The Catalinbread Crooner Preamp is a vintage-inspired overdrive and preamp pedal that transforms one of the most celebrated studio microphone preamps ever made into a compact stompbox.
The pedal draws its inspiration from the legendary RCA BA-31, delivering everything from pristine clean boost to saturated transformer-driven fuzz in a remarkably versatile package.
From Clean Boost to Full-Blown Fuzz
At the front end of the circuit is a UREI-inspired discrete op-amp, controlled by the Push knob. At lower settings, it acts as a transparent boost that preserves the BA-31’s warmth and openness. As the Push control is increased, it begins driving the preamp harder, introducing increasingly rich harmonic saturation and compression.
The pedal also features germanium components and a transformer-equipped output stage, adding vintage character and dynamic response that becomes especially apparent as the gain climbs.
The Magic of the Trim Control
One of the Crooner’s defining features is its Trim control, which adjusts the gain inside the BA-31-inspired circuit itself.
Since the original RCA preamp wasn’t designed for high internal gain, increasing the Trim control intentionally pushes the circuit beyond its intended operating range.
The result is a wide spectrum of tones ranging from warm edge-of-breakup sounds to thick, syrupy distortion and fully saturated transformer fuzz. With both Push and Trim maxed out, the Crooner delivers molten lead tones packed with compression, harmonic richness, and vintage-style sag.
Straightforward Controls
Despite its impressive tonal range, the Crooner keeps things simple with four primary controls:
- Push – Controls the gain of the UREI-inspired op-amp feeding the preamp.
- Volume – Sets the overall output level.
- Filter – Gently rolls off high frequencies to smooth brighter settings and tame harshness at higher gain levels.
- Trim – Controls the gain of the BA-31 preamp section, dramatically affecting saturation and transformer breakup.
Together, these controls allow players to dial in everything from subtle console-style coloration to aggressive overdrive, distortion, and fuzz. Get the Catalinbread Crooner Preamp here via Sweetwater for $179.99.
