Vintage Audio / Revive Audio M72 Dual-Channel Class A Preamp – Carnhill Transformers – Early S/N #030

Available here is a very early Vintage Audio / Revive Audio M72, serial #030. These are exceptional dual-channel preamps and one of those pieces that deliver far beyond what their price would suggest. The M72 combines serious build quality with classic British-style transformer character and the substantial, no-compromise construction Revive Audio is known for. From the weight and craftsmanship to the components and overall sound, this is a genuinely high-end piece of studio gear.

The Vintage Audio / Revive Audio M72 is an exceptional dual-channel preamp and one of the better values I’ve come across for getting genuine British-style transformer tone without spending actual vintage-Neve money. This is also a very early unit, serial #030.

If you’re familiar with Revive Audio, you already know the caliber of work they do. Their restorations of vintage studio gear are phenomenal, and their custom shop has a reputation for going all-out on component quality, craftsmanship, and attention to detail. That same philosophy is very apparent in the M72.

It’s an all-discrete, Class A, 1272-style design with UK Carnhill input and output transformers, independent input gain and output controls, DI inputs on both channels, 48V phantom power, polarity reverse, -20 dB pad, and switchable input impedance.

The build quality is immediately impressive. It’s substantial, heavy, extremely well put together, and feels like a serious piece of studio equipment.

More importantly, it sounds excellent. The M72 can be run relatively clean and open, or pushed harder for more transformer saturation, thickness, and harmonic character. The separate output controls let you drive the gain stages harder while keeping the level hitting your converters under control.

It excels on vocals, guitars, bass/DI, drums, synths, and acoustic instruments. Sources tend to come through bigger, denser, more focused, and more finished without sacrificing detail.

I debated hard about selling it, but I recently purchased a legacy preamp for my studio and need to let a few things go.

If you’re looking for two channels of high-quality, transformer-coupled Class A preamplification with real character, exceptional craftsmanship, and a lot of flexibility, the M72 punches well above its price point.