier and capture nuanced sound sources like never before!Upgraded internal componentsAside from the alternate finish, the R1A Premier differs from the R1 Active by virtue of its upgraded internal components. Perhaps the most important among such upgrades is a Swedish-made Lundahl 1927A transformer. You’ll also enjoy the discrete amplifier equipped with Wima film and Nichicon electrolytic audio capacitors. Finally, the R1A Premier microphone features a premium detachable cable made with Mogami wire and gold-plated Neutrik connectors. The Golden Age Project pulled out all the stops to load the R1A Premier with the best components possible — and the difference is quite audible.A ribbon mic for today’s creatorsVintage ribbon microphone designs can be fragile and finicky beats in the studio. However, the Golden Age Project R1A Premier takes advantage of multiple modern upgrades to handle any situation. This mic delivers the classic ribbon sound with a smooth high and an extended low end. The R1A Premier handles extreme sources like a champ, tolerating an unbelievable 160dB SPL (plus a 10dB pad). Don’t worry: the high SPL handling doesn’t sacrifice this ribbon’s sensitivity. It flaunts a high degree of sensitivity that’s especially apparent on vocals. If you need a workhorse studio mic that’s dynamite on almost any source, go with the Golden Age R1A Premier.Golden Age Project R1A Premier Active Ribbon Microphone Features:Upgraded components give this mic an ultra-realistic soundActive circuitry drives long cable runs with easeEasily handles SPLs up to 160dBGreat on vocals, guitar cabs, drums, and other acoustic sourcesHigh-sensitivity design delivers condenser-like soundsFigure-8 polar pattern provides wide sweet spots with excellent side rejectionSwitchable highpass filter cuts low-end rumble10dB pad preserves your signal to noise ratio

Rack Kit19" format with 1U installation heightCompatible with 2x 9.5" devices (e.g. 2x Golden Age Audio EQ-73 MkII)Compatible with 4x 4.75" devices (e.g. 4x Golden Age Audio PRE-73 Jr Premier)Robust materialRack Unite Premier in use with built-in devicesA firm hold for small devicesGolden Age Audio Unite Premier is a rack kit with which the smaller Golden Age Audio devices can be installed in a rack. A total of 19 inches is available, allowing either two 9.5" devices or four 4.75" devices to be installed, for example. It is also possible to install a single device.

Packing two high-quality ribbon elements in a Blumlein configuration, the Golden Age R1 ST ribbon microphone allows you to capture wonderfully deep and wide stereo recordings. You can also use either mic element individually for standard mono recordings, making this a versatile ribbon mic indeed. Its ultra-high SPL handling (up to 160dB) means you can use the R1 ST on practically any instrument or sound source. Complete with a detachable cable, a splitter box offering left and right outputs, a shockmount, and two transport cases, any engineer can appreciate the value in the Golden Age R1 ST vintage-style stereo ribbon microphone.Why Blumlein?Using two figure-8 mic capsules oriented at 90 degrees to each other, the Blumlein microphone method is known for creating a strong center image along with immersive room ambience. When setting up a Blumlein configuration with two mics, you must take the utmost care to ensure the capsules are aligned perfectly for proper phase coherency. With the Golden Age R1 ST stereo ribbon mic, you'll be able to achieve the expansive stereo sound you're after without spending time aligning separate mics.High SPL handlingWith SPL handling up to 160dB, the Golden Age R1 ST ribbon mic handles loud sound sources with ease. If you've got a good-sounding room, Sweetwater recommends trying the R1 ST as an overhead microphone for drums. You'll have a powerful, focused center image, plus the natural ambience you can only achieve with room miking.Must-have accessories includedBecause the R1 ST is a dual-element microphone, it includes a special cable to connect to a splitter box with left and right outputs. This means you can use either mic element individually for mono recordings, making this a seriously versatile mic for your studio. Also included are a shockmount plus hard and soft transport cases for long-term reliability.Golden Age R1 ST Stereo Ribbon Microphone Features:Dual-element ribbon microphone in Blumlein configurationAllows you to capture deep, wide stereo recordings with a single micSplitter box with left and right outputs allow you to use either mic element individually as wellHigh SPL handling (up to 160dB) is suitable for louder instruments and sound sourcesIncludes detachable cable, splitter box, shockmount, and 2 transport cases (1 hard and 1 soft)

The Golden Age Project R1 SM Shock Mount is a shock mount for R1 Series Ribbon Microphone. Use it to help reduce structure-born rumble and noise.

Classic British Console Sound on a BudgetThe Pre 73 MKIV is Golden Age Audio’s latest and greatest update to their best-selling ‘73-style preamp series. The spirit of classic British consoles lives on in the Pre-73 MKIV, and it sounds warm, punchy, sweet, and musical. Use it to add tone and color to your favorite mics, or keep things clean; it also doubles as a line-level preamp and DI box for electric guitar and bass. Get classic console tone—and get the most out of your mic locker.Classic console color—if you want itGet vintage color and punch by cranking up the Gain knob without fear—a dedicated Output control lets you attenuate the signal so you can drive the preamp without overloading your interface inputs. Engage the -14dB pad for even more control of hot signals, or keep things clean and transparent by backing off on the Gain and turning up the Output. Further sculpt your tone via the selectable low-pass filter to eliminate unwanted low-end rumble at the source, and use the selectable top-end Air EQ to add some shimmer and presence to your top-end. Use the Low-Z switch to toggle between 1200 or 300 Ω resistance and hear how your mics react!Connect to anythingThe Pre-73 MKIV’s switchable +48v mic input lets you use both condenser and dynamic microphones, while its 80 dB of Gain make it ideal for use with sensitive ribbon microphones on delicate sound sources. Line- and instrument-level inputs allow further connection to nearly any audio source, and you get an Insert jack for using external processors like EQs and compressors. You have your choice of TRS or XLR out.Quality firstTrue to classic preamps of yesterday, the Pre 73 MKIV was designed with a focused attention to component choices and build quality not found in other preamps near the same price. No surface-mount components or integrated circuits are used, and all inputs and outputs are transformer-balanced, using two different purpose-optimized transformers. Its external power supply eliminates the risk of self-noise, and its metal half-rack chassis is both sturdy and portable.

The Unite Big Rack Kit mounts two Golden Age Comp3As or Comp2As in a 19" 2RU space. The Unite Big looks like it was made for your Golden Age gear — because it was! Nice and neat. And very professional. Proper rackmounting safeguards your equipment from dust, spills, and daily studio or mobile (ab)use. Get the Unite Big.

The Golden Age Project PSAC JR power supply is a convenient way of supplying power to up to four Golden Age Project half rack units that uses 24V AC. Each output is fed by a separate transformer winding and can supply a maximum of 500 mA.

The PRE-73 Jr PREMIER is a one-channel vintage style microphone- and instrument preamplifier. The signal path uses only discrete components like resistors, capacitors and transistors. The in- and output is transformer balanced, using two different transformers, each one optimized for its purpose. This is the way audio components were built before integrated circuits became available. Integrated circuits are small and cheap and widely used in most modern designs. It is clear though that audio components built with modern technology doesn´t always provide the best perceived sound quality or the type of character that the modern user desires. On the contrary, the subjective sound quality delivered by vintage equipment is often prefered over the one delivered by modern units, a situation that is even more obvious now when music is recorded with clean-sounding digital audio equipment. This is the reason why so many vintage audio components are cloned and produced again and also why the vintage originals are often very expensive on the second hand market. The circuit used in the PRE-73 Jr PREMIER is similar to the preamp section in the classical 1073 module with a corresponding sound character that is warm, punchy, sweet and musical. These classic characteristics have been heard on countless recordings through the years and it is a versatile sound that works very well on most sound sources and in most genres. The essence of this sound is now available at a surprisingly low cost, making it available to nearly everyone.

The COMP-554 MKII is the 500 series rack version of the COMP-54 MKIII with some additional features. The COMP-554 MKII is a one-channel vintage style compressor for the 500-format. The signal path uses only discrete components like resistors, capacitors and transistors. The input and output are transformer balanced and the unit also uses a third interstage transformer. This is the way audio components were built before integrated circuits became available. IC´s are small and cheap and they are widely used in most modern designs. It is clear though that audio components built with modern technology doesn´t always provide the best perceived sound quality or character that the modern user desires.On the contrary, the subjective sound quality delivered by vintage equipment is often prefered over the one delivered by modern units. This is the reason why so many vintage audio components are cloned and produced again and also why the vintage originals are often very expensive on the second hand market. The class-A circuit used in the COMP-554 MKII is similar to the one in the classic 2254 compressor that was designed in 1969. It quickly became a legend due to it´s totally unique sound character that is warm, smooth, sweet and musical.These characteristics have been heard on countless recordings through the years and it is a versatile sound that works very well on many sound sources and in many genres. The essence of this sound is now available at a surprisingly low cost, making it available to nearly everyone.

The COMP-3A Jr is a one channel vintage style Compressor / Leveler. The signal path uses only discrete components like resistors, capacitors, diodes and transistors. The input and output is transformer balanced, using two different transformers, each one optimized for its purpose. This is the way audio components were built before integrated circuits became available.Integrated circuits are small and cheap and widely used in most modern designs. The drawback is that audio components built with modern technology doesn’t always provide the best perceived sound quality or the type of character that the modern user desires.The subjective sound quality delivered by vintage equipment is often preferred over the one delivered by modern units, a situation that is even more obvious now when music is recorded with clean-sounding digital audio equipment.This is the reason why so many vintage audio components are cloned and produced again and also why the vintage originals are often very expensive on the second hand market.The circuit used in the COMP-3A Jr is based on classic design elements and it uses an integrated optocoupler to control gain. This gives the COMP-3A Jr a unique compression characteristics. In addition, the vintage style signal path adds a wonderful and musical character to the sound. The ease of use with only two main controls makes it very simple to achieve the desired sound. These attributes has made vintage products with a similar design favorites of engineers and musicians worldwide.A classic sound and compression style is now available at a very affordable price point with the COMP-3A Jr.Features:Vintage style electronics. No integrated circuits in the main audio signal path.Transformer balanced input and output. Can drive almost any load, balanced or unbalanced. The maximum output level is 25 dBu. – Uses an integrated optocoupler to control gain. The fastest attack time is about 1 ms.Very simple to operate with only two main controls, Gain Makeup andGain Reduction.Three-position TIME switch to select different combinations of Attack- and Release time.Selectable jumpers inside the unit to increase the timing on TIME-switch position B and C.Hardwire bypass switch for easy comparisons.XLR and TRS input and output jacks for flexible connections.Link jack for connecting to another unit for stereo operation.All external controls located on the front panel.External power supply to avoid interaction with the audio circuits and transformers.Compact 1RU quarter rack format. Up to four units can be mounted in our19-inch rack kit, the UNITE MKII.A solid build quality that will last many years of normal use.

The Telefunken ELA M 250/251 was made for Telefunken by AKG after Neumann discontinued its OEM production of the Telefunken U-47. The Golden Age Premier GA-251 is inspired by this truly classic mic model. The GA-251 shares the same design goal that was set for the GA-47: to offer the classic qualities and advantages that a vintage unit in perfect condition would provide and doing so at a very low price point. Having gone through a number of prototypes that was compared to great sounding vintage units in different recording settings, everyone involved agreed that the goal was reached. The coupling capacitor is made by Solen from France. It is a high balanced film capacitor made from MKP material with pure oxygen-free copper connections. It has a very delicate and balanced sound.The capsule capacitor uses NOS Siemensantique grade polystyrene capacitor to reduce loss.The tube cathode bypass capacitor uses an ELNA OFC Cerafine high end hifi capacitor from Japan with oxygen free copper connections exhibiting a very sweet and delicate character, not the least for vocals.The other capacitors are of the low loss polystyrene type.The resistor used for setting the capsule voltage is a high quality DALE 1% metal film resistor. The result is a very stable and consistent operating level leading to better consistency between different GA-251 units. The plate resistor uses a non-inductive resistor of the United States IRC audio with pure copper connections. The sound level is rich and full bodied. The GA-251 uses a 34 mm K251 style capsule. Being a dual-sided one, it provides both cardioid and omni polar patterns.In order to get a good consistency between units, for each production run of 50 pcs GA-251 units, approximately 200 capsules is evaluatedin order to find 50 capsules with specifications that lie within the tight tolerances. The sensitivity of the front and back side of the capsule do not differ more than 0,3 dB. The sensitivity between different capsules do not differ more than 0,5 dB.The tight manufacturing tolerance will lead to a very good consistency between different GA-251 units.The capsule is specially designed to complement the electronic circuit of the GA-251 to achieve a frequency response curve with a nice balance between the high, middle and low frequencies. The result is a very smooth sound with a warm bottom and airy top end just like ELA M251. The vintage style power supply PSU uses a high power R-style transformer with a low noise level and minimum stray field.A simple but effective circuit uses dual-stage filtering for the filament voltage. The High voltage is also precisely filtered and stabilized using an ON semiconductor zener diode. The polar pattern switch is placed on the power supply so that the recording engineer can change the polar pattern between Cardioid and Omni remotely. A ground lift switch will help to solve mains power related noise issues that can appear in some cases.

High End, no compromise components and build quality• Built in many details according to the vintage U47 including the polar pattern switch below the grille and switchable capsule head• A -10 dB PAD switch on the power supply for high SPL instrument recordings like kick drum• Hand Made in small series• Capsules selected with very tight tolerances• Point-to point wiring with silver-plated copper wire, a printed circuit board is only used for the ground connections• All soldering points made with Mudorf Msolder Supreme SilverGold solder (Sn88, 6Cu, 1,8Ag, 9,5Au)• Solid wood microphone box, tweed style system flight case. Every mic, box and psu has a badge with the serial numberThe Neumann U-47 was produced between 1949 and 1965 meaning that the vintage original units are now very old and their performance do differ a lot depending on their condition. The different clones all have their specific sound character too. So, it´s not easy to say which sound is “the right one”. As always, not the least as far as microphones goes, it will ultimately be a matter of taste. Does the world need one more U-47 clone? The GA-47 microphone as the first product in Golden Age Projects new high end line, changing “Project” to “Premier” for this product range, the answer is “Yes!”.The Golden Age Premier GA-47 has been born from a lot of hard work and real world testing. The end result is a microphone with a very sweet character that should appeal to a great number of users and a microphone that can be used for the most demanding recording tasks. It has proved itself to be a great allrounder, this is not a “vocal-only” microphone. The GA-47 is not a product that will be built in huge quantities on a big assembly line. It´s a product that is built by hand, fifty units at a time in a small workshop by a skilled and dedicated staff. It uses very high quality components all the way to achieve the desired goal, allowing me to answer “yes!” to the rephrased question mentioned above. The capsule for the GA-47 is designed to provide the requirements of modern day recordings by mixing the character between a vintage K47 capsule and the one from a K67-style capsule with a wide frequency response and high sensitivity. The result is a truly great sound.

The PRE-573 PREMIER is a one-channel vintage style microphone, line and instrument preamplifier. The signal path uses only discrete components like resistors, capacitors and transistors. The microphone and line input and the line output are transformer balanced, using two different transformers, each one optimized for its purpose. This is the way audio components were built before integrated circuits became available. The subjective sound quality delivered by vintage equipment is often prefered to the one delivered by modern units, a situation that is even more obvious now when music is recorded with clean sounding digital audio equipment. The circuit used in the PRE-573 PREMIER is similar to the preamp section in the classical 1073 module with a corresponding sound character that is warm, punchy, sweet and musical. These classic characteristics have been heard on countless recordings through the years and it is a versatile sound that works very well on most sound sources and in most genres. The essence of this sound is now available at a surprisingly low cost, making it available to nearly everyone. Vintage Style electronics. No integrated circuits in the signal path.UK-made Carnhill in- and output transformer. The output is balanced and fully floating and can drive a 600 ohm load up to level of about 28 dBu. Maximum gain in MIC mode is 80 dB, enough to handle passive ribbon mics with quiet sound sources. The total gain range goes from -10 to +80 dB. The 20 to 70 dB range (in MIC mode) is handled by a turn switch and a toggle switch selects an additional 5 or 10 dB gain. Switchable impedance on the mic input, 1200 or 300 ohms, will change the tone of many mics. The input can be configured to accept line level signals by another switch, the level is then lowered by about 30 dB and the input impedance increased to about 10 kohm. A selectable two-position 6 dB / octave highpass filter with fres of about 45 or 180 Hz. A flexible front panel instrument input for electric guitar or bass that can be switched between a high impedance active or a mid-Z passive mode. These two DI-options makes it possible to get different tones from instruments. Mains connected sound modules or other signal sources should be connected to the MIC/LINE input of the 500-rack, unless they have a fully floating, transformer balanced output stage.The output level control makes it possible to make fine gain adjustments and also to overload the main gain stage(s) for more character and then lower the signal to a suitable level before the output stage.Insert jack for inserting Golden Age Project and Premier 500 Series eq and effect units. The insert is activated by removing a jumper at the back of the module. A soft start circuit that ramps up the supply voltage slowly (~10 sec.) to avoid a power-on current surge.Phase switch and switchable phantom power with a LED indicator. Selectable AIR equalizer adds a boost of about 6 dB centered at 30 kHz. A simple but effective signal and overload indicator is offered by a single LED that starts glowing red at about +4 dBu and then increases its intensity up to the maximum output level. Tantalum and polystyrene capacitors used in the traditional positions. The 6.8 kohm phantom power resistors are matched to within 0.1% to maintain good common-mode rejection in the circuit. Selectable 600 ohm output termination at the back of the module. Circuit board star grounding scheme. A solid build quality that will last many years of normal use.

The classic C800G is the only tube microphone in the world equipped with a semiconductor active cooling system that results in a higher signal-to-noise ratio compared to most other tube microphones. It has a very high-quality modern sound performance.The Golden Age Premier GA-800G is currently the only microphone to fully reproduce the C800G. It´s appearance and structure, as well as accessories and circuit principles, including its sound character, strictly follows the original design. All of the parts including the power plug and the pin definition of the power supply are the same as in the original C800G. Even though its based on the original, the circuit board has been upgraded to a ROGERS ceramic circuit board that has superior insulation parameters and offers a more stable performance. The coupling and bypass capacitors has also been upgraded, resulting in a deeper and more exact low frequency performance and a more delicate and transparent high frequency reproduction.The classic semiconductor active cooling and external cooling system from the C800G is also used in the GA-800G. This is to ensure that the GA-800G has the highest possible signal-to-noise ratio. The tube (a 6AU6) is mounted in an aluminum casing, with the semiconductor cooling chip being attached to the bottom of the case. The temperature of the tube in the GA-800G is the effectively kept down when the GA-800G is in it´s working state, the heat generated by the tube is actively dissipated. The heat that the tube generates is transferred to the reverse side of the semiconductor and transferred to the effective outer aluminum alloy heat sink at the rear of the microphone. This heat sink will then dissipate the heat from semiconductor cooling chip to the air surrounding the GA-800G.PCB board: A ROGERS ceramic gold-plated circuit board is used. This type of circuit board is usually used in high-end aerospace communication products, the cost is about twenty (20!) times higher than an ordinary PCB board.Capsule: By disassembling a C800G and handing it´s capsule to a manufacturer with more than twenty years of microphone capsule production experience, they were able to produce a capsule that matched the characteristics of the original one. The capsule used in the GA-800G can handle a higher sound pressure level than the original one and it has almost the same sound character.Tube: In order to ensure the tube will have a long life, we are using a NOS CIFTE 6AU6 tube from France, it has a maximum anode voltage rating of about 300V. The tube in this circuit has an anode voltage of 90V and will generate more heat than tubes in many other tube microphones that typically uses voltages between 35-50V. The higher voltage used in the GA-800G increases the heat dissipation so the semiconductor active cooling system is an important element in the design.Power supply: The classic 800G uses two 6AU6 tubes as rectifiers for the high voltage rail, they work as pseudo diodes by connecting all grids to the anode that outputs about 290V.After a lot of listening tests comparing a tube rectifying circuit with a solid state one, we found that we did prefer the sound of the latter so this is what we decided to use. The additional advantage is that there is no need to worry about replacing tubes in the power supply.Capacitors, resistors and solder: The metal resistors and electrolytic capacitor from Japan are of special audiophile audio types. The coupling capacitors are Siemens EPCOS from Germany. The connecting wires inside the GA-800G are oxygen-free copper wires from Japan. The solder is FELDER silver/copper-containing solder from Germany.Shockmount:  Rycote USM-VB

The Neumann U-47 was produced between 1949 and 1965 meaning that the vintage original units are now very old and their performance do differ a lot depending on their condition. The different clones all have their specific sound character too. So, it´s not easy to say which sound is “the right one”. As always, not the least as far as microphones goes, it will ultimately be a matter of taste. Does the world need one more U-47 clone? The GA-47 microphone as the first product in Golden Age Projects new high end line, changing “Project” to “Premier” for this product range, the answer is “Yes!”.The Golden Age Premier GA-47 has been born from a lot of hard work and real world testing. The end result is a microphone with a very sweet character that should appeal to a great number of users and a microphone that can be used for the most demanding recording tasks. It has proved itself to be a great allrounder, this is not a “vocal-only” microphone. The GA-47 is not a product that will be built in huge quantities on a big assembly line. It´s a product that is built by hand, fifty units at a time in a small workshop by a skilled and dedicated staff. It uses very high quality components all the way to achieve the desired goal, allowing me to answer “yes!” to the rephrased question mentioned above. The capsule for the GA-47 is designed to provide the requirements of modern day recordings by mixing the character between a vintage K47 capsule and the one from a K67-style capsule with a wide frequency response and high sensitivity. The result is a truly great sound.

The COMP-3A is a one channel vintage style Compressor / Leveler. The signal path uses only discrete components like resistors, capacitors and transistors. The input and output is transformer balanced, using two different transformers, each one optimized for its purpose. This is the way audio components were built before integrated circuits became available.Integrated circuits are small and cheap and widely used in most modern designs. The drawback is that audio components built with modern technology doesn´t always provide the best perceived sound quality or the type of character that the modern user desires.The subjective sound quality delivered by vintage equipment is often prefered over the one delivered by modern units, a situation that is even more obvious now when music is recorded with clean-sounding digital audio equipment.This is the reason why so many vintage audio components are cloned and produced again and also why the vintage originals are often very expensive on the second hand market.The circuit used in the COMP-3A is based on a classic design that uses an electro-luminescent panel and a photoelectric cell to control gain. This gives the COMP-3A a unique, program dependent compression characteristics. In addition, the vintage style signal path adds a wonderful and musical character to the sound. The ease of use with only two main controls makes it very simple to achieve the desired sound. These attributes has made the original units a favourite of engineers and musicians worldwide.This classic sound is now available at a very affordable price point with the COMP-3A.FEATURESVintage style electronics. No integrated circuits in the signal path.Transformer balanced input and output. Can drive almost any load - balanced or unbalanced.Selectable output transformer loading resistors by an internal jumper, will affect the high end frequency response.Uses a classic T4-style electro-optical attenuator to control gain with program dependent attack and release times.Very simple to operate with only two main controls, Gain and Peak Reduction.HF control can make the side-chain circuit more sensitive to mid and high frequency content.A big meter selectable to show gain reduction or output level at two different reference levels.Hardwire bypass switch for easy comparisons.XLR and TRS input and output jacks for flexible connections.Link jack and switch for connecting to another unit for stereo operation.All external controls located on the front panel.External power supply to avoid interaction with the audio circuits and transformers.Compact 2RU half rack format. Two units can be mounted with our 19-inch rack kit, the UNITE BIG.A solid build quality that will last many years of normal use

The COMP-2A is a one channel vintage style Compressor / Leveler using vacuum tubes in the signal and side-chain path. The input and output is transformer balanced, using two different transformers, each one optimized for its purpose. This is the way audio components were built before transistors and integrated circuits became available.Integrated circuits are small and cheap and widely used in most modern designs. The drawback is that audio components built with modern technology doesn´t always provide the best perceived sound quality or the type of character that the modern user desires.The subjective sound quality delivered by vintage equipment is often prefered over the one delivered by modern units, a situation that is even more obvious now when music is recorded with clean-sounding digital audio equipment.This is the reason why so many vintage audio components are cloned and produced again and also why the vintage originals are often very expensive on the second hand market.The circuit used in the COMP-2A is based on a classic design that was originally produced in the early 1960s and it was initially intended for broadcast applications. It uses an electro-luminescent panel and a photoelectric cell to control gain. This gives it a unique, program dependent compression characteristic. In addition, the all tube signal path and the transformers adds a wonderful and musical character to the sound.The ease of use with only two main controls makes it very simple to achieve the desired sound. These attributes has made the original units a favourite of engineers and musicians worldwide. This classic sound is now available at a very affordable price point with the COMP-2A.Features:Vintage style all tube signal path. The tubes are fitted with grounded shields.Transformer balanced input and output. Can drive almost any load, balanced or unbalanced.Golden Age Project's version of the classic optical unit using a long life electroluminescent panel and two carefully matched Silonex NSL5910 photoresistors for T4B-style electro-optical gain control with program dependent attack and release times.Very simple to operate with only two main controls, Gain and Peak Reduction.HF control can make the side-chain circuit more sensitive to mid and high frequency content.Linear low noise regulated filament and high voltage power supply.A big meter selectable to show gain reduction or output level at two different reference levels.Hardwire bypass switch for easy comparisons.XLR and TRS input and output jacks for flexible connections.Link jack and switch for connecting to another unit for stereo operation.All external controls located on the front panel.Compact 2RU half rack format. Two units can be mounted with our 19-inch rack kit, the UNITE BIG.A solid build quality that will last many years of normal use.

The PRE-73 DLX is a one-channel vintage style microphone-, line- and instrument preamplifier.The signal path uses only discrete components like resistors, capacitors and transistors. The line and microphone input and the line output are transformer balanced, using three different transformers, each one optimized for its purpose.This is the way audio components were built before integrated circuits became available. The subjective sound quality delivered by vintage equipment is often prefered over the one delivered by modern units, a situation that is even more obvious now when music is recorded with clean-sounding digital audio equipment.The circuit used in the PRE-73 DLX is similar to the preamp section in the classical 1073 module with a corresponding sound character that is warm, punchy, sweet and musical. These classic characteristics have been heard on countless recordings through the years and it is a versatile sound that works very well on most sound sources and in most genres.The essence of this sound is now available at a surprisingly low cost, making it available to nearly everyone.The PRE-73 DLX has a number of improvement and new features compared to the PRE-73 MKII:- Tantalum capacitors in the signal path.- Selectable 1073-style high pass filter, 50Hz, 80Hz, 160Hz and 300Hz.- Output Attenuator -7, -14, -21 and -28 dB (located after the output transformer) allows overdriving the output stage and the output transformer for added character by lowering the output signal to a suitable level.- The circuit board is prepared for Carnhill Mic and Line transformer and high pass inductor.- The Insert jack can be switched in/out from the front panel. An internal jumper can select that the Insert jack always has an output signal.- Switchable 600 ohm Output Termination and Ground Lift on the back panel.- Selectable Active or Passive DI input and selectable input impedance in active mode, Hi Z or 100 kohm, by internal jumpers.- The DI can signal can be selected to pass or bypass the mic input transformer by internal jumpers.- Relays are used to control internal switching for DI input, Phantom power, Mic Low Z, Insert and Phase for shorter circuit board signal paths. The relays are controlled by front panel switches.- Revised gain switch for added headroom.- Circuit board star grounding scheme.- Revised power supply with separate regulators for the audio circuits and relay and LED circuits.

The class-A circuit used in the EQ-73 MKII is similar to the eq section in the classical 1073 module, without the high pass filter. Additional frequencies have been added and the mid frequency band uses two inductors, the higher value of the second one is used for the two lowest frequencies, 160 Hz and 240 Hz, to achieve a suitable response. The sound character is warm, punchy, sweet and musical. These classic characteristics have been heard on countless recordings through the years and it is a versatile sound that works very well on most sound sources and in most genres. The essence of this sound is now available at a surprisingly low cost, making it available to nearly everyone.The EQ-73 MKII has stepped frequency controls that offers a wide selection of frequencies from 20 Hz to 24 kHz. The Low and High frequency bands are shelving and the mid frequency band is of the bell type. The control range is +/-15 dB for the two lower bands and +/- 18dB for the high frequency band. There are separate bypass switches for all three bands.The EQ-73 MKII has IC-based balanced connections for self contained operation. It can also be used together with one of our PRE-73 models that has an Insert or with other units that has a low level insert jack. Combining a PRE-73 and an EQ-73, and using a UNITE rack kit to mount them together, one will get a 19-inch 1073-style unit at a low cost and with a great sound!

Shock mount with an integrated pop filter

The COMP-54 is a one-channel vintage style Compressor. The signal path uses only discrete components like resistors, capacitors and transistors. The line input and output are transformer balanced and the unit also has a third interstage transformer.This is the way audio components were built before integrated circuits became available. IC´s are small and cheap and they are widely used in most modern designs. It is clear though that audio components built with modern technology doesn´t always provide the best perceived sound quality or character that the modern user desires. On the contrary, the subjective sound quality delivered by vintage equipment is often prefered over the one delivered by modern units. This is the reason why so many vintage audio components are cloned and produced again and also why the vintage originals are often very expensive on the second hand market.The class-A circuit used in the COMP-54 is similar to the one in the classic 2254 compressor that was designed in 1969. It quickly became a legend due to it´s totally unique sound character that is warm, smooth, sweet and musical. These characteristics have been heard on countless recordings through the years and it is a versatile sound that works very well on most sound sources and in most genres. The essence of this sound is now available at a surprisingly low cost, making it available to nearly everyone.The COMP-54 uses a diode bridge as the gain control element, a method that is revered for its smooth way of operation. Some of the most sought after vintage compressor designs, like the 2254, 2264, 33609, Siemens™ and EMI™ used the same basic design.The controls in the COMP-54 are very flexible covering broad ranges of Ratio, Attack and Release times, including two Auto positions. All controls except the Gain make-up one are stepped for easy resetting and stereo matching.There are three selectable sidechain high pass filter frequencies available to handle special situations.The Bypass switch is a true bypass where a relay switches the complete circuitry in or out. The IN/OUT switch makes it possible to switch the compression on and off while retaining the coloring from the transformers and the electronic circuitry.The meter can show output level or gain reduction. It is also possible to link two units for stereo operation.

Golden Age Unite is a  1U rack, for 2 Pre 73 or various combinations of Pre 73,Pre 73 DLX,  EQ 73 and Comp 54

The TC 1 is one of our top products. It is a warm-sounding, large capsule tube condenser for a very low cost. You get a classic tube mic with high-pass filter, pad and nine different polar patterns for less money than some spend on a pair of jeans.The TC 1 is a very versatile microphone with a wide frequency response and a large dynamic range. It will perform great in the studio or in live sound and broadcast applications. It΄s sound character is similair to vintage tube microphones and it will sound superb on most instruments and voices. Use it on vocals and choirs, acoustic and electric guitars and other fretted instruments, as a drum overhead or room mic and in any other application where you would use a vintage style tube condenser mic.

The D 1 is a classic 50's inspired dynamic microphone. Most people might think that this kind of mic is designed for live vocal purposes only, but that is not the case with the D 1. The dynamic diaphragm is very sensitive yet rigid and sound terrific on electric instruments, toms & snares, and of course vocals.The output level of the D 1 is strong and clear and will feed most pedals and processors with enough juice to get the job done. It's a work-horse on stage and a spicy all round mic to keep around the studio or in the rehearsal hangout.

The FC 1 MKII was designed with classic large diaphragm condenser microphones in mind. We wanted to make an affordable mic with some of the characteristics of the good old German models.  The FC 1 has a center-terminated capsule just like in the old days, adding some harmonic distortion and a sweet top to the sound. This design also gives the mic an ability to handle louder sounds without harshness or other problems. The output transformer can handle bass really well and still give you that extra fat sound that only tubes and transformers can deliver.  The retro EQ in the FC 1 is set to deliver maximum sound quality with as many sound sources as possible at a price anyone can afford. It sounds great on vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion, amps, piano, leslie, drums, and more.

The FC 4 is a lowcost, small capsule, true condenser microphne with transformerless discrete low noise class-A electronics. The 20 mm, 3 um gold-sputtered diaphragm has a cardioid shaped polar pattern and a great sensitivety.  The characteristics of the FC 4 are ideal for many recording and live situations. It will catch the crisp of your favourite guitar, every detail of your acoustic piano, the complexity of a clean electric guitar, the raw power of distorted amps, etc. We have equipped the FC 4 with high-pass filter and pad switches. This also makes it suitable for loud sounds and even vocal recording.  Every musichan and studio have use for a couple of FC 4s. The small capsule cardioid condenser mic is one of the most basic mics for recording ever made. The FC 4 is truely a very versatile microphone at a very low price!

The R 2 is quit different from the R 1 series of mics. It features a pick-up ribbon with a shape and assembly that could not be manufactured in the old days. One could say it's a modern ribbon mic still sounding like a ribbon.This new pick-up ribbon is responding better to high frequencies and delivers a higher level output signal. It will do wonders with both clean and distorted guitar, it might be the best drum-ambience mic in our product range, and last but not least it is very low-priced compared to other ribbon mics.

The FC 3 is a high quality dual capsule condenser microphone, inspired by classical microphone models. The FC 3 is a very versatile microphone with a wide frequency response and a large dynamic range. It will perform great in the studio or in live sound and broadcast applications. It΄s sound character is similair to vintage microphones and it is well suited to be used with most instruments and voices. Use it on vocals and choirs, acoustic and electric guitars and other fretted instruments, as a drum overhead or room mic and in any other application where you would use a big capsule condenser mic. The FC 3 is, in spite of it΄s low cost, suitable for critical recording applications.  

The PRE-573 MKII is a one width module for the api 500 format that has the sound and the features that made the PRE-73 so successful and a few additional ones. The circuit still uses the preamp and output section from the classic 1073-module, adapted to work in the api rack format. It has a total gain range from -10 to +80 dB. The 20 – 70 dB range is handled by a turn switch and there is a separate toggle switch to select an additional 5 or 10 dB gain. The input can be configured to accept line level signals by another switch, the gain is then lowered by about 30 dB and the input impedance increased to about 10 kohm.The input impedance of the mic input mode can be switched between 1200 and 300 ohm. Phantom power and phase reverse is also selectable by front panel switches. An added feature, using the same circuit as in the PRE-73 DLX, is the active DI-input with a high input impedance of about 1,5 Mohm. The output signal from the active DI circuit passes through the input transformer for some extra character.The DI-input is very flexible since it can be changed to a purely passive one by a front panel switch. The DI input is then exactly the same as in the PRE-73 MKIII where the signal is feed directly into the second gain stage, bypassing the transformer and with an input impedance of about 100 kohm.These two DI-options makes it possible to get different tones from electric instruments and the passive DI input mode is more suited for injecting active units like sound modules. A new feature is the switchable AIR mode that adds a boost above 10 kHz that peaks at 6 dB around 30 kHz. A simple but effective signal and overload indicator is offered by a single LED that starts glowing red at about +4 dBu and then increases its intensity up to the maximum output level.The PRE-573 MKII has a dedicated insert connector at the back allowing it to interface with other GAP 500 modules. The insert can be activated by removing a jumper connector at the back of the module.The EQ-573 consists of the inductor based high pass filter section and the 3-band eq section from the classic 1073 module with some added frequencies. These two modules together will offer a fully fledged 1073-module in a compact format at a very low cost.There is a second jumper at the back of the module that selects 600 ohm termination on the output. The standard mode is termination on, since it gives the flattest response when the PRE-573 MKII is used with modern line inputs that typically has an input impedance of 10 kohm or more. The user can chose to remove the jumper and deactivate the termination resistor, this will increase the level above 10 kHz and create a peak in the response for an even more pronounced “Air” effect. The output is transformer balanced and fully floating and can drive a 600 ohm load up to level of about 28 dBu.

The class-AB equalizer circuit used in the EQ-81 MKII is similar to the eq section in the classic 1081 module, without the high and low pass filters. The sound character is warm, punchy, sweet and musical. These classic characteristics have been heard on countless recordings through the years and it is a versatile sound that works very well on most sound sources and in most genres. The essence of this sound is now available at a surprisingly low cost, making it available to nearly everyone.The EQ-81 MKII has stepped frequency controls that offers a wide selection of frequencies from 33 Hz to 15 kHz. The BASS and TREBLE frequency bands are switchable between shelving and bell and the MID frequency bands is of the bell type with a switchable Hi Q setting. The control range is +/- 18dB. All four bands can be set in an off mode. The EQ-81 MKII can be used either as a standalone EQ or connected to the insert jack of one of the Golden Age Project preamps. Combining one of our PRE-73 preamp´s and an EQ-81 MKII and using a UNITE rack kit to mount them together, one will get a 19-inch 1081-style unit at a low cost and with a great sound!

The R 1 Active MKIII is a very cool mic that combines the best of two worlds; the warmth of a ribbon and the stability of a F.E.T. buffer ampilier. This means that you can use the R1 Active MKIII with long cables and virtually any pre-amp featuring 48V phantom power.A clean and clear sound, yet warm and punchy is what the R1 Active MKIII will deliver in most cases. We love it on drums, as an ambience mic or in pairs for O.H. pickup, but it sounds great on most instruments.The R1 Active MKIII is in fact a very versatile mic even suitable for some sensitve vocal recording! And even more so now when the mk3 version includes switches for low cut and 10dB pad.

The FC 1 MKII was designed with classic large diaphragm condenser microphones in mind. We wanted to make an affordable mic with some of the characteristics of the good old German models.  The FC 1 has a center-terminated capsule just like in the old days, adding some harmonic distortion and a sweet top to the sound. This design also gives the mic an ability to handle louder sounds without harshness or other problems. The output transformer can handle bass really well and still give you that extra fat sound that only tubes and transformers can deliver.  The retro EQ in the FC 1 is set to deliver maximum sound quality with as many sound sources as possible at a price anyone can afford. It sounds great on vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion, amps, piano, leslie, drums, and more.

A 1073 style preamp with 3-band inductor based equalizer with high quality components and build quality.

The PRE-73 MKIII is a one-channel vintage style microphone-, line- and instrument preamplifier. The signal path uses only discrete components like resistors, capacitors and transistors. The in- and output is transformer balanced, using two different transformers, each one optimized for its purpose. This is the way audio components were built before integrated circuits became available. The circuit used in the PRE-73 MKIII is similar to the preamp section in the classical 1073 module with a corresponding sound character that is warm, punchy, sweet and musical. These classic characteristics have been heard on countless recordings through the years and it is a versatile sound that works very well on most sound sources and in most genres.The essence of this sound is now available at a surprisingly low cost, making it available to nearly everyone.The MKIII has the following new features compared to the MKII:Tantalum capacitors in the signal path.Selectable two position high frequency AIR boost eq, 3 or 6 dB @ 30 kHz.Selectable two frequency high pass filter, 6 dB/octave at 40 or 170Hz.The pcb is prepared for the Carnhill input transformer.Revised and less complicated GAIN switch with a separate switch for MIC/LINE selection.All GAIN settings can also be used in LINE mode .

The small version of the PRE-73 offers the same sound as its big brother in a super-compact 4.75" chassis at an unbeatable price. Thanks to the insert jack on the back, the manufacturer's EQ units can be easily combined with the Preamp. In addition, a DI input is located on the front, so that instruments can be preamplified in addition to all common microphone types. The Mk II also offers the user a 2-stage high-pass filter and the popular Air EQ in 2 stages. With a subtle boost at 30kHz, the audio material is significantly upgraded; it sounds more refined, HiFi-like and gets a pleasant presence in the mix.Due to the high level of low-noise preamplification, the PRE-73 is also suitable for low-level dynamic microphones such as the Shure SM7B, the Electro Voice RE20 or ribbon microphones.

The R 1 MKII is a high quality vintage style ribbon microphone. It offers the unique and natural sound that has been available in classical microphones like the RCA 44 and 77 that are still used to make high quality recordings today, after almost 70 years. The R1 Mk2 is very well suited for the recording of most sound sources like vocals, acoustic instruments, strings, horns, orchestras and choral groups and many live sound applications.

Το R 1 ACTIVE είναι ένα έξοχο μικρόφωνο που συνδυάζει το καλύτερο από δύο κόσμους, τη ζεστασιά ενός ribbon και τη σταθερότητα ενός F.E.T. buffer amplifier. Αυτό σημαίνει ότι μπορείτε να χρησιμοποιήσετε το R 1 ACTIVE με μακριά καλώδια και ουσιαστικά οποιοδήποτε προενισχυτή που έχει 48V phantom power.Καθαρός και σαφής ήχος, όμως θερμός και δυνατός είναι αυτό που το R 1 ACTIVE θα αποδώσει στις περισσότερες περιπτώσεις. Το αγαπάμε στα ντραμς, ως μικρόφωνο ατμόσφαιρας ή σε ζευγάρια για overhead. Αλλά το R 1 ACTIVE είναι στην πραγματικότητα ένα πολύ ευπροσάρμοστο μικρόφωνο κατάλληλο ακόμα και για oποιαδήποτε κριτικής σημασίας φωνητική ηχογράφηση!

 The FC 4 ST is a matched (within 1 dB!) stereo pair of two FC 4 microphones. Specs below.The FC 4 is a lowcost, small capsule, true condenser microphne with transformerless discrete low noise class-A electronics. The 20 mm, 3 um gold-sputtered diaphragm has a cardioid shaped polar pattern and a great sensitivety.The characteristics of the FC 4 are ideal for many recording and live situations. It will catch the crisp of your favourite guitar, every detail of your acoustic piano, the complexity of a clean electric guitar, the raw power of distorted amps, etc. We have equipped the FC 4 with high-pass filter and pad switches. This also makes it suitable for loud sounds and even vocal recording.Every musichan and studio have use for a couple of FC 4s. The small capsule cardioid condenser mic is one of the most basic mics for recording ever made. The FC 4 is truely a very versatile microphone at a very low price! 

A 1073 style preamp with selectable two frequency high pass filter, two position air eq and output pad to allow overdriving the output transformer and high quality components and build quality.