THERMIONIC CULTURE Snow Petrel £2,700

Thermionic Culture’s Snow Petrel is the company’s newest two-channel microphone preamplifier. It joins the original Early Bird and Rooster 2 mic preamps, however this new model is a high-gain, low-noise amplifier designed to work well with insensitive ribbon mics. Like all TC products, the Snow Petrel is an all-valve design, using premium tubes from Mullard, JJ and Tung-Sol.

LET IT SNOW

Unlike the other TC preamps, the Snow Petrel does not feature conventional top, mid and low-end EQ, instead offering an ‘Air’ control for extreme top-end enhancement. Designer Vic Keary’s intention was to create an ultra-clean amplifier that would be a perfect match for the Coles 4038 ribbon microphone, a notoriously gain-hungry mic. The 4038 possesses arguably the smoothest and most sumptuous midrange response of any mic, but also responds well to a high-end boost from a good equaliser; this is