Avalon VT737SP Class A Tube Channel StripThe Avalon VT737SP features a combination of TUBE preamplifiers, opto-compressor, sweep EQ, output level and VU metering.
VT737SP's preamp provides a 48V phantom powered input, an Instrument DI and a balanced line input. The Opto-compressor features twin Class A tube triodes for gain matching. Full dynamic control from soft compression to hard-knee limiting can be achieved with threshold, ratio-compression, attack and release controls plus gain reduction selection on the large VU meter. Special spectral control including de-ess is available with the dual sweep mid EQ to side-chain switch. The EQ section can be flipped pre or post-compressor. The high and low EQ bands provide the smooth characteristics of an all passive design, while the dual mid bands include variable frequency and switched Q-width selection. Whether you're recording a solo vocalist or an acoustic instrument, mastering, or recording symphonies, let Avalon take you to the leading edge in analog and experience sonic reality like never before!
Avalon VT737SP Features
- Vacuum tube triode signal path
- Soft-start tube life extender
- Stereo link for compressors
- Sealed silver relays for signal routing
- Transformer balanced microphone input
- High-voltage circuits for max headroom and low noise
- Discrete Class A equalizer with musical passive filter
- Internal discrete power supply with toroidal transformer
- Large control knobs with professional conductive plastic potentiometers
- VU meter for output level monitoring and compressor gain reduction
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Great Unit. Allows the user to slam into the red!
The Avalon VT737SP is a great unit. It has so many strengths that basically you could say that as a MIC Pre/Channel Strip goes, this is in the top 10% of all of the units out there. The best thing about the Avalon 737 is that the unit allows the user to slam into the
red without the distortion and craziness of similiarly priced units. And this opens all types of Harmonic possibilities. In my studio the Avalon supercedes much posher names with ease. Everyone wants to try the Tube-Tech, and the Manley Units in my Studio, but they come back to the Avalon. This is not to say that the unit has some flaws. The EQ section is a bit weak. One of the recording artists that frequents the studio asked our Chief Engineer whether or not the EQ section even worked. And this was after fiddling with the EQ for almost an hours time. Likewise, the Compressor part of the unit is a tad weak. I believe that Avalon will need to address these shortcomings in Models to come. But, with all of that being said...for the sound of this MIC PRE and the Tubes that warm it... The Avalon VT737SP is the perfect front end of the signal chain for all types of recording, but particularly using it as the front end for Digital formats such as the Pro Tools HD 3 that we employ in our studios.
Preamplifier
The VT737SP has three input selections:
- A higher-performance mic input transformer with +48v phantom selection
- An instrument DI high source input with jack located on front panel
- A balanced line input, discrete high-level Class A
The Class A preamplifier utilizes two cascaded, dual vacuum tube triodes configured with minimum negative feedback. A high gain switch boosts the overall gain of the preamplifier. The four high quality tubes are configured as singled ended anode coupled followers. A passive-variable high pass filter and hard-wire relay bypass completes the input signal conditioning. The phase reverse relay is available on all three inputs.
Opto-Compressor
The opto-compressor features a minimum signal path design with twin Class A vacuum tube triodes for gain matching. The optical attenuator acts as a simple passive level controller. Full dynamic control from soft compression to hard-knee limiting can be achieved with threshold, ratio-compression, attack and release controls plus gain reduction selection on the large VU meter. Special spectral control including
de-essing is available with the dual sweep mid EQ to side-chain switch. The EQ section can be flipped pre or post the opto-compressor via a front panel switch for alternate effects and tone shaping. Two VT737SPs can be linked via a rear panel link cable for stereo tracking. The compressor bypass is a sealed silver relay for the most direct signal path.
Sweep-Equalizer and Output Level
The VT737SP equalizer utilizes 100% discrete, Class A-high-voltage transistors for optimum sonic performance. The high and low frequency bands provide the smooth characteristics of an all passive design, while the dual mid bands include variable frequency and switched Q-width selection. The enhanced range of the mid bands is extended into the high and low bands by the use of x10 frequency multipliers. The bypass switch incorporates a sealed silver relay for the most direct signal path. When the EQ to sidechain is engaged, the high-low EQ remains in the audio path for
tone enhancement. The output level control provides a variable control of the overall signal path. The output amplifier utilizes another dual triode vacuum tube driving a 100% discrete, Class A, high-current, balanced and DC coupled low noise output amplifier.