Snow Petrel is an all-valve mic preamp from Thermionic Culture
The British manufacturer specialises in valve-based audio equipment.
Thermionic Culture has introduced its new two-channel, high-gain mic preamp, Snow Petrel. The goal was to create an all-valve preamp that had low-noise, refining it to a point where even low-output ribbon mics wouldn’t prevent the preamp from sounding good.
The Snow Petrel has been tested using Coles 4038 ribbon mics, which were used by Geoff Emerick at Abbey Road for The Beatles. With switchable Air EQ control and two types of attenuation, the Snow Petrel is designed to produce “outstanding results”, claim Thermionic Culture.
The Snow Petrel’s name is a reference to Thermionic Culture’s approach to creating audio equipment. While solid-state devices take up the majority of the market, Keary and his team focus on developing high-quality valve-based equipment. The image of the Snow Petrel, a warm bird in a cold landscape, drew the perfect parallel to this approach.
The Snow Petrel is available to order at £2700 including VAT. Find out more at thermionicculture.com
