Locomotive Audio :: Handmade Tube Preamps and Compressors
Aug 8, 2014 17:00:03 GMT -6
Johnkenn, unit7, and 2 more like this
Post by Locomotive Audio on Aug 8, 2014 17:00:03 GMT -6
Hey guys, there has been a little talk on this forum about some new products that have just been introduced. I was very kindly given an invitation by one of the members. Having not been here before, I've been browsing for the past week or so and really like it. I would just like to introduce myself and talk a little about what we are trying to do at Locomotive Audio.
My name is Eric Strouth and I've been very passionate about analog equipment for the past few years. I began building my own equipment for personal use and really found that although very tedious, the process of building something from scratch and having it work was an amazing feeling.
It's like this - The Personal Attachment
No smoke or fireworks... check! AND it glows on vocals?! How much better can you feel than after that many hours of satisfying agony and you finally... you get the point. There are numerous products on the market today that come into a company or brand's shipping facility untouched and unseen and go out the door fully packaged without even checking for surface scratches. I would rather have our approach at Locomotive be exactly the opposite. While we have designed our products around sound and usability, there is something that feels so good about flipping that power switch up after our final solder joint. We do everything here by hand the old-fashioned way because not only does it look cool, it sounds amazing too! There is a personal attachment. Wire routing, component laying, steel, iron and knobs are what makes each one pieces different and special. All the parts in these units are the same, but each one will go out the door feeling like its own piece of art. We hope you love it too!
Anyway, we are doing a Kickstarter campaign right now and we have about 20 days left. During this campaign we are offering our products at much lower than our estimated retail prices in a couple months. Some companies do crowdfunding campaigns like Kickstarter so that they can use "backer's" funds to make a product have a chance at getting made. That way they don't have to invest any of their own cash. OUR Kickstarter campaign doesn't work like that. We have already invested LOTS of personal funds for things like bulk transformers, chassis and Sifam meters and the rest of the small components. We're mainly using the Kickstarter campaign to make back some of the money that we've already spent and most importantly, get our product into the hands of the users... at a pretty amazing price. This will help get us on the radar before we show (very hopeful) at AES in October! Our goal is to have a booth so we can make connections with retail buyers. At that point, the prices will be more in line with what is in the market now.
Take a look and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask as we want to be as upfront with folks as possible during this campaign!
Locomotive Audio :: Handmade Tube Recording Equipment
Locomotive Audio is an exciting modern line of products based on the simple ideas of handmade, high-quality gear with an aesthetically pleasing tone of yesteryear.
Model 286A - Dual Channel Mic Preamp & DI - Starting at $1,695 for a VERY Limited Time!
Locomotive Audio's dual channel 286A preamp offers a huge sonic palette for engineers and producers to explore. Its single-ended Class A tube signal path is what makes this preamplifier so special. The 286A features two tubes per channel; one EF806 and one 12AY7. The 286A can play nice by acting clean and natural with gentle even-order harmonics for a smooth, sweet touch. Get more aggressive with the "Gain" knob and drive the first 12AY7 stage for a warm and colored thickening effect. Go all-out and slam the final 12AY7 stage and output transformer through the "Level" knob for a fully-driven, saturated tube amp sound! Clean and natural to overdriven and fuzzy warm, your choice!
Features:
• Microphone and high impedance instrument inputs
• One EF86 & one 12AY7 per channel
• Polarity reverse switch
• 20dB pad switch
• 100 Hz low cut filter switch
• Microphone load impedance switch
• Mic/DI selection switch
• +48v phantom power switch
• 3-position VU meter switch: CH1 - Off - CH2
• Custom Sifam backlit VU meter
• XLR input and output connections
• Cinemag input and output transformers
• High-grade Solen capacitors in signal path
• Hand-built in USA with classic turret board technique
• Heavy 16 gauge steel chassis
• 115v/230v AC mains option on rear
• Backed by 2-year limited warranty parts and labor
Specifications:
• Microphone input load impedance - 500Ω or 1800Ω
• Output impedance: 600Ω
• 1/4" DI impedance - 680kΩ
• 64dB of gain
• Flat frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz
• THD+N: <1%
• S/N ratio: >70dB
• Dimensions: 19"w x 3.5"h x 10"d (2u rackspace)
• Shipping Weight: 14 lbs.
• Power Consumption (120/240VAC): 25 watts
Model 14B Single Channel Compressor/Limiter - Starting at $1,695 for a VERY Limited Time!
Locomotive Audio's single channel 14B compressor and limiter is based on a very old, but still very exciting concept of rebiasing the input tube with a sidechain control voltage. The 14B mixes a few of our favorite compressors such as the UA 176, Gates Sta-Level and Collins 26U. Its added modern features allow it to achieve a unique sound in its own right. Starting with the semi-remote cutoff 6BC8 tube, a 12AY7 then drives two powerful push-pull 6V6 output tubes. The 14B is quite a versatile unit, with the ability to run soft and gentle or hard and aggressive. A sidechain low cut control offers even more flexibility, especially when used on the mixbus and linked with another 14B. This unit can be used on all kinds of source material including vocals, drums, guitars, bass, piano and horns. With its high quality Cinemag input and interstage transformers, the 14B has the ability to define mid-range clutter and control the peaks at the same time. The user will notice an enhancement on any material run through this unit, even when not compressing.
Features:
• Tubes: (1) 6BC8, (1) 12AY7, (2) 6V6s
• Classic feedback tube compression circuit
• Stereo Link switch
• Sidechain Low Cut filter control: Off and 70-350Hz
• Hard-wire bypass switch
• Variable input & output controls
• Variable Attack & release controls
• Compression (up to 6:1 ratio) or Limiting (up to 14:1 ratio)
• Compression switched off with full counterclockwise attack knob position
• Two position VU meter switch: Gain Reduction - Output
• 6BC8 balance adjustment on interior of unit
• Custom Sifam backlit VU meter
• XLR input and output connections
• Cinemag input and interstage transformers - custom output transformer
• High-grade Solen capacitors in signal path
• Hand-built in USA with classic turret board technique
• Heavy 16 gauge steel chassis
• 115v/230v AC mains option on rear
• Backed by 2-year limited warranty parts and labor
Specifications:
• Input load impedance: 6000Ω
• Output impedance: <800Ω
• Variable Attack: (500µs-5ms)
• Variable Release: (100ms-1.5sec)
• Compression (up to 6:1 ratio) or Limiting (up to 14:1 ratio)
• Flat frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz
• THD+N: <1%
• S/N ratio: >80dB
• Dimensions: 19"w x 3.5"h x 10"d (2u rackspace)
• Shipping Weight: 16 lbs.
• Power Consumption (120/240VAC): 42 watts
KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN - Starting at $1,695 for a VERY Limited Time!
We've started a Kickstarter.com campaign where we’ll be offering both of our new products, as well as some extra goodies like t-shirts, record crates and artwork. During the limited 30-day campaign you’ll find our products at amazing values which will be only available at this time. If you get in line early, you will be able to reap the rewards of being an “Early Bird” backer. Not only will you get an extremely good deal, but you’ll also get your gear sooner! Visit our KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN now!
Visit www.locomotiveaudio.com for more information and sound samples.
My name is Eric Strouth and I've been very passionate about analog equipment for the past few years. I began building my own equipment for personal use and really found that although very tedious, the process of building something from scratch and having it work was an amazing feeling.
It's like this - The Personal Attachment
No smoke or fireworks... check! AND it glows on vocals?! How much better can you feel than after that many hours of satisfying agony and you finally... you get the point. There are numerous products on the market today that come into a company or brand's shipping facility untouched and unseen and go out the door fully packaged without even checking for surface scratches. I would rather have our approach at Locomotive be exactly the opposite. While we have designed our products around sound and usability, there is something that feels so good about flipping that power switch up after our final solder joint. We do everything here by hand the old-fashioned way because not only does it look cool, it sounds amazing too! There is a personal attachment. Wire routing, component laying, steel, iron and knobs are what makes each one pieces different and special. All the parts in these units are the same, but each one will go out the door feeling like its own piece of art. We hope you love it too!
Anyway, we are doing a Kickstarter campaign right now and we have about 20 days left. During this campaign we are offering our products at much lower than our estimated retail prices in a couple months. Some companies do crowdfunding campaigns like Kickstarter so that they can use "backer's" funds to make a product have a chance at getting made. That way they don't have to invest any of their own cash. OUR Kickstarter campaign doesn't work like that. We have already invested LOTS of personal funds for things like bulk transformers, chassis and Sifam meters and the rest of the small components. We're mainly using the Kickstarter campaign to make back some of the money that we've already spent and most importantly, get our product into the hands of the users... at a pretty amazing price. This will help get us on the radar before we show (very hopeful) at AES in October! Our goal is to have a booth so we can make connections with retail buyers. At that point, the prices will be more in line with what is in the market now.
Take a look and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask as we want to be as upfront with folks as possible during this campaign!
Locomotive Audio :: Handmade Tube Recording Equipment
Locomotive Audio is an exciting modern line of products based on the simple ideas of handmade, high-quality gear with an aesthetically pleasing tone of yesteryear.
Model 286A - Dual Channel Mic Preamp & DI - Starting at $1,695 for a VERY Limited Time!
Locomotive Audio's dual channel 286A preamp offers a huge sonic palette for engineers and producers to explore. Its single-ended Class A tube signal path is what makes this preamplifier so special. The 286A features two tubes per channel; one EF806 and one 12AY7. The 286A can play nice by acting clean and natural with gentle even-order harmonics for a smooth, sweet touch. Get more aggressive with the "Gain" knob and drive the first 12AY7 stage for a warm and colored thickening effect. Go all-out and slam the final 12AY7 stage and output transformer through the "Level" knob for a fully-driven, saturated tube amp sound! Clean and natural to overdriven and fuzzy warm, your choice!
Features:
• Microphone and high impedance instrument inputs
• One EF86 & one 12AY7 per channel
• Polarity reverse switch
• 20dB pad switch
• 100 Hz low cut filter switch
• Microphone load impedance switch
• Mic/DI selection switch
• +48v phantom power switch
• 3-position VU meter switch: CH1 - Off - CH2
• Custom Sifam backlit VU meter
• XLR input and output connections
• Cinemag input and output transformers
• High-grade Solen capacitors in signal path
• Hand-built in USA with classic turret board technique
• Heavy 16 gauge steel chassis
• 115v/230v AC mains option on rear
• Backed by 2-year limited warranty parts and labor
Specifications:
• Microphone input load impedance - 500Ω or 1800Ω
• Output impedance: 600Ω
• 1/4" DI impedance - 680kΩ
• 64dB of gain
• Flat frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz
• THD+N: <1%
• S/N ratio: >70dB
• Dimensions: 19"w x 3.5"h x 10"d (2u rackspace)
• Shipping Weight: 14 lbs.
• Power Consumption (120/240VAC): 25 watts
Model 14B Single Channel Compressor/Limiter - Starting at $1,695 for a VERY Limited Time!
Locomotive Audio's single channel 14B compressor and limiter is based on a very old, but still very exciting concept of rebiasing the input tube with a sidechain control voltage. The 14B mixes a few of our favorite compressors such as the UA 176, Gates Sta-Level and Collins 26U. Its added modern features allow it to achieve a unique sound in its own right. Starting with the semi-remote cutoff 6BC8 tube, a 12AY7 then drives two powerful push-pull 6V6 output tubes. The 14B is quite a versatile unit, with the ability to run soft and gentle or hard and aggressive. A sidechain low cut control offers even more flexibility, especially when used on the mixbus and linked with another 14B. This unit can be used on all kinds of source material including vocals, drums, guitars, bass, piano and horns. With its high quality Cinemag input and interstage transformers, the 14B has the ability to define mid-range clutter and control the peaks at the same time. The user will notice an enhancement on any material run through this unit, even when not compressing.
Features:
• Tubes: (1) 6BC8, (1) 12AY7, (2) 6V6s
• Classic feedback tube compression circuit
• Stereo Link switch
• Sidechain Low Cut filter control: Off and 70-350Hz
• Hard-wire bypass switch
• Variable input & output controls
• Variable Attack & release controls
• Compression (up to 6:1 ratio) or Limiting (up to 14:1 ratio)
• Compression switched off with full counterclockwise attack knob position
• Two position VU meter switch: Gain Reduction - Output
• 6BC8 balance adjustment on interior of unit
• Custom Sifam backlit VU meter
• XLR input and output connections
• Cinemag input and interstage transformers - custom output transformer
• High-grade Solen capacitors in signal path
• Hand-built in USA with classic turret board technique
• Heavy 16 gauge steel chassis
• 115v/230v AC mains option on rear
• Backed by 2-year limited warranty parts and labor
Specifications:
• Input load impedance: 6000Ω
• Output impedance: <800Ω
• Variable Attack: (500µs-5ms)
• Variable Release: (100ms-1.5sec)
• Compression (up to 6:1 ratio) or Limiting (up to 14:1 ratio)
• Flat frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz
• THD+N: <1%
• S/N ratio: >80dB
• Dimensions: 19"w x 3.5"h x 10"d (2u rackspace)
• Shipping Weight: 16 lbs.
• Power Consumption (120/240VAC): 42 watts
KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN - Starting at $1,695 for a VERY Limited Time!
We've started a Kickstarter.com campaign where we’ll be offering both of our new products, as well as some extra goodies like t-shirts, record crates and artwork. During the limited 30-day campaign you’ll find our products at amazing values which will be only available at this time. If you get in line early, you will be able to reap the rewards of being an “Early Bird” backer. Not only will you get an extremely good deal, but you’ll also get your gear sooner! Visit our KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN now!
Visit www.locomotiveaudio.com for more information and sound samples.