ROAD
TEST
Traverse Analogue 652 Vacuum Tube
Preamplifier
By Adam Gallant
S
ome of the best tube preamps in
the country are designed and built
in Eastern Canada. Julian Traverse is a
hardware designer and builder who
has launched an incredible compa-
ny based in Conception Bay South, NL, by the
name of Traverse Analogue.
Our studio has had the delight of testing
the company’s flagship stereo tube preamp, the
652 Vacuum Tube Preamplifier, for the past few
months, and put simply, the more time we’ve
spent with this unit, the more we have fallen in
love. Julian’s products are hand-built with zero
compromise for audio professionals.
Overview
The 652 is a class A, dual-stage mic and line
preamp with one 12AX7 tube per channel with
custom Lundahl input and output transform-
ers. All of the components are hand-selected
by Julian and the build quality is world class.
The unit weighs in at 6 kg.
The front plate is constructed of thick anod-
ized aluminum with an easy-to-read and intui-
tive layout. For front panel controls, we have a
phantom power switch, mic/line switch, and
a 300-ohm to 1200-ohm impedance switch
followed by the input gain knob. Input gain
is controlled with a very rugged 12-step de-
tented knob that provides from 5dB to 60dB of
preamp gain. The output “master” attenuator
is controlled via a very smooth, non-detented
knob that will give fine control of audio volume
routed to your DAW. On the front panel we also
have a high pass filter with 10 Hz, 80 Hz, and 200
Hz settings as well as a phase switch.
I should also mention that all controls on the
22 C A N A D I A N M U S I C I A N
unit are completely isolated from channels one
and two. On the back, we have IEC power as well
as XLR ins and outs for each channel. The heft of
the unit, the feeling of the knobs and switches,
and the quality of the front panel are all top
notch, and since spending some time with the
652, I’ve been referring to it as the Bentley of
preamps.
In Use
In our studio, we tend to use clean preamps
and dirty things up in the box. I am very used
to the sound of our API 512cs and have also
been using a Great River preamp lately. The
benefit of the Traverse tube pres is that they
are as clean- or cleaner-sounding than my APIs
but they have the ability to get saturated with
the most flattering tube sound. Zero harshness,
plenty of air, nice heft, and the perfect amount
of warmth and crush. When I pin both the input
and output gain, the 652 outputs less hiss than
when I do the same on my API pres. The 652
powers an SM7B nicely and takes most mid-
grade large diaphragm condensers we throw at
it from bland to rich with the perfect amount of
compression when you drive them.
On vocals, the 652 brings out air and low
mids in a very flattering way without any worry
about managing hiss or harshness that I have
encountered with other tube pres. The 652 has
a way of taming the often-sibilant sound I get
from some large diaphragm condensers and
balancing that frequency range with a more
forward-sounding low-mid representation.
On acoustic guitar, I’ve taken to setting up
a stereo pair of room mics and driving them
a bit with the tube saturation. The results are
hyper-detailed and, again, void of harshness.
For drum overheads, the 652 really shines. It
adds power and depth to overheads and does
a great job of taming super hard/fast transients
that often need taming in post-production.
Having the option to drive the overheads a bit
can make the drums sound pretty much mixed
without having to muck around with plug-ins
to balance the 2K to 4K area.
Every electric guitar I’ve recorded over the
last year has been with a Royer 122 and a 57, a
staple setup in our studios. The 652 has really
helped the low-end representation. The lows
are more contained, less boomy, and more
“mixed-sounding.” The ribbon mic is particularly
happy to be paired with the 652, as the pre has
a high impedance option of 1,200 ohms and the
high pass filter at 200 Hz cleans it up, allowing
us to push gain into our DAW more aggressively.
The results give a very present, speaker-filling
sound.
Summary
I can’t say enough great things about the 652
Vaccum Tube Preamp from Traverse Analogue.
It has all the character of a tube preamp but is
quiet and reliable like our API 512cs. The fact
that Traverse’s products are hand-built and de-
signed in Eastern Canada is also very special to
me. Hats off to Julian for his dedicated work.
Adam Gallant has worked in all facets of digital
audio production, from music composition to lo-
cation and post audio for television and film. He
currently owns and operates The Hill Sound
Studio in Charlottetown, PE.