Whether it’s detailed definition you want or dirty distortion, this new take on a classic valve preamp has you covered.
The LANG Electronics SILVERR 47 is a two‑channel valve mic preamplifier that continues brand owner Heritage Audio’s exploration of the recording equipment used “on the majority of the tracking and mixing sessions for one of the most popular bands in music history”. The covert reference is to the Beatles, of course, and the model designation plays on the EMI‑designed REDD 47 line amplifier cassettes, whose circuits inspired this product’s development, and some of the early names of that legendary band.
Inside & Out
The channel controls are arranged in a mirror image either side of a red‑jewelled power indicator. Two black‑grilled apertures frame (and help cool) each channel’s JJ ECC88 and NOS 6AU6 valves. Next comes the detented, post‑transformer output level attenuator, which sits above the button switches that activate polarity inversion, 80Hz high‑pass filter, 48V phantom power and a ‑20dB pad. The final control, a six‑position rotary switch, sets each channel’s 22‑52 dB gain. The sixth position, NFB, selects the highest gain level and switches off the SILVERR 47’s negative feedback loop, greatly increasing harmonic distortion. Underneath this, an unbalanced quarter‑inch input jack feeds Heritage Audio’s highly regarded JFET‑based DI circuit. Plugging into this socket bypasses the mic input and routes the DI output directly to the input transformer. In the middle of the rear panel are a switched IEC mains inlet with fuse compartment and voltage selector. Either side are the two channels’ transformer‑balanced XLR input and paralleled XLR and quarter‑inch jack output connectors.
The construction, internal and external, is of very high quality. The bulk of the channel electronics, including the custom input transformers, sit either side of a fully shielded power transformer. Small daughterboards are mounted behind the channels’ front‑panel controls and rear‑panel I/O connectors, with the output transformers being bolted directly on the inside of the chassis. The SILVERR 47 uses the same JJ E88CC valve to drive its outputs as the P.LANE 436 compressor I reviewed in SOS June 2025 (https://sosm.ag/lang-plane-436), so it was no surprise to find that it uses the same output transformer. The NOS (new old stock) EF86 pentodes used in the REDD 47 input stage are dwindling, and it’s replaced here with a 6AU6 pentode — Heritage have significant stocks of these, so can ensure long‑term support of the SILVERR 47.
The outputs are paralleled on XLR and quarter‑inch jack.
In Use
My tests revealed the SILVERR 47 to be a high‑performance and easy‑to‑use preamp. Its stepped clean gain range of 22‑46 dB might rule out use with low‑output dynamic or ribbon microphones and quiet/distant sources, but with typical studio mics on acoustic instruments, electric guitar and bass amps, drums and close‑miked vocals, the SILVERR 47 is a versatile performer. The 20Hz‑20kHz (±0.5dB) frequency response means it can convey depth in the bass, clarity in the midrange, and high‑end precision, but as well as delivering detailed definition you can add weight, width, warmth and harmonic colour by pushing the input and voltage gain levels — then use the output attenuator to rein the levels in.
If you DI a guitar into cascaded channels, you could find yourself retracing the revolutionary step into distortion made by a guitarist from that ‘popular band’.
The mic input can handle +14dBu (without the ‑20dB pad) and the maximum output level is +24dBu. Add in the 22‑52 dB of gain (with negative feedback defeat at 52dB) and that output attenuator, and you have plenty of scope for experimentation across a stem or mix bus, or as a two‑channel cascade — all of which might necessitate use of the pad. And if you DI a guitar into cascaded channels, you could find yourself retracing the revolutionary step into distortion made by a guitarist from that ‘popular band’.
LANG Electronics’ SILVERR 47 valve mic preamp delivers a high level of audio performance. More importantly, it offers a distinct character that I’ve not encountered previously. A pair of REDD 47s is on eBay as I write this, but at $65,000 they’re just(!) out of my reach, so I wasn’t able to make direct comparisons. But I can say that the SILVERR 47 delivers performance and characteristics that are very similar to those ascribed to the REDD 47, and it does so for a reasonable price — for some of us, that could well prove an irresistible combination.
Summary
A high‑quality, transformer‑balanced, stereo valve microphone preamplifier that can not only deliver clean, clear precision and detail, but also, when pushed, that sense of weight, warmth and width that results from transformer‑based harmonic distortion. A great guitar distortion effect too!
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