Classic 2-channel '73 pre/EQ that won't break the bank

Heritage Audio's value-packed ELITE series leverages expertise gained from years of crafting acclaimed vintage-inspired gear. For the dual-channel HA73EQ ELITE mic preamp/EQ, Heritage Audio set its sights high: its own widely respected, hand-wired HA73jr and DMA73 preamps—themselves based on vintage console preamp/EQ most iconic in history, the 1073. In our opinion, they succeeded quite easily. This thing looks incredible. You may ask how Heritage can offer the same world-class sound and performance at such an affordable price. Mainly through economies of scale. They don't skimp on components (the HA73EQ ELITE employs genuine Carnhill input and output transformers), but they order parts and assemble in quantity, using lean manufacturing and modern construction techniques,

The mother of all preamps

The Heritage Audio HA73EQ ELITE 2-channel preamp/EQ packs your rack with a potent dose of vintage vibe. It's based on the iconic 1073, amplifying any microphone or instrument with vibrant clarity and power. Turn up the input to get a rich, saturated sound, just like you would on an old console. With 80dB of gain, you have a preamp ready to bring out the best in any microphone — condenser, dynamic or ribbon. Trust us: it's really hard to make this sound bad!

The Holy Grail of EQ

The EQ section of the HA73EQ ELITE adheres to the classic 1073 inductor-based circuit topology. The vintage 1073 is the holy grail of EQ, and the Heritage Audio 73EQ JR nails its sounds and behavior (complete with its legendary harmonic distortion). It's a three-band affair, with ±16dB of fixed HF shelving at 12kHz; ±18dB fixed-Q midband peak with selectable center frequencies at 360Hz, 700Hz, 1.6kHz, 3.2kHz, 4.8kHz and 7.2kHz; and ±16dB of LF shelving, selectable at 35Hz, 60Hz, 110Hz and 220Hz. A high-pass filter, selectable at 50 Hz, 80 Hz, 160 Hz and 300 Hz, allows you to cut your unwanted bass signals. If you've never worked with a 1073-style EQ before, all we can say is: you're in for a big surprise.

Add rich transformer saturation to any source

The Heritage Audio HA73EQ features 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 in front of the microphone input transformer, perfect for adding some hair to the DI bass signals in the path. The HA73EQ has separate input and output gain controls, so you can drive the input to get more color from the transformer without overloading the output stage.

Characteristics

• Built to the same specifications as the acclaimed '73JR, '73EQJR and DMA73 models;
• Industry standard Carnhill transformers, hand wound in St Ives, England;
• 80dB Class A, fully discrete 3-stage dual-channel microphone preamplifier;
• Line input on separate XLR to add girth and warmth to pre-recorded tracks;
• 20dB pad on microphone input to avoid overloading the input transformer when desired;
• LOZ, changes the microphone transformer input impedance from 200 to 50 ohms;
• Ultra high impedance JFET based DI;
• Fully discrete 3-band EQ with vintage spec inductors;
• HF shelf at 12kHz;
• Mid-band selectable between 6 different frequencies and Off ;
• LF shelf selectable between 4 different frequencies and Off ;
• Inductor-based high-pass filter, selectable between 4 different frequencies and Off ;
• Mil-spec construction; 1RU chassis with RAF gray front panel;
• External universal power supply for worldwide use,

Specifications

• Preamplifier type: Class A solid state;
• Number of channels: 2;
• Phantom power: yes;
• Pads: -20dB;
• Polarity switch: yes;
• Equalizer: 3-band EQ, High Shelf @ 12kHz, Low Shelf 35Hz–220Hz, High-pass Filter 50Hz–300Hz;
• Analog inputs: 2 x 1/4 in. (Hi-Z), 2 x XLR (microphone), 2 x XLR (line)
• Analog outputs: 2 x XLR;
• Rack spaces: 2U;
• Power source: external AC adapter power supply (included).