Electric & Co hand-builds tube mic preamps and one tube limiting amplifier, each reproducing a specific American or British circuit from the 1950s–60s — from Ampex tape preamps to a west-coast limiting amp — rather than designing another neutral, all-purpose preamp.
Who it is for
- Engineers after a specific, named tube character — each model reproduces a different historical circuit (Ampex 351, 600, 350), so picking a model means picking a specific colour, not a degree of "colour".
- Recording bass and guitar straight into the preamp — every model has a built-in DI input, so one preamp also handles electric instruments without a separate DI box.
- Not for someone after a transparent signal path — outside the EC7, every model here colours the signal on purpose; if neutrality matters to you, the EC7 is the one exception in the line.
The line
- Tube mic preamps — EC3 (Ampex 351), EC6 (Ampex 600 / Stereo 6), EC/SE (Ampex 350, single-ended output stage), EC7 (open, hi-fi voicing).
- Tube compressor — EC5B, a limited edition of the EC175B built on a 1960s west-coast circuit, with a sidechain filter.
How the models differ
| Model | Modelled on | Tubes | Gain | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EC6 | Ampex 600 / Stereo 6 | EF86, 12AU7 | 60dB | direct, American, good on drums and guitars |
| EC7 | in-house hi-fi design | 12AY7, 12BH7 | 55dB | open, subtle, the least coloured in the line |
| EC3 | Ampex 351 | 12AX7, 12AU7 | 70dB | thick, coloured, plenty of gain for ribbon mics |
| EC/SE | Ampex 350 (single-ended) | 6SJ7, 6F6 | 70dB | smooth, musical, sweet tone |
| EC5B | EC175B, 1960s west-coast | 6 tubes | — (compressor) | deliberately coloured, non-transparent compression |
Which one to take
- A ribbon vocal that needs plenty of gain — the EC3. 70dB and push-pull leave headroom for the quietest sources.
- Drums and guitars that need to cut through the mix — the EC6. Direct character instead of European smoothness.
- Vocals and acoustic instruments where colouration gets in the way — the EC7. The most open, least coloured model in the line.
- You want the smoothness of a rare, single-ended tube circuit — the EC/SE.
- Drums or bass that should sound compressed, not just measured — the EC5B.
Why buy here
The full Electric & Co line is in stock. In our Warsaw showroom (Nowogrodzka 6A/102) you can compare the character of each model on the same source. Selected gear qualifies for our free 30-day Test-Drive, and everything ships with 36 months of warranty and a 30-day no-reason return window. We ship across Poland and to every EU country.
