Locomotive Audio L72P-1 500 Series Tube Microphone Preamp
The Locomotive Audio L72P-1 brings the unmistakable sound of the legendary German V72-style broadcast preamp into the modern 500 series format. Inspired by the classic console amplifiers originally built for the German Radio Network, the L72P-1 delivers the solid low end, thick and creamy midrange, and smooth, never-harsh top end that made these vintage circuits so highly regarded in professional recording studios.
Designed for engineers who want authentic vintage tone with modern flexibility, the L72P-1 combines house-wound transformers, a carefully recreated plate choke, flexible gain control, dedicated line input operation, and reliable modern tube options. The result is a characterful, organic tube preamp that captures the essence of the original V72-style sound while offering practical features for today’s recording and mixing workflows.
At the heart of the Locomotive Audio L72P-1 are its custom input transformer, output transformer, and plate choke. Locomotive Audio developed these components in-house to closely match the response and behaviour of the vintage modules that inspired the design. The input transformer, output transformer, and three-chamber plate choke play a major role in the sound of the unit, providing punchy lows, rich low-mids, smooth highs, and the musical saturation associated with classic German tube preamps.
The L72P-1 offers up to 54 dB of gain in 4 dB steps, giving you significantly more flexibility than the original vintage modules, which offered 34 dB of gain. A 5-position rotary output attenuator allows you to control the final output level in 2 dB increments, making it easier to drive the preamp for tone while keeping the level under control further down the signal chain.
For additional studio flexibility, the L72P-1 includes dedicated line input XLRs, as well as both a standard 20 dB pad and a 34 dB pad for line-level sources. This makes the unit equally useful as a microphone preamp and as a tone-shaping line amplifier for mix processing, stereo bus coloration, or adding V72-style weight and depth to already recorded tracks.
Instead of relying on increasingly rare EF86 or EF804 pentode tubes, the L72P-1 uses two 6922/E88CC dual triode tubes in a cascode arrangement. This design was chosen to replicate the behaviour of the original pentode-based circuit while offering quieter, more reliable, and easier-to-source tube options. The unit is fine-tuned around 6922/E88CC tubes but can also accept other common dual triode options, such as 12AU7 tubes.
The stock L72P-1 ships with the “S” configured input transformer, which offers a slightly flatter high-frequency response compared to the non-“S” broadcast-style version. For users who prefer the alternative response, a non-“S” input transformer option is available. A user-selectable circuit board jumper also allows the input transformer load resistance to be changed from 400k ohms to 200k ohms, a modification commonly associated with “S” configured modules.
Whether used on vocals, acoustic instruments, drums, bass, guitars, synths, or line-level mix sources, the Locomotive Audio L72P-1 is built for engineers who want genuine vintage-inspired tube character in a compact and modern 500 series module. With its authentic transformer and choke design, extended gain range, output attenuation, line input capability, and lifetime warranty, the L72P-1 is a serious choice for anyone searching for the classic German console preamp sound.
Key Features
- 500 series V72-style tube microphone preamp
- Inspired by classic German broadcast console amplifier modules
- Up to 54 dB of gain in 4 dB steps
- House-wound input transformer, output transformer, and plate choke
- Two 6922/E88CC dual triode tubes in cascode arrangement
- Compatible with other common dual triode options such as 12AU7
- Dedicated line input XLRs
- Standard 20 dB pad and 34 dB pad for line-level sources
- 5-position rotary output attenuator in 2 dB steps
- Stock “S” configured input transformer
- Optional non-“S” input transformer version
- User-selectable 400k / 200k input transformer load resistance jumper
- Designed for solid lows, thick mids, smooth highs, and low distortion
- Lifetime warranty
