The Catalinbread Airstrip Console Preamp is a preamp pedal that puts the gain stage of a vintage recording console on a pedalboard. Guitar World describes it as a recreation of the Trident A-Range console, which formed a huge part of the UK recording scene between the 1960s and 1980s1. Catalinbread sells it in two finishes, the standard Airstrip Console Pre and a red version, the Airstrip Console Pre (Red)23.
What it does
The pedal has three controls, and each one changes the character of the gain stage in a different way.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Trim | Controls the amount of gain from the preamp itself, adjusting a variable resistance from within the circuit3 |
| Push | Governs the gain of a discrete op-amp, based on an old UREI design, which slams the front end of the console preamp3 |
| Volume | Sets the overall output level2 |
The Push control is where the pedal's range opens up. Catalinbread describes it as the step that takes the Airstrip from a mild-mannered enhancer to a collapsing wall of fuzz with one simple twist3. At its minimum value, the op-amp has unity gain and does not affect the operation of the preamp, so the pedal stays in clean territory until Push is turned up2.
The Volume knob has a trick of its own. Catalinbread says that keeping both Trim and Push at their minimum settings and cranking Volume offers a superb and very loud clean boost with a tailored tonal profile that makes your guitar sound pre-mastered right out of the box2. That makes the pedal usable as a straightforward boost as well as a gain stage.
"PUSH: This is where the Airstrip goes from a mild-mannered enhancer to a collapsing wall of fuzz with one simple twist."
Versions and price
Catalinbread lists the pedal in two versions, the Airstrip Console Pre and the Airstrip Console Pre (Red), with the same control set on both23. Guitar World's 2026 coverage lists the Catalinbread Airstrip Console Preamp at $1791.
Videos
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Demos In The Dark
Sources (3)
- JHS Pedals 424 Gain Stage review, Guitar World, 2025-10-02
- Airstrip Console Pre, Catalinbread Effects
- Airstrip Console Pre (Red), Catalinbread Effects
