Cranborne Audio Camden 500 Microphone Preamplifier

The Cranborne Audio Camden 500 microphone preamplifier is a fully discrete, transformerless 500 Series preamp built around Cranborne Audio’s proprietary Camden topology, delivering exceptionally clean performance alongside a built-in harmonic saturation circuit for adding analog character on demand. As a result, engineers get the best of both worlds in a single module — an ultra-transparent preamp with an equivalent input noise of -129.5dBu and total harmonic distortion as low as 0.0002%, alongside the MOJO circuit for colouring the signal when the session calls for it. The MOJO circuit offers two distinct modes: Thump, which delivers British-style saturation by boosting even and odd harmonics in the 160Hz–20Hz range for punchy, full-sounding low end, and Cream, which adds smooth harmonic richness across the frequency spectrum. In addition, gain is continuously adjustable from 8dB to 68dB, covering everything from line-level signals to low-output ribbon microphones. Marshall Music South Africa stocks the Cranborne Audio Camden 500 microphone preamplifier for studios across South Africa seeking a versatile, high-performance 500 Series preamp.

Clean Transparency and Analog Character From the Cranborne Audio Camden 500 Microphone Preamplifier

Whether you’re tracking pristine acoustic sources or hunting for warmth and grit on electric instruments, the Cranborne Audio Camden 500 microphone preamplifier delivers both with equal authority. A front-panel ¼” input with switchable line or Hi-Z behaviour covers instruments directly, while the XLR mic input with 48V phantom power handles condenser and ribbon microphones with a frequency response of ±0.7dB from 5Hz all the way to 200kHz. However, what makes the Camden 500 genuinely distinctive is its phase coherence — less than 2 degrees of phase shift between 50Hz and 20kHz means the preamp stays honest to the source even at high gain settings. Marshall Music South Africa recommends the Cranborne Audio Camden 500 microphone preamplifier to South African engineers and producers who want exceptional transparency and musical saturation in a single 500 Series module.

Tech Specs

• Format: 500 Series rack module
• Design: Fully discrete, transformerless Camden topology
• Gain Range: 8dB to 68dB
• EIN: -129.5dBu (150 ohm, unweighted)
• THD+N: as low as 0.0002%
• Frequency Response: ±0.7dB, 5Hz–200kHz at max gain
• Phase Shift: Less than 2 degrees, 50Hz–20kHz
• CMRR: >70dB, typical >85dB at 35dB gain
• Inputs: XLR mic input with 48V phantom power; front-panel ¼” (line or Hi-Z switchable, 1.5MΩ input impedance)
• MOJO Circuit: Thump mode (British-style saturation, 160Hz–20Hz harmonic boost) and Cream mode (smooth harmonic richness)

Cranborne Audio

Founded in the UK in 2017 and launched at the 2018 NAMM Show, Cranborne Audio set out to bring a “modern approach to vintage sound” to project, large-format, and home studios. The name nods to Cranborne House, the former Soundcraft headquarters where the founders first worked together — and that pro-console heritage shows up throughout the range. Cranborne’s products pair transparent, high-headroom analog signal paths with switchable Mojo saturation circuits, letting engineers dial in vintage colour on demand rather than being stuck with it.

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