The Mercury 66 Limiting Amplifier is, as true as possible, a recreation of the classic Fairchild limiters-- using parts that are available today-- and meets all of the original specifications. But more importantly, it SOUNDS like a Fairchild. Its performance features include: exceptional tone and musical focus; absence of audible thumps, distortion or noise; extremely fast attack time that can produce full limiting in 1/5000th of a second; variable release time from .3 seconds to 25 seconds; useful as a limiter or a compressor depending on the program material and control settings; reliability and stability (All components operate well below their rated maximums); all tube, fully balanced (push-pull) transformer coupled circuitry; and simple, easy to use controls.
The Mercury 66 Limiting Amplifier is built to be a new classic and to be your go-to compressor for the next 50 years!
The Mercury 66 Limiting Amplifier uses a single push-pull stage of amplification (transformer coupled in/out (no capacitors in the signal path) with a high control voltage. The result: the unit never produces any audible thumps, and has low distortion and noise under all conditions (either as a limiter or straight through amplifier). The Control amplifier is also fully balanced, transformer coupled in/out. The unit makes use of a very stable high current vacuum tube voltage regulator. It has ample and accessible input, threshold, attack, release time and metering controls allowing for convenience in the control room when making adjustments. The attack time is very fast and catches short transients. The release time of .3 to 25 seconds provides real flexibility: Three positions of the six available make the release time a function of program material, with fast recovery for short duration peaks and overall reduction of program level should the program level remain high. It can be used as a limiter or compressor. For example, use it as a 2 to 1 ratio compressor with a threshold 5 dB below average level, or as a peak limiter with a 20 to 1 ratio with threshold 10 dB above normal program level, or anywhere between these extremes.
Mercury Recording Equipment...PLUG INTO REALITY
"With it's stellar sound, faithfulness to the original V76, unique tonal flexibility, and helpful array of modern conveniences, the M76m could very well be the ultimate 'vintage-style' mic preamp available today." - Pete Weiss, TapeOp Magazine #49