Cranborne Audio Camden EC1

The Cranborne Audio Camden EC1 is a versatile preamp and headphone mixer designed to elevate your audio interface's front-end to a professional level. It features a discrete mic/line/hi-z preamp utilizing the award-winning 'Camden' topology, delivering audio performance at the near-theoretical limits of noise, distortion, and phase/frequency linearity across all gain settings. This ensures pristine, transparent capture of your audio sources.

One of the standout features of the Camden EC1 is its 'Mojo' analogue saturation circuit, offering two distinct styles: 'Thump' and 'Cream'. 'Thump' enhances low-end content by boosting lower harmonics, while 'Cream' adds harmonic richness and applies transformer-style transient shaping. Additionally, the unit includes a reference-quality, high-powered headphone amplifier with a discrete line mixer, allowing for zero-latency monitoring and the creation of custom artist mixes by blending the preamp signal with external playback. This combination makes the Camden EC1 an excellent choice for musicians, engineers, podcasters, and voice-over artists seeking both high-fidelity sound and flexible tonal options.

• High-Quality Mic Preamp: Provides clean, detailed, and transparent sound with low noise.

• Mojo Analog Saturation: Adds warmth and character with vintage-style analog saturation options.

• Headphone Amp: Offers clear and powerful monitoring directly from the device.

• Integrated Mixer: Allows you to blend input signals with playback from your DAW for latency-free monitoring.

• 500 Series Compatibility: Connects easily with other 500 series modules for expanded setups.

• Compact Design: Perfect for both studio and portable recording setups.

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS:

• Desktop-friendly, half-rack chassis

• External high-current 24V, 1.25A power supply with latching connector

PREAMP:

DISCRETE MIC/LINE/HI-Z PREAMP FEATURING THE AWARD-WINNING 'CAMDEN' TOPOLOGY:

GAIN RANGE:

• Mic: 8dB to 68dB

• Line: 0dB to 60dB

• Hi-Z: 3dB to 63dB

INPUT IMPEDANCE:

• Mic: 8.9 kOhms (48V off), 5.4 kOhms (48V on)

• Line: 24.3 kOhms

• Hi-Z: 1.5 MOhm unbalanced, 3 MOhm balanced

MAXIMUM INPUT LEVEL:

• Mic: +17.6dBu (<0.003% THD)

• Line: +26.5dBu (<0.02% THD)

• Hi-Z: +24dBu (<0.02% THD)

EQUIVALENT INPUT NOISE (EIN):

• <-129.5dBu (150 Ohm source, unweighted)

• <-131dBu (150 Ohm source, A-weighted)

• <-135.5dBu (inputs common, unweighted)

FREQUENCY RESPONSE:

• ±0.7dB (<1 Hz to >1000 kHz, 35dB gain)

• ±1dB (<5 Hz to >200 kHz, max gain)

PHASE SHIFT:

• <2.75 (20Hz to 20kHz, 40dB gain)

• <6 (20Hz to 20kHz, max gain)

TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION + NOISE (THD+N):

• <0.00025% (1kHz, 35dB gain, +24dBu out)

MOJO ANALOGUE SATURATION:

VARIABLE CONTROL WITH TRUE BYPASS:

TWO DISCRETE STYLES:

• Thump: Excites low-end content by boosting lower odd/even harmonics from a range of 160Hz to 20Hz and below

• Cream: Boosts odd/even harmonics while reducing the amplitude of fundamental frequencies and applying typical transformer-style transient taming

HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER:

• Reference-quality, high-powered design

• Frequency Response: <±1dB, <1 Hz to >100 kHz

• Output Impedance: 0.33 Ohms

• Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): 0.0003% at 1kHz

• Output Wattage:

2x250mW @ 600 Ohm

2x450mW @ 220 Ohm

2x250mW @ 100 Ohm

CONNECTIVITY:

• Balanced XLR output

• Impedance-balanced 1/4" jack outputs

• -10dB PAD to attenuate preamp output for low-headroom audio interfaces

• Dedicated impedance-balanced 1/4" jack Link output for true instrument DI functionality and splitting instrument inputs to balanced or unbalanced amplifiers and effects

• C.A.S.T. OUT port for connecting into 500R8/500ADAT

• Discrete headphone mixers with independent CH 1, Ext Input, and Aux Input level controls

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

• Unique 48V status LED:

• Lights orange to indicate voltage charging or dissipating to prevent damage to ribbon microphones

• Lights red when voltage is fully charged and ready to use