Black Lion Audio Eighteen Solid State Induction EQ Preamp

The Eighteen is a single-channel mic and DI strip that puts an inductor-based equalizer directly after the preamp. Inductor EQ behaves differently from the op-amp filters in most modern channel strips: the curves interact with the program material, which is why a boost from one sounds broad and musical rather than surgical.

The two-band EQ offers lowpass shelving with an 80 Hz highpass and a 10 kHz lowpass, fed by a Cinemag input transformer and a custom Cinemag inductor. Phantom power and a polarity switch are on the front panel, with a single XLR in and out on the back. The chassis is 2U at 19 x 3.5 x 6 inches and 14.5 lbs, which is heavy for its size because of the iron inside, and it runs from a standard IEC cable.