Black Lion Audio Auteur 500 Mic Pre MKII

The Auteur 500 is a single channel, 500 series preamp and features an instrument input, phase, +48VDC phantom power, and a 10dB input signal pad. There are lots of mic preamps available these days. What makes ours so special? For one, it’s a design that’s somewhat unique in its approach. Being admirers of the fully balanced, transformerless circuits found in highly acclaimed recording consoles, we chose to use a similar topology. We began with a high-speed input stage that picks up lots of detail and nuance and then followed it with a high current output stage. We also like classic transformer-based designs because of the characteristics they lend to the audio signal. Because of this, we added a 600 ohm, M-6 silicon steel output transformer to give the audio a thick quality that’s reminiscent of a prized vintage preamp. It’s the best of both worlds in our opinion.