Golden Age Premier GA-8000 - Nearly New

Full Description

World’s only active semiconductor cooling system

A residual side-effect of tube-driven microphones and equipment is the resulting heat that comes from long periods of use. Ignoring the quality and character that tubes introduce to your signal, the heat can become a problem in controlled environments where the sound quality is picked up microscopically, such as professional studios. To combat the negative effects of the tube stage, the GA-8000 makes use of a semiconductor active cooling unit to produce the best signal-to-noise ratio possible, while keeping the microphone at safe operating levels.

The tube is mounted to an aluminium casing with the semiconductor attached to the bottom. The heat that is generated is transferred to the reverse side of the semiconductor and passes through the aluminium alloy heat sink. This heat sink is where the heat is dissipated into the cooling chip, resulting in clean and consistent power to the tube, with superb audio performance without the danger of overheating and breakage.

Premier design

The small details are the building blocks of what makes a microphone great. With the GA-8000, there's no shortage of premium parts and components wherever you look, culminating in a stunning final product that's rightfully a modern-day studio classic. A Rogers ceramic gold-plated circuit board is used, where typically this is reserved for high-end aerospace communications, coupled with capacitors, resistors and wires that are hand-crafted in Japan and Germany. The GA-8000’s metal resistors and electrolytic capacitor are special audiophile audio types sourced from Japan, as too is the oxygen-free connecting wires. The coupling capacitors and solder are Siemens EPCOS from Germany. Sparing no expense, each part of the microphone exudes class and prestige.

Custom capsule design

To capture the essence of the sound of classic 90's vocal production, the GA-8000 needs to be equipped with a state of the art capsule to produce the same characteristics and response as microphones of the past. To do this, several original 90's microphones were disassembled and supplied to a trusted industry manufacturer, with over 20 years of microphone production experience, to accurately capture the details of the original studio essential mics.

The result is a microphone with a near-identical sonic character with more modern additions such as improved sound pressure level and noise floor. And with both cardioid and omnidirectional polar patterns, you'll have plenty of flexibility when it comes to recording techniques.

Unassuming but detailed audio quality

Not imparting any bias to any frequency range, the Golden Age Premier GA-8000 is an open window into the exact character of the source that you're recording. A supremely clean and clear rendition of each instrument is perfectly encapsulated, devoid of any unwanted resonances or distortion. This ultra-clean sound lends itself perfectly to a wide range of sound sources, whether that's vocals, piano, acoustic guitar, the best-in-class signal to noise ratio provides bountiful headroom. Coupled with a tremendous SPL level rating, the GA-8000 will find a place in every session you take.

High-quality tube for longevity and sonic fidelity

In long gruelling sessions in the studio, microphones can often be used to near breaking point. Set up for multiple different instruments and left to record all day, the tubes inside a microphone come under high stress when tracking for a project. To ensure that you always get the best performance from your GA-8000 microphone, Golden Age Project make use of a NOS (new-old-stock) CIFTE 6AU6 tube. This tube produces an anode voltage of 90V, much higher than the average 35-50V, meaning there will be more heat within the circuit. Crucially, the active semiconductor cooling system effectively dissipates the heat to preserve the life of your tube without compromising on any of the desired character and response of a driven tube.

Stable and modern power supply

An essential part of any tube-driven microphone is the power supply. Employing a modern design, the GA-8000 power supply uses FET-based stabilisation for the high-voltage rail. While many people may not notice, the type of circuit used in the power supply does affect the overall sound of the microphone. To that, Golden Age conducted countless tests between different circuit types including tube rectifying and solid-state FET to find what worked best for the GA-8000. Delivering a smoother tone and more pleasing upper mid-range, FET circuitry was opted for. As a bonus, this circuitry means you don't need to worry about replacing faulty or old tubes within the power supply.

Features

• Harness the signature sound of 90's tube microphones, revered by rap, pop and R&B producers
• Designed using premium components and parts to deliver world-class sound quality
• High-end Rogers circuit board and upgraded capacitors offer improvements over the original design
• Perfect for a wide range of recording applications including vocals, orchestral, guitars and much more
• Record a huge range of instruments and voices effectively with Cardioid and Omni polar patterns
• Custom-designed capsule offers excellent SPL handling
• Wide frequency range to capture the detail and weight of your sound source
• Premium Rycote USM-VB shock mount, multi-pin power supply connecting cable, and a rugged flight case with padded compartments for the mic, shock mount, cables, and accessories
• Modern external power supply with solid-state rectifiers and a FET-based stabilization circuit for the high-voltage rail
• Reduce vibrations and maintain an ultra-clean signal
• Integrated cooling system produces ultra-low noise and distortion for crystal clear audio signal
• A high sensitivity of -33dB/Pa offers the ability to record the most dynamic performances

Specifications

• Microphone Type: Tube Condenser
• Polar Pattern: Cardioid, Omni
• Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
• Max SPL: 137dB (Cardioid), 140dB (Omni)
• Output Impedance: 100 ohms
• Signal to Noise Ratio: 76dB
• Self Noise: 18dB (A weighted)
• Tube: 6AU6
• Power source: External power supply
• Color: Black
• Product code: GA-8000