Valve Voodoo Machine

[The Tasmanian]

Hi Rockers
i am proud to announce the arrival of my first twins
They come from good genes
These are the first photos of the babies





[/img]

[The Tasmanian]

It could have been in the DIY section...
but the amazing Andrew Kay hand built them for me from a hybrid design of Gates Sta level / Urie 175 / Fairchild.
Using 6386 valves and vintage Australian transformers.
They absolutely smoke our 2 vintage LA2a's and have a sweet top end like not unlike our AWA valve comp - and then there is the bottom end - one word "enormous"

Proud Parent -
Chris Townend
BJB Studios

[The Tasmanian]

And one more thing....
The valve compressors have a neat little jumper switch on the back that turns them into 2 Valve Mic Pre's
The mans a genius!

[jkhuri44]

The Tasmanian: " So, uhh....thats what im playing with, what are you loosers up to?"

Us: " Errr....*mass whimpering and curling into fetal position*" ....

[The Tasmanian]

Also Also - Recycling has been applied here.
The only parts that were bought were 2 NOS meters from the US and a front panel made up to our design. All the rest was recycled. The steel racks were old racks from a ABC tape machine.
You gotta love that!

[Chris H]

Holy smoke!........Very Impressive looking bits of kit.

[jkhuri44]

the text and markings are very Thermionic Culture...

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[The Tasmanian]

Thats interesting
he would not even know Thermonic Culture....or any other compressor manufacturer for that matter (except for the old companies). he is not nurdy like us.
I told Andrew that I wanted an old font to nod towards the good old days, and that is what he came up with first go..
and the black was chosen from a choice of six (boring) colours so we went with the black (more rock!)
And the meters were the only 2 left.
Andrew repairs all BJB and Electric Avenus valve compressors and Pre's and does quite a bit of valve amp repairs.
He comes with the best recommendations from me.
Chris Townend

[jkhuri44]

Thats interesting
I told Andrew that I wanted an old font to nod towards the good old days, and that is what he came up with first go..
Chris Townend

thats exactly why it looks like thermionics :)

that geezer is as old school as old people :P

[jkhuri44]

How about some photos of the back and inside. :?:

irty

sounds dirty!

[The Tasmanian]

These were one offs - as there are no more 6386's anywhere, and the transformers are vintage Australian.
but, it is also something that may happen if there was enough interest, but it is hard to get interest with only 2 units that exist.
putting this aside the guy is a genius and could build you what you like.
my next custom build will be a valve Pultec/Amtec hybrid with a completely additional passive midrange eq and possibly a neve hi freq eq based on the 1073 - I hope to do it with one sheet of metal that holds 8 channels (call it a slab)
i am getting real close to moving forward on it once I do a final touch more of R&D on exactly what i want it to do/sound.
If I was to buy this stuff - the really killer vintage stuff ( like pultec's etc) I would be up for a small fortune - so I would much prefer making stuff with these talented tech's like Andrew and Rob Squire etc and getting original sounding equipment that gives me my "voice" sonically instead of always using equipment that others are using (even though i do)
At the end of the day it is so much cheaper if you are smart about it ( like sourcing the transformers and a touch of creative recycling)
And great fun too - I feel like Joe Meek! (the person)
Chris Townend

[Linear]

They do look a little like my thermionic phoenix mastering compressor - are they linkable though?

very nice. i love australian made stuff...

chris

[The Tasmanian]

no link yet - it was on the list but we wanted to get them going first and then add it down the track
also wanting to add a filter in the front end too at 100 and 200hz - more fun to be had!

[The Tasmanian]

and one more addition is that Andrew has made an option inside like the T bar on the Manleys so that when the 6386 eventually dies you can throw in a pair of $7 valves to replace it . I have been swapping between these setups and they are similar - without the 6386 they sound a touch brighter but still this enormous bottom end.
6386 is much smoother and can compress a touch more.
With either valve setup I can get rediculous amounts of compression (up to 40db on the Voodoo scale)
I'll see if Andrew can send me some inside pic's.
So exited that the first custom stuff that I have ever built has turned out so well - i trusted my gut and got a killer sounding pair of comp's.
Thanks for letting me share it with you guys!

[heathen]

Nice, oh yeah very nice. Pity about the 6386 tubes there are a few about but I think anyone who owns anything that uses 6386 tubes would buy them immediately upon sighting them.

[heathen]

Yeah reminds me of the thermionic stuff too.

[HA_DA_JA]

well done by following your gut and pulling it off.
Its nice to be able to share your successes with us fellow gear lusters.
We are indeed quite genuinely happy for you and I personally wish you the best in fine tuning these hybrid beauties.
You never know where it could lead you - other than having a fantasitc audio footprint.
Can I trademark that term "audio footprint" - I just love it.
I think with the whole API Arsenal vs JVC trademark name claim case is absurd. Maybe I should get the patent on my word 'Audio Footprint".
Cheers

[The Tasmanian]

Although I wish I had Chris' thermionic phoenix mastering compressor as well.....seriously good kit!

[ChrisW]

Stunning.

[jeep]

the best thing about them is the "VOODOO" VU meters!!
oh and they sound pretty great too..

[The Tasmanian]

.....
I cant believe how good these are!!
yesterday we were needing to get an over compressed pumping piano sound and I was compressing the piano by 35db and the signal stayed relatively undistorted - and still huge and solid in the top and bottom end.
also becoming my lead vocal secret weapon. Bass guitar as well is going through the voodoo

and they look like the emit voodoo - old school ruby glass red bulbs - the photo does not do them justice!
and to have two of them - YEAH!
gotta get some inside photo's some how.
I think that part of the reason they sound so good apart from the 6386 and design characteristics, is the things are really simple - no fancy shit to degrade the sound

happy is not the word!
more stories to come

[heathen]

Nice, I've got a Pendulum ES8, the later version of the 6386 limiter (minus 6386 tubes due to short supply). It does some very serious GR also without getting thin and nasty, I took it too a gear shootout and the fella's had a fiddle with it and said "she don't do much". :)

Thing is it does plenty, just in a very subtle way, electric guits though it sounds pretty big but I mainly like it on drums with a slow attack and fast release. You pretty much can't get the thing to pump or distort either unless you do some extreme limiting and a real fast release while cranking the input gain controls.

I actually hired it to your studio one time with my Avalon eq and the producer sent it back and wanted my C2 comp instead. i guess it's a unit you really need to spend some time with to get to know and find the sweetest spots.


Anyway I always prefer a smoother bigger rounder sound instead of smashed and pumping to death. A bit of vari moo voodoo is always good. :)

[NYMo]

Hi there,

Yeah...I've got the Manley Moo with the mod.
Its interesting to run the API 2500 into the moo on the 2 bus !
(but your voodoo's look great !)

cheers
N
Y
M
O

[heathen]

Hi there,

Yeah...I've got the Manley Moo with the mod.
Its interesting to run the API 2500 into the moo on the 2 bus !
(but your voodoo's look great !)

cheers
N
Y
M
O

Now try running each on a paralleled stereo drum subgroup with an eq in each stereo path too. You'll dig it I'm sure. :) :) :)

[rick]

ok chris i have sat on my hands long enough :)

i see your valve voodoo and raise you
this

[heathen]

ok chris i have sat on my hands long enough :)

i see your valve voodoo and raise you
this

C'mon Rick you know we don't even know what the hell it even really is yet so I'm not jel just yet, though yeah I probably will be later.

[heathen]

Looks like an industrial microwave with internet. :)

[Chinagraf]

Nah that's one of them bar fridge with internet thingys innit?

[Gian]

ok chris i have sat on my hands long enough :)

i see your valve voodoo and raise you
this

Is that your new DA converter(s)?

[heathen]

Nah that's one of them bar fridge with internet thingys innit?

Ahhhhh digitally controlled coke chiller.