Cranborne Audio Camden 500 - 500 Series Preamp and Signal Processor

SKU: # 701930   |   Model: # CAMDEN500   |    Product Reviews4 Reviews  Write a Review

Camden 500 - 500 Series Preamp and Signal Processor

Additional Photos:

Camden 500 - 500 Series Preamp and Signal Processor
Sale Price: $399.00 CDN
Original Price: $479.00 CDN
or from $42 CDN/mo
Notify Me

Buy Online

 Add to Cart

Buy In-Store

Camden 500 is a mic, line, and instrument preamp that achieves stunning low-noise and low-distortion performance as well as frequency and phase linearity at all gain settings. The result is a stunningly clean and natural sounding preamp offering a perfectly neutral palette to apply analogue and digital processing.

For moments when that extra bit of 'British' character is required, Cranborne Audio developed the "Mojo" circuit; two discrete analogue saturation styles that can turn Camden 500 into the fattest, warmest, and most characterful preamp in your arsenal - all at the turn of a dial. Mojo can be subtle, it can also be exaggerated, but best of all - it can be bypassed.

Custom Topology

Featuring a custom transformerless front-end topology with 68.5dB of gain, Camden 500 achieves groundbreaking performance in noise, distortion, frequency response, and phase shift throughout all 12 gain positions.

3-Way Input Type Switch

Tailored input impedance and headroom for Mic, Line, and Hi-Z sources means punchy and full-range line recording with +26.5dBu of input headroom as well as alive and natural sounding DI'd instruments with 1.5M Ohm input impedance.

Tech Specs

EIN:
< -129.5dBu, 150 ohm source, unweighted
< -135.5dBu, Inputs common, unweighted

THD+N: < 0.0004%, 1kHz, 35dB gain, 24dBu out

Phase Shift:
< 2.25 deg, 40dB gain, 20Hz to 20kHz
< 4 deg, Max gain, 20Hz to 20kHz

Freq. Response:
< +/-1dB, < 5 Hz to > 200 kHz, all gain settings

CMRR: > 70dB, typ > 85dB, 35dB Gain, 10-20kHz, 100mV Common mode

Q & A


There are currently no questions for this product.

Reviews


18.119.108.9
Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; [email protected])
Incredible preamp for the money 0 of 0 customers found this review helpful
Features  
Quality  
Value  
Overall  
Product Experience   I own it
Closest Store   Richmond, British Columbia
Bought this on a recommendation and it completely blows my SSL Six CH preamps out of the water. Sounds fantastic on any source and its completely noise free.
Posted by Devin on Dec 16, 2024
Was this review helpful? Vote helpful Vote not helpful flag this review
nice pres 1 of 3 customers found this review helpful
Features  
Quality  
Value  
Overall  
Product Experience   I own it
Closest Store   Toronto (Bloor St.), Ontario
I've had a pair for about 6 months now. As advertised they are great clean pres. Because of their high impedance (upwards to 10k I think) and high headroom they are really great on ribbon mics. I'd use these over "The Ribbon Pre" most days. Lots of handy features packed in, only issues are: 1. Audible clicks when changing gain 2. Feel a bit flimsy (but that's what you'd expect for less than $500) 3. Wish there was a light on or an "on/off" label for 48V. As I use with ribbons lots. 4. Company loves itself a little too much?
Posted by Geary Bettman on Oct 9, 2021
Was this review helpful? Vote helpful Vote not helpful flag this review
What a piece of gear! 0 of 0 customers found this review helpful
Features  
Quality  
Value  
Overall  
Product Experience   I own it
Closest Store   Brampton, Ontario
Amazing sounding preamp that makes any of my mics sound fantastic. Thump on my drums is now permanent. Such a step up from the 'consumer' class stuff.
Posted by Bill Dwyer on Sep 14, 2020
Was this review helpful? Vote helpful Vote not helpful flag this review
MANY MANY preamps in one. 2 of 2 customers found this review helpful
Features  
Quality  
Value  
Overall  
Product Experience   I own it
Closest Store   Calgary Chinook, Alberta
All the usual set of features you’d expect to find. Record clean and it’s a very clean, fast(transient) pre. Nothing you can’t get with 20 other preamps out there. But this mojo thing gives it a bunch of other gears that I don’t think any other pre on the market has. Mojo is a bit tough for a layman like me to explain, other than I think it’s a saturation that kind of ‘reacts’ to the dominant frequencies given off by the sound source? That’s what it seems to me, but don’t quote me on that. It’s definitely not just EQ, but it seems to be able to react like one. Tough to explain. Put the “mojo” on “thump,” on a kick drum, and KA-freakin’-Boom! With my Beta 91A it basically transformed it into needing almost no EQ. Separately I’ve been experimenting with 2 SM81’s only as overheads, and the Thump added a lot of beef to the bottom end of them as well that I found very pleasing, closer to the sound I wanted. Record a snare clean and it’s good, but add in some “cream” and it just adds that bit of saturation that brings it to life. A wee bit of the ‘cream’ saturation seems to add some...whatever...to my bari vocal through a u87 clone. I also own a Solo 610, and the saturation in the Cranborne is much different from the sound of saturating tubes. More flavors, IMO I’m not a pro, and don’t have access to all the best gear, but I’m very happy, and if my studio was burning down and I could only grab one or two things, my Cranbornes would be first on the list. At some point I’ll pick up two more.
Posted by Keith on Jun 26, 2020
Was this review helpful? Vote helpful Vote not helpful flag this review

Performance Warranty Banner

Protect your investment with the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty

A warranty can be a very important factor when making a buying decision. Because repairs can be very expensive in terms of parts and labour costs, manufacturers usually only provide one year limited warranties that generally only cover items that malfunction due to a manufacturer’s defect. With an important purchase such as a musical
instrument or piece of studio gear, however, many people want to have the peace of mind in knowing that their investment will be protected should the product no longer be performing at 100%.

Because of this, Long & McQuade provides our customers with a FREE one-year Performance Warranty on most of our products. The Long & McQuade Performance Warranty supplements the manufacturer’s warranty to ensure that our customers receive complete “no hassle” warranty coverage within their first year.

How does the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty differ from most manufacturers' warranties?
  • Performance Guarantee: Normal wear and tear is covered, so your product will be performing as well as the day you purchased it for the entire duration of the coverage. Band and Orchestral Performance Warranty does not include replacing pads or cleaning for woodwind instruments, unless deemed necessary by our repair staff. Ultrasonic cleaning for brass instruments will be provided if deemed necessary by our repair staff, but is not routinely offered under the Performance Warranty.
  • Product Replacement: If your product cannot be fixed or costs too much to fix, we will replace it with the equivalent model for no additional charge. If this is not possible, a full refund will be provided.
  • No Lemon Policy: Your product will be replaced should the same problem occur multiple times.
  • Convenient: Easy drop off and pick up of the product at any Long & McQuade location.
  • Guitar Setup: Guitars purchased at Long & McQuade come with 1 free setup, to be redeemed within 1 year for new guitars and 90 days for used guitars.
  • Loaners Available: A loaner product may be given while the product is being repaired.
  • Power Surge Protection: Your product is covered even if damaged from a power surge.
  • Accessory Coverage: Any peripheral devices or accessories that come with your product (i.e. foot pedal, case) are also covered.
  • Commercial Use Coverage: Music and recording professionals who purchase gear for “heavy-use” commercial purposes will still be covered.
 

Long & McQuade reserves the right to restrict the purchase of additional years of Performance Warranty. Used products come with a 3-month Long & McQuade Performance Warranty. Some products (i.e. computers, software, cymbals and other items) are covered only by the manufacturer‘s warranty. Consumables (i.e. strings, reeds, drum sticks, batteries, tubes, cross faders) are excluded as they are designed to be replaced. Cosmetic Damage, Accidental Damage, or problems caused by Humidity or Temperature Issues are not covered. Speakers damaged by overpowering are generally not covered. Our coverage does not provide compensation for loss of use. As of June 2018 the Performance Warranty is no longer transferable. The warranty is only valid in Canada.

Purchasing additional years of coverage

Some manufacturers provide warranties for longer than 1 year; however, these are usually limited warranties that do not provide the same coverage as the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty. Customers interested in more complete and convenient (but not necessarily longer) coverage are still able to purchase additional years of the Performance Warranty.

If you are interested in receiving this coverage for longer than one year, you have the option of purchasing additional years of the Performance Warranty. The pricing is as follows:

  • NEW products: Starting at 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. Starting at 4% for each additional year.
  • USED products: Starting at 4% of the current new selling price to increase the warranty from 3 months to 1 year. Starting at 4% for each additional year.
  • GUITARS: 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. 4% for each additional year. $45 maximum. An additional free setup is not included with additional purchased years of Performance Warranty.
  • BAND and ORCHESTRAL instruments: 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. 4% for each additional year.

Great Additions