Cranborne Audio Camden EC2 Two Channel Preamp Overview

Cranborne Audio Camden EC2 Two Channel Preamp

Versatile 2-channel mic/line/hi-z preamp and reference-grade headphone amp with discrete line mixers - the ultimate analogue front-end for your studio.

Ultimate Front End

Cranborne Audio’s Camden EC2 packs two of their multi-award winning discrete Camden preamps and dual audiophile-level headphone amps into a convenient 19", 1U rack. This standalone form factor makes integrating the Camden EC2 into your recording setup an absolute breeze, with or without 500 series connectivity. By giving the Camden EC2 such a wide array of I/O connectivity, Cranborne Audio ensure easy compatibility with 3rd party audio interfaces. If you’re looking for the ultimate analogue front-end for your digital workflow, the Camden EC2 is hard to beat.

Custom Camden Preamp

The custom Camden preamp topology (first found in the Camden 500 Series module) is truly something special, delivering unprecedented low-noise and low-distortion performance plus frequency and phase linearity - at any gain setting. At this price point, the Camden EC2’s audio specs are nothing short of astonishing.

Transparent audio is the name of the game. One of the reasons why these preamps have won so many awards is their remarkably clean and natural sound. Any audio source will be captured with complete transparency whilst transients will be instant and coherent. Plus, you can give a low-sensitivity microphone like a Shure SM7B a healthy boost without adding any colouration or noise.

Stereo Matching

Each preamp’s gain is controlled by a 12-way rotary switch (5.5dB increments up to 68.5dB) for straightforward level-matching during stereo mic’ing setups whilst the dedicated mic, line and hi-z inputs allow you to tailor the input impedance to any microphone or instrument. As well as acting as a phenomenal mic preamp the Camden EC2 can also perform as a dual-channel DI and line-level saturator thanks to each channel’s dedicated ¼” jack Link outputs.

Easy Reamping

The Camden EC2 can also be used to reamp your electric guitar or bass. Plug your instrument into one preamp set to hi-z, connect the Link output to your amp or effects pedals and capture that signal with the other preamp. This way, you can record the dry DI and wet signals at the same time for unparalleled flexibility during recording.

Pure Mojo

The Camden preamps featured in the EC2 give you the best of both - utterly pristine and warm, saturated colour. When it’s time to inject some character into your audio, simply turn up the Mojo knob and dial-in the perfect amount of authentic analogue saturation. The Mojo circuit is a unique Cranborne Audio design that replicates the sought-after sound of vintage valve and transformer-based preamps. An advantage of the Mojo circuit over old-school designs is that it can be totally bypassed. All you have to do is turn the Mojo knob all the way down to engage the built-in true bypass switch, it’s as simple as that.

Each channel boasts two distinct Mojo styles - Thump and Mojo. The transformer-style Thump mode enhances the low-end without making things muddy whilst the valve-esque Cream adds a pleasing smoothness which helps anything sit comfortably in a complex mix.

Using the external Line input, you can also send line-level sources through the Mojo circuit to give your DAW tracks or stereo bus some vintage analogue character during mixing.

Zero-Latency Monitoring

Cranborne Audio have equipped the EC2 with a pair of high-powered, reference-grade headphone amplifiers. Each amp features an independent line mixer, so you can directly monitor either or both Camden preamps depending on your needs. As you’d expect, these headphone amps pack a punch and can drive the most demanding cans with ease.

These amps are indispensable during recording, as they allow you to quickly find the sweet spot during mic placement. Artists will love the option to create an inspiring, zero-latency mix. Simply combine the preamps with external playback via the Aux Input jacks found on the rear panel.

C.A.S.T. Ready

C.A.S.T. (short for Cat 5 Analogue Signal Transport) is Cranborne Audio’s proprietary system. This system makes cable management and audio distribution around your stage or studio a lot easier and more affordable - all whilst delivering exceptional sonic results. Instead of relying on an expensive analogue multi-core, you can switch to using readily-available Cat 5e, Cat 6 or Cat 7 cables.

If you’re a Cranborne Audio 500R8 or 500ADAT user, you can easily integrate the Camden EC2 using the C.A.S.T. system. With a single cable, you can send the EC2’s preamps straight to the interface’s inputs whilst transmitting a monitor mix from the 500R8/500ADAT to the EC2’s headphone mix. It’s seamless integration at its finest.

UK Engineering

Like all Cranborne Audio products, the Camden EC2 has been meticulously designed and engineered by a top-tier team in the UK. Every unit has been meticulously inspected and boasts truly elite audio specifications that belie its attainable price point.

EIN: <-129.5dBu, 150 Ohm source, unweighted, <-135.5dBu, Inputs common, unweighted
THD+N: <0.00025% (1kHz, 35dB gain, +24dBu out)
Intermodulation Distortion: <0.0006% (50Hz and 7kHz, 35dB gain, +20dBu out)
Phase Shift: <2.75° (20Hz to 20kHz, 40dB gain), <6° (20Hz to 20kHz, Max Gain)
Freq. Response: ±0.7dB (<1 Hz to >1000 kHz, 35dB gain), ±1dB (<5 Hz to >200 kHz, Max Gain)

48v LED Lights Orange to indicate voltage charging or dissipating to prevent damage to ribbon microphones and to ensure voltage is fully charged before use
48v LED lights RED when voltage is fully charged and ready to use

Thump excites low-end content by boosting lower odd/even harmonics from a range of 160Hz to 20Hz and below
Cream boosts odd/even harmonics whilst also reducing the amplitude of the fundamental frequencies and applying typical transformer-style transient taming

Monitor the Camden preamps directly with headphones during mic placement to find the sweet spot of the instrument/source
Create zero-latency artist mixes by combining the Camden preamps with external playback from Aux Input 1/4” jacks on Camden EC2’s rear panel
Use the reference grade headphone amps for critical listening by sending stereo mixes from the interface into the Aux input and monitoring directly using Camden EC2’s headphone outputs
'Stereo’ switch to pan CH1 & CH2 left and right in each headphone mix for true stereo monitoring

Freq. Response: <±1dB, <1 Hz to >100 kHz
Output Impedance: 0.33 Ohms
THD: 0.0003%, 1kHz
Output Wattage: 2x250mW @ 600 Ohm, 2x450mW @ 220 Ohm, 2x250mW @ 100 Ohm

Transmit Camden EC2’s preamps directly into 500R8 and 500ADAT’s 500 series modules inputs for recording/processing
Receive a stereo mix generated from 500R8/500ADAT and monitor using Camden EC2’s headphone mixers
All managed and distributed via a single shielded Cat 5e, Cat 6, or Cat 7 cable

Receive 2 mic/line signals from N22/N22H directly into the preamp inputs of Camden EC2
Transmit Camden EC2’s Aux 1 headphone mix into N22/N22H for direct monitoring by the musician
All managed and distributed via a single shielded Cat 5e, Cat 6, or cat 7 cable

Test Signal Path: APx555 (Line Out) - Input 1 - Line Output - APx555 (Line In)
Input Impedance: Mic= 8.9 kOhms 48v Off, 5.4 kOhms 48v ON, Line = 24.3 kOhms, Hi-Z= 1.5 MOhm Unbalanced, 3 MOhm Balanced
Max Input Level: Mic = +17.6dBu (<0.003% THD), Line = +26.5dBu (<0.02% THD), Hi-Z = +24dBu (<0.02% THD)
Minimum Gain: Mic= 8dB, Line = 0dB, Hi-Z = 3dB
Maximum Gain: Mic = 68dB, Line = 60dB, Hi-Z = 63dB
Equivalent Input Noise (EIN): <-129.5dBu (150 Ohm source, unweighted), <-131dBu (150 Ohm source, A-weighted), <-135.5dBu (Inputs common, unweighted)
Frequency Response: ±0.7dB (<1 Hz to >1000 kHz, Min Gain), ±0.7dB (<1 Hz to >1000 kHz, 35dB Gain), ±1dB (<1.5 Hz to 900 kHz, 63dB Gain), ±1dB (<5 Hz to >200 kHz, Max Gain)
Phase Shift: <2.75° (20Hz to 20kHz, 40dB Gain), <4° (20Hz to 20kHz, 63dB Gain), <6° (20Hz to 20kHz, Max Gain)
THD+N: <0.00025% (1kHz, 35dB Gain, +24dBu out)
Intermodulation Distortion: <0.0006% (50Hz and 7kHz, 35dB gain, +20dBu out), <0.0005% (50Hz and 7kHz, 35dB gain, +15dBu out)
Hi-Pass Filter (HPF): 80Hz, -3dB, 12dB/Oct
CMRR: >70dB, typ >85dB, 35dB gain, 10-20kHz, 100mV Common mode
Slew Rate: 20V/uS, 35dB gain, +25dBu out
48v LED Thresholds: Off = 48v Off, voltage fully discharged | Amber = 48v voltage charging/discharging | Red = 48v fully charged
Signal LED Meter Thresholds: Blue = -20dBu | Green = -12dBu | Amber = +21dBu | Red = +24dBu
Max Output Level: Balanced XLR = +27.5dBu (<0.002% THD, 30dB Gain) | Impedance Balanced ¼” Jack = +21.5dBu (<0.002% THD, 30dB Gain)
Output Impedance: Balanced XLR = 150 Ohm | Impedance Balanced 1/4” Jack = 150Ohm Balanced, 75 Ohm Unbalanced
Link Max Output Level: Impedance Balanced 1/4” Jack = +21.8dBu (<0.006% THD)
Link Output Impedance: Impedance Balanced 1/4” Jack = 75 Ohm Unbalanced, 150 Ohm Balanced (Buffered Output)

Test Signal Path: APx555 (Line Out) - AUX Input - Headphone Output - APx555 (Line In)
Frequency Response: -1dB, <1Hz to >70kHz
THD: <0.0006% (-104.4dB) @ +20dBu, 1kHz, A-weighted, 300 Ohm load
THD+N: <0.00085% (-101.4dB) @ +20dBu, 1kHz, A-weighted, 300 Ohm load
Output Impedance: 0.33 Ohms
Output Wattage: 250mW x 2 @ 600 Ohms, 1kHz | 650mW x 2 @ 220 Ohms, 1kHz | 1.21W x 2 @ 100 Ohms, 1kHz | 500mW x 2 @ 32 Ohms, 1kHz
Dynamic Range: 114.5dB A-weighted, AES17 method, 20Hz - 20kHz, 300 Ohm load
Noise Floor: -93.5dBu A-weighted, 20Hz - 20kHz, 300 Ohm load

AC Requirements: 100V – 240V AC, 50 – 60 Hz
Total Power Consumption: 24v, 1.25A DC, 30W