Auteur mkIII
The preamp is very often skimped on, especially in the case of inexpensive audio interfaces. This makes sense, as the preamp often lies idle in the desktop and bedroom studio or is only used for demos, either because vocals are not recorded or because only vocal samples are used, or because vocals and acoustic instruments are recorded in another studio due to the lack of a suitable room/ acoustics or tolerant neighbors. But if you want to make high-quality microphone recordings with character in your own desktop studio, a separate preamp like Black Lion Audio‘s Auteur, which has just been released in its third new edition, is well worth the investment.
The 2-channel microphone preamp in 9.5 inch format uses hybrid technology. The input is IC-based, as with most modern preamps. This guarantees a fast response and an unaltered and high-resolution audio signal. The Cine-Mag output transformer, on the other hand, pays homage to vintage preamps and can tonally soften the peaks and sharp transients, as well as go into saturation at higher levels and provide an analog fattening of the sound. In Version 3, not only has the transformer been replaced, but, fortunately, a HiZ option has also been added for connecting electric guitars and electric basses directly. The jack inputs for instruments are located on the front, as are level controls and buttons for pad and phantom power, while the XLR jacks for the two microphones and the jack outputs are located on the rear.
During the test recordings, it quickly became apparent that the preamp is primarily designed for powerful dynamic or condenser microphones, which already deliver a decent level. With low-level microphones, on the other hand, the amplifier quickly reaches its limits, and in the upper range of the level control, the noise and other background noises then increase disproportionately. However, the performance is easily sufficient for normal vocals and voice recordings with common microphones. And, sonically, the preamp impresses with pleasant saturation without any oss of transparency.
Verdict
Auteur mkIII is an affordable preamp that impresses with a characterful and very pleasant sound when used with high-level microphones, electric bass or electric guitar recordings. The hybrid concept ensures that the recordings are detailed and transparent in the upper frequencies, while the low mids are analogly saturated and can, therefore, sound rounder and warmer.