Catalinbread Airstrip Preamp

The Trident A-Range console dominated the British recording scene from the late '60s to the early '80s, thanks in part to its ability to sublimate sound. The heart of this console is a preamp equipped with discrete components, including a germanium transistor and a transformer, adjustable to suit all tastes, from the tones of Lou Reed to the psychedelic distortions of Frank Zappa. And when pushed, the console preamps saturate and create a much sought-after harmonic richness.

The Airstrip distills these legendary sounds into a pedal-format console preamp, with a few extras to boot. A discreet operational amplifier, inspired by a vintage UREI design, pushes the console input to powerful gain if you want it. At the output, a neat treble filter adjusts the brightness of the preamp to your configuration, and a specially selected transformer adds a metallic touch to the signal. Capable of producing every conceivable tone, from warm, mastered cleans to aggressive, chaotic fuzz, the Airstrip brings a mixing console right to your pedalboard, in a much more practical format.