Wunder Audio PEQTubeR 19” 1U version

Wunder Audio PEQTubeR — 19" 1U

The PEQTubeR is the 19" 1U rack version of the PEQTube module — a tube microphone preamplifier with an integrated two-band switchable shelving EQ, built on Western Electric circuit topology. Where the PEQ2 and PEQ4 operate through fully discrete transistor paths, the PEQTube introduces a different character into the Wunder Audio ecosystem: denser midrange, smoother highs, and a natural saturation behavior at higher signal levels that discrete Class-A topology does not replicate by design.

Western Electric Tube Topology in Rack Format

The PEQTubeR is a direct translation of the PEQTube module into a 19" 1U enclosure, preserving the same all-discrete through-hole topology with large Mu-Metal input and output transformers. Those transformers are Wunder Audio's own NICO Western Electric 618B-style (Ni/Fe/Co) — the same core used across the PEQ2R and PEQ4R, delivering the transformer density and coherence that defines the Wunder Audio sound across the entire product line. The two-band EQ section provides switchable shelving with a global EQ bypass that pulls the entire correction stage out of circuit, plus individual band bypass for each band independently. A discrete active high-pass filter, phase switch, and LED metering with separate signal and clip indicators round out the control set. The pushbuttons use light-pipe illumination — identical to the switches specified for the Wunderbar console.

Tube Preamp as a Deliberate Complement to the Discrete Path

Wunder Audio designed the PEQTube as a deliberate complement to the PEQ2 and PEQ4, not a replacement. In a Wunderbar console, the PEQTube module installs in the same slot as a PEQ2 or PEQ1 — rear connections and supply voltages are identical to Neve 1073 format, requiring no console modification. In rack format, the PEQTubeR draws power from a Wunder Audio Blue Box or Black Box PSU via the standard 5' DC Main Cable (sold separately). Engineers who have worked with the PEQTube consistently note the midrange density as the defining characteristic — other preamps sound comparatively scooped or open against it — alongside smooth high-frequency behavior and a controlled, musical low end.

KEY FEATURES

• Tube microphone preamplifier with 2-band EQ in 19" 1U rack format
• Western Electric all-discrete through-hole topology with large Mu-Metal transformers
• NICO Western Electric 618B-style (Ni/Fe/Co) input and output transformers
• 2-band switchable shelving EQ — global bypass and individual per-band bypass
• Discrete active high-pass filter
• Phase switch
• LED metering: green (signal) / red (clip)
• Light-pipe pushbuttons as used in Wunderbar consoles
• Grayhill custom switches with high gold-contact surface area per position
• Console-compatible with Neve 80-series / Wunderbar slots (same rear connections and voltages as 1073)
• Powered by external Wunder Audio PSU — Blue Box or Black Box (5' DC Main Cable sold separately)

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Type: tube mic preamp with EQ, 19" 1U rack format
• Signal path: tube, all-discrete through-hole
• Transformers: NICO Western Electric 618B-style (Ni/Fe/Co), large Mu-Metal enclosures
• EQ: 2-band switchable shelving, global bypass, per-band bypass
• High-pass filter: discrete active
• Phase switch: yes
• Metering: LED green (signal) / red (clip)
• Switches: Grayhill custom, light-pipe pushbuttons
• Console compatibility: Neve 80-series / Wunderbar slots (same connectors and voltages as 1073)
• Power: external Wunder Audio PSU — Blue Box or Black Box (5' DC Main Cable sold separately)