Electric & Co EC3

Electric & Co EC3 recreates the 1950s Ampex 351 tube preamp circuit, known for the dense, colored sound of vintage tape recorders. This is a tool for engineers chasing character, not neutrality.

When a Quiet Source Needs Power

70dB of gain and a DC-coupled push/pull output stage make it easy to drive ribbon mics and other quiet sources hard while keeping the fullness and richness that come from a 12AX7 input tube and 12AU7 output tube.

A Complete Direct-Recording Signal Path

A Jensen input transformer paired with a Cinemag output transformer builds a warm, dense tone, and the built-in DI input with mic, line, and output pads gives full level control at every stage — from a quiet vocal to a loud bass guitar plugged straight into the preamp.

An additional output pad allows even more precise level matching before the next device in the chain, and the manufacturer markets the DI input as a "killer" feature — strong enough for passive bass without losing dynamics.

KEY FEATURES

• Circuit modeled on the 1950s Ampex 351
• DC-coupled push/pull output stage
• Jensen input transformer, Cinemag output transformer
• High gain for quiet sources and ribbon mics
• Studio-grade DI input
• Regulated phantom power

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Gain: 70 dB
• Tubes: 12AX7, 12AU7
• Input transformer: Jensen
• Output transformer: Cinemag
• Inputs: mic, line, DI
• Pads: mic, line, output
• Components: Mil-Spec resistors, boutique capacitors
• Phantom power: regulated +48V
• Format: single channel, rack chassis
• Use case: vocals, ribbon mics, bass and guitar via DI