Grace Design 801 (circa 1996)

Name: Grace Design 801
Brand: Grace Design

Documentation on the Grace Design 801 is thin. Here is what the record shows. This eight-channel microphone preamplifier was the company's flagship model when the two-channel 201 was introduced in October 1996. Both used a clean, transparent circuit aimed at accuracy rather than coloration. The 801 was a studio workhorse, built in Boulder, Colorado, alongside Grace's other preamps.

Period press gave the 801 a reputation for natural, uncolored sound and very low noise. Studio Sound (November 1998, p.72) described preamplifiers that "reveal all the subtlety and detail found in music." EQ Magazine (September 2000, p.83) agreed, calling the 801 "about as natural as anything I've heard, and quiet." The front panel was plain and simple. The 24-position gain switches were built from hand-soldered resistor ladders using 1% metal-film resistors. It could drive long capacitive cable runs and loads down to 50 ohms, which is handy in a professional rig.

Known specs are scarce:

8-channel microphone preamplifier
24-position gain switches (2 dB steps per position)
1% metal-film resistor ladders, hand-soldered
Capable of driving 50-ohm loads
Earliest known reference: October 1996

Production years, original price, dimensions, weight and detailed electrical specs are not documented in surviving sources. The 801 turns up now and then in used studio equipment listings. No collector notes or common issues have been recorded.