Warm Audio JUDE-MP2 Microphone Preamp

Stereo Microphone Preamp with the Sound of 1960s London

The Warm Audio JUDE-MP2 is a dual-channel stereo microphone preamp that brings the depth, punch, and musicality of the original Sound Techniques A-Range console preamp into a modern rack-friendly format. Built in direct partnership with Sound Techniques and designed by Geoff Frost — the engineer who drew the original A-Range schematics used at Trident Studios — this unit preserves the complete original signal path that helped define the sound of legendary London recordings from the 1960s and 1970s. The JUDE-MP2 is the right choice for engineers and producers who want the unmistakable character of a vintage British console preamp without tracking through a 14-channel desk.

Authentic A-Range Circuit, Channel-for-Channel

Every stage of the original A-Range preamp signal path is carried over in this stereo unit, including the dual-discrete 3035 Class-A amplifiers and the proprietary 8-lead impedance-matching circuit. The 9-position Z-Match control is the heart of the design: it changes how the preamp and microphone interact at the input, optimizing gain, transient response, frequency balance, and harmonic character across virtually any microphone — from vintage ribbons to modern condensers. Combined with custom-spec CineMag USA transformers, Wima and Nichicon audio-grade capacitors, and carbon resistors on a handwired PCB layout designed by Sound Techniques, the JUDE-MP2 delivers the authentic British console sound once reserved for a handful of the world's most influential recording studios.

Signal Path & Amplification — Console-Grade Tone Shaping

The dual-discrete 3035 Class-A amplifier topology is the same circuit that gave the original Trident console its weight, midrange presence, and forward push. Running sources through this topology adds the harmonic density and transient response that defined classic rock, pop, and acoustic recordings of the era.

• Amplifier Topology: Dual-discrete 3035 Class-A per channel — reproduces the original A-Range signal path channel-for-channel
• Impedance Control: 9-position Z-Match (8-lead circuit) — nine distinct tonal interactions across 60 Ω, 200 Ω, 1.5 kΩ and 10 kΩ input impedance
• Transformers: Custom-spec CineMag USA — wound to original Sound Techniques specifications

Connectivity & I/O — Built for Stereo Tracking

The JUDE-MP2 is engineered for stereo and dual-mono workflows, with balanced XLR and 1/4" I/O on both inputs and outputs, plus front-panel instrument inputs and a polarity reversal switch for phase-critical sessions. Whether tracking a piano pair, drum overheads, or a matched ribbon pair on a guitar cabinet, the unit gives engineers the routing flexibility to capture two sources at once through the same console-grade circuit.

• Microphone Inputs: 2x XLR — balanced stereo mic input pair
• Instrument/Line Inputs: 4x 1/4" — stereo instrument and line-level inputs with selector switch
• Outputs: 2x XLR, 2x 1/4" — balanced stereo output pair for direct connection to converters or downstream chain

Performance Specs — Studio-Grade Headroom

The JUDE-MP2 is built for professional studio environments, with a wide frequency response, vanishingly low self-noise, and low THD that preserves the harmonic character of the original circuit without coloring the source. The universal power supply and 1U rack form factor make it easy to integrate into any control room or mobile rig.

• Frequency Response: 10 Hz – 25 kHz
• THD: 0.008%
• Self-Noise: -99 dBu
• Power: AC 100–240 V, 50–60 Hz, 20 W max
• Dimensions: 482.6 x 44.5 x 304.8 mm (19" x 1.75" x 12")
• Weight: 5.22 kg

Sound Techniques & Warm Audio — A Console Reborn

Founded by Geoff Frost and John Wood, Sound Techniques built only 14 original A-Range consoles between 1964 and 1971, and those desks found their way into some of the most important studios in the world — Trident Studios, De Lane Lea (Kingsway, Dean Street, and Wembley), Sunset Sound Studio 2 in Hollywood, Elektra Sound Recorders, and Randy's Studio 17 in Kingston, Jamaica. The Beatles' "Hey Jude," David Bowie's Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust-era recordings, Queen's "Keep Yourself Alive," Elton John's early Trident work, and Bob Marley & The Wailers' Catch a Fire sessions all passed through these consoles. Warm Audio's collaboration with Sound Techniques and Geoff Frost brings the exact preamp circuit from those desks — not an interpretation — back into the marketplace, making the JUDE-MP2 a faithful continuation of one of recording history's most influential preamp designs.