Heritage Audio HA73EQ Elite, Preamp DI EQ

Full Description

Unlock signature vintage tones

Punch, drive, musicality. There are almost too many reasons why the 1073-style preamp and EQ circuit has been a mainstay in recording studios for decades past and will be for decades to come. Using the correct capacitors and Vinkor-style pot core inductors throughout as well as dual-inductors in the EQ midrange circuit, the HA73EQ delivers the exact frequency response and curves that have been so prominent within the recorded music industry for years. The sonic character is undeniable, vibrant and characterful, the Heritage Audio HA73EQ complements any microphone, instrument and even room sound in your recording sessions. Like producers before, drive the input gain for a healthy dose of saturation to cut through dense mixes in a similar vein to traditional console preamps or sculpt your tone with the musical and powerful EQ section, the choice is yours.

Shape and sculpt your sound

An undeniably important factor in studio recording, the HA73EQ adheres to the classic 1073-style topology, including the vintage-style EQ section. Split into three bands with a dedicated high-pass filter, the HA73EQ is ideal for virtually any sound source in your sessions, helping you to carve a space in your mix while adding the professional sheen to your recordings. Widely considered as the 'holy grail' of studio EQs, the HA73 employs the same smooth and musical tone found on vintage hardware counterparts, even authentically replicating the notable harmonic distortion that gives it the distinctive flavour.

Each of the three bands offers the same controls and response you'll find on the original, with a fixed high-shelf at 12kHz, a four-way bass shelf from 35 - 220Hz and a six-way midrange control that ranges from 0.36kHz to 7.2kHz. Alongside the three-band EQ, the Heritage Audio HA73EQ Elite features a dedicated high-pass filter in steps from 50 - 300Hz to eliminate any unwanted low-end resonance.

With a huge range of +/-16dB in the high-frequency shelf, +/-18dB in the midrange and up to +/-16dB on the low shelf, you can use the Heritage Audio HA73EQ on virtually any sound source and sculpt and shape the sound to your taste. Why not try running your signal through the EQ circuit, with no boosts or cuts made and hear how your audio tightens, brightens and sounds more polished. The 1073-style EQ is truly a studio staple and is a must-have for all budding engineers and producers.

Powerful features at your fingertips

Housed in a rugged 1U, 19-inch rack, the HA73EQ packs in a tremendous amount of functionality to fit the needs of contemporary producers and studio engineers. Friendly to a wide range of different microphones and audio sources, the HA73EQ includes an onboard switchable Line input. This allows you to swap from Microphone to Hi-Z/DI level and coupled with the high-impedance JFET DI input, you can record your electric guitar or bass in stunning resolution and clarity. Staying in the Microphone position of your Line input switch, the HA73EQ provides you with all the tools you need to record virtually any microphone with optimised audio performance. A +48V phantom power switch lets you connect your favourite studio condenser microphone, while a -20dB input pad lets you avoid unwanted overloading and input distortion. An Additional LOZ switch alters the microphone impedance input from 1200 ohm to 300 ohms to help you match your microphone to the preamp perfectly, getting the right characteristic for your recordings. For multiple microphone setups on one source, a polarity reverse switch lets you flip the phase by 180-degrees to ensure no unwanted phasing will occur.

Vintage design - modern construction

Delivering the sonic signature of revered, historic music equipment at a budget-friendly price is never an easy feat. Breaking new ground, the HA73EQ is made to the same specifications as the critically acclaimed Heritage Audio hand-wired series 73JR, 73EQJR and DMA73 models at a price never heard before. Employing the same knowledge and expertise as boutique offerings, the HA73EQ Elite delivers the same zero-compromise tone, response and build quality through utilising modern construction techniques.

Passing the savings directly to the customers, the HA73EQ is manufactured in the same Spanish facility as the flagship Heritage Audio models and uses the same hand-made components to save on labour, shipping and time to meet budget-friendly demands. While this may create the illusion of an inferior product, this could not be further from the truth. Meticulously sourced, the HA73EQ is comprised of the exact Vinkor-type inductors and UK-made Carnhill transformers for an indistinguishable design from vintage counterparts.

Features

• Made to the same specifications as the acclaimed 73JR, 73EQJR and DMA73 models
• Industry standard Carnhill transformers hand wound in St Ives, England
• Fully discrete Class-A microphone preamp delivers signature vintage warmth
• +48V Phantom Power lets you connect your favourite studio condenser microphones
• -20dB input pad to match recorded audio sources and avoid overloading input, eliminating unwanted distortion
• Stepped input gain dial in 5dB increments from 30 to 80dB
• High-impedance JFET input
• Switchable Line Input source from Microphone to DI level lets you connect a myriad of different sources
• Switchable input impedance from 12000ohm to 300ohm to match different microphone impedances
• Phase polarity switch
• Discrete three-band classic EQ with vintage correct inductors
• Fixed 12kHz high-shelf adds brightness and air to dull instruments
• Midrange band selectable between six frequency ranges including 7.2, 4.8, 3.2, 1.6, 0.7 and 0.36kHz for accurate adjustments
• Low-shelf selectable between four frequencies including 220, 110, 60, 35Hz to add power and weight or to remove unwanted rumble
• Four-step high-pass filter from 50 - 300Hz
• Bypass swich for three-band EQ to remove from circuit, allowing for easy A/B'ing
• Output attenuator from 0dB to -inf
• External power supply isolates power from the circuit to avoid unwanted noise and interference

Specifications

• Microphone input impedance:
  • High: 1200 Ohm minimum
  • Low: 300 Ohm minimum
  • Higher gain positions gradually have greater impedances, optimum for lo gain ribbon mics, input is transformer balanced and floating
• Line input impedance: 10 kOhms bridging, transformer balanced and floating
• DI input impedance: Greater than 2 Megohms, unbalanced
• Output impedance: Less than 75 Ohms, transformer balanced and floating, to drive a load of 600 ohms (factory terminated)
• Maximum output: Greater than +26 dBu into 600 ohms
• THD: Less than 0.025% at 1 kHz, less than 0.05% at 100 Hz
• Frequency response: 20 Hz (+0.3 dB) to 20 kHz (-0.2 dB)
• Maximum gain: Slightly greater than 80 dB
• Noise: Less than -100 dBu
• Power consumption: Less than 95 mA @48 VDC
• Channels: Single-Channel
• Rack Size: 19-inch, 1U
• Input connections: Analog XLR
• Output connections: Analog XLR
• Product code: HA73EQ Elite