Watch & listen

Tom Spiker on the Hazelrigg VLC-1 & D.W. Fearn VT-24 & VT-2

Also in this recording Hazelrigg Industries VLC MkII Tube Mic Pre/EQ DW Fearn VT-24 Tube Mic Preamp

Tom Spiker, musician, engineer, and faculty member of Philadelphia University of the Arts spoke to us about the importance of trusting yourself to commit to your input signal chain and how he interacts with his D.W. Fear... Read more

Tom Spiker, musician, engineer, and faculty member of Philadelphia University of the Arts spoke to us about the importance of trusting yourself to commit to your input signal chain and how he interacts with his D.W. Fearn and Hazelrigg equipment in a musical way.

Recorded with this gear

Royer Labs recording of Holly Cole's "Waters of March"

Also in this recording Royer Labs SF - 24 Active Stereo Ribbon Microphone Royer Labs R-122 MKII Active Ribbon Microphone Neumann U87Ai Microphone Apogee Digital AD-16x 16 Channel A/D converter API Audio 212L 200 series Preamplifier

Sample of Holly Cole's "Waters of March" recorded with a Royer SF-24 on piano and a Royer R-122 on the acoustic guitar. The SF-24 is placed at the curve of the piano and pointed towards the middle. Also miking the piano... Read more

Sample of Holly Cole's "Waters of March" recorded with a Royer SF-24 on piano and a Royer R-122 on the acoustic guitar. The SF-24 is placed at the curve of the piano and pointed towards the middle. Also miking the piano is two Neumann U-87's miked close and spaced low and high over the strings with all mics going into API 212L mic Preamps and into an Apogee AD16 A/D converter. The guitar is miked with an Royer R-122 on the neck and is going into the DW Fearn VT-2 Preamp. This sample is presented here at 192 kbps and at a sample rate of 44,100. Enjoy!

Jazz Quartet

Also in this recording Neumann TLM 193 Microphone

Jazz Quartet Recorded with a pair of TLM193's through a DW Fearn VT-2, Joe Meek SC2 Compressor, and an Apogee Rosetta 48K Converter

From DW Fearn

The VT-series microphone preamplifiers will change the way you think of audio quality. The transparency is astounding. Vocals sound smoother, warmer, more intimate, with a compelling presence. Any microphone and any sound will benefit from the improved clarity, definition, and lack of solid-state artifacts.

The VT-2 recreates the sound of classic tube preamps of the 1960s. Modern components and computer-optimized circuitry, unavailable during the vacuum tube era, elevate this design to a new level of performance.

Design Philosophy

In designing the VT-2, no compromise in sonic quality, reliability, or ruggedness were permitted. Like the best tube equipment of the 1950s and '60s, the VT-2 is built on a heavy-guage aluminum chassis, utilizing point-to-point wiring. Each vacuum tube is selected for minimum noise and microphonics, and maximum sonic clarity. The front panel switches control sealed, gold-contact precision relays for all audio switching, eliminating the possibility of dirty contacts degrading the sound and minimizing the internal audio path. Four class-A triode amplifier sections (in two tubes) in each channel comprise the entire active circuit. This surprisingly simple circuit, along with top-quality components and careful design optimization, results in the sonic superiority that the VT-2 has become known for.

All over the globe, VT-2 preamps are in daily use in the world's best studios, as well as in home project studios, helping many top recording artists achieve the best possible sound.

FEATURES
- stereo version of the highly-acclaimed D.W. Fearn VT-1
- all vacuum-tube design
- clean and airy high end
- fat low end
- unsurpassed warmth, transparency, and musicality
- Lo-Z input position for superior performance with transformerless mics
- Phase (polarity) reverse switch +48 volt phantom power (completely disconnected when off)
- custom-design Jensen input and output transformers for superb sonics
- 20 dB input pad (switchable)
- true VU meters (amplifier isolated)
- all point-to-point audio wiring
- high-performance, fully-regulated power supplies with exceptional reserve
- gold input and output XLR connectors
- polypropylene and polystyrene coupling capacitors
- all audio switching through gold-contact, sealed precision relays
- international operation on 100, 120, or 220 VAC, 50/60 Hz
- CE certified +4 dBm output
- conservatively rated precision components and rugged construction for stability and long life
- line-level processing with the LP-1 Line Pad accessory

New models of VT-2 preamp feature an integrated, switchable 43 dB pad, enabling it to be patched into the Master Buss during mixdown and mastering to provide D.W. Fearn’s unique sonic signature to the final mix or mastering process. This replaces the need for the LP-1 Line pad, which was a separate box previously available from D.W. Fearn. The new design now makes the VT-2 a veritable triple threat, equally at home in recording, mixing, and mastering.

- Input 150 ohms
- Input Load Impedance 1.5k ohms
- Minimum Input Level -65 dBm nominal
- Maximum Input Level @ 20 cps -30 dBm without pad, -5 dBm with 20 dB pad
- Gain 53 dB
- Frequency Response +/-0.25 dB 20 cps to 20 kc; -3 dB @ 0.5 cps and 55 kc
- THD+Noise less than 0.25% 20 cps to 20 kc
- Intermodulation Distortion SMPTE less than 0.02%
- Signal to Noise Ratio 74 dB minimum
- Equivalent Input Noise -124 dBm maximum
- Output low-Z, transformer-balanced
- Maximum Output Level +22 dBm, 20k ohm load
- Power Requirements 100, 120, or 220 VAC, 50/60 Hz
- Dimensions 19" (48.26cm) W, 5.25" (13.34cm) H, 14" (35.56cm) D
- Weight 18 lbs (8.16kg)

NOTE: Frequency is specified in cycles per second (cps) or kilocycles per second (kc). These units correspond to Hz and kHz respectively. Measurements made with -50 dBm input and 50 dB gain in a 22 cps to 22 kc bandwidth. Specifications and price subject to change without notice.

Free 3-Year Warranty

Sound Pure stands behind our products. Free three-year warranty on this item. Coverage exclusions live in Terms & Conditions, Section 27.

Level of support and expertise that simply isn't available at big-box megastores. Read the warranty →

Returns

Not eligible for Try Before You Buy or the 48-hour approval period. Standard return policy applies — see Terms & Conditions, Section 18 for details.

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