The unit is built as four sections operating as one coherent tool rather than four modules bolted together. Signal passes through a transformer-coupled tube preamp, an EQ inspired by the Helios Type 69 from Olympic Studios, a vari-mu compressor derived from the Lang P.Lane circuit with the Seawell Mod built in, and finally an optical compressor with de-essing. The whole chassis weighs 7.6 kg / 16.8 lb.
A MORPH control instead of a fixed voicing
Rather than locking you into one tonal character, the MORPH knob sweeps between Triode operation (warmer, more saturated) and Pentode (harder, more aggressive top end), with UltraLinear sitting as the neutral midpoint. This solves a recurring studio problem: needing two different preamps for two different sources. A vocal that needs restraint and a guitar that needs bite can both be handled by the same box. Gain tops out at 60 dB, giving enough headroom for quiet acoustic sources without pushing input noise up first.
Two compressors instead of one compromise
The vari-mu stage delivers dense, musical gain reduction for dynamic sources — vocals, bass, drum bus material in a mix context. The optical compressor, with its dedicated de-ess frequency control, handles precise peak taming and sibilance control without flattening natural articulation. This addresses sessions where a single compressor is asked to both control dynamics and tame sibilants at once; here the two jobs are split apart and can run in series or independently.
KEY FEATURES
- All-tube signal path from input to output
- Preamp with MORPH control: Triode / UltraLinear / Pentode
- Two-band inductor-based EQ inspired by the Helios Type 69
- Vari-mu compressor based on the Lang P.Lane circuit with Seawell Mod
- Optical compressor with de-ess frequency control
- Output section with -14 to +6 dB level attenuator
- 4 carefully selected tubes: NOS for preamp and vari-mu, JJ for output stage
- 4 dedicated transformers on input, output, and vari-mu I/O
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Format: 3U rack unit
- Weight: 7.6 kg / 16.8 lb
- Maximum preamp gain: 60 dB
- EQ high band: ±10 dB, sweepable frequency
- EQ mid band: up to 10 dB cut/boost, selectable modes
- EQ low band: sweepable frequency, separate cut and boost up to 10 dB
- Output: -14 to +6 dB attenuator
- Accepted sources: mic, line, and instrument level
