The 3u 19" Thermionic Culture Earlybird 4 has a unique valve design, in that it uses Class A bias valves in a push-pull circuit, company founder and chief designer Vic Keary believes that this is one of the finest pre-amplifiers available today, and despite they're use for distortion in power amps, valves have better distortion and lower noise than solid state amps. Due to specially designed Sowter transformers the Earlybird 4 boasts well under .01% distortion, a Vic explains that "it's like connecting a pair of wires with gain to your mic, it's so clean!" It has a very high output level of +32dB and if desired, 2nd order harmonics c be introduced by increasing mic gain and reducing output gain. The unit has switched gain controls with a maximum of 62dB of mic gain and a variable output along with pads, phase and stepped filter. A pair of meters can be switched between 1 & 2 and 3 & 4.
The microphone amplifier is arguably the most important part of the audio chain, yet it is here that solid state technology is weakest in most mixing desks.
The Thermionic Culture Earlybird 2.2 has been developed to be simply the best mic amp you can buy. Because of the special balanced push pull double triode circuit, it is virtually silent and distortion free, and has a very open, clean yet warm sound. The extended frequency response and lack of phase shift make it ideal for classical or rock recording.
The Earlybird 2 has a simple yet very effective eq for top, mid and bass in the feedback circuit (switchable). The high pass filter has been designed so that it works conventionally at lower settings, but on the 2 highest settings is gentler, and provides a mid cut when used in conjunction with the active bass lift.
The Earlybird 2.2 does not have to sit idly by on a mix! A separate line in socket is provided so that it becomes a valve eq and can produce a wonderfully warm distortion if required. The Output Trim control is placed after the electronics (as on The Phoenix ) and if turned back to a low setting, The Earlybird 2 can be overdriven by increasing the Gain setting.
Some Cultured users...
Because of their unique blend of flexibility, musicality, and usability, brought about as a result of being hand-built by some of the worlds leading pro audio valve equipment designers and engineeers, Thermionic Culture products attract their fair share of high profile, industry leading producers and engineers from the world of recording technology. Here is just a handful - why not add your name to the list?
Tony Maserati - Culture Vulture
Black Dog Productions - Earlybird 2.2, Pullet, Phoenix Mastering Compressor, Culture Vulture.
Al Schmitt - Phoenix
Big Life Music - Phoenix Master Compressor
Steve Dub Jones - Earlybird 2
The Dairy - Phoenix
Al Stone - Culture Vulture
ROBERT CARRANZA - PRODUCER FOR LOS LOBOS, SUPER GRASS, JACK JOHNSON - CULTURE VULTURE
PABLO MUNGUIA - ROBBIE WILLIAMS - PHOENIX & CULTURE VULTURE
STEPHEN STREET - KAISER CHIEFS - CULTURE VULTURE
JAMES FORD - PRODUCER - ARTIC MONKEYS - CULTURE VULTURE
GROOVE ARMADA - EARLYBIRD & CULTURE VULTURE MASTERING - " Both myself and Tom Findlay bought the Earlybird and the Culture Vulture Mastering, they're like your first mobile phone, once you've used them for a week you wondered how you ever liver without them!" Andy Cato - Groove Armada.
Larry Hammel - Producer, Deepwave Music Productions, Earlybird 2.2 and Phoenix
Peter Katis
Chemical Brothers - Culture Vulture Mastering MV & Phoenix
"The vulture it distorts synths in a truly beautiful way-we used to acheive this effect thru a long,convoluted process now we can get this great sound at a flick of a switch!" - Tom Rowlands
Peter Gabriel - Real World Studios - Culture Vulture
Alan Moulder -Producer/Engineer The Jesus & Mary Chain, Swervedriver, My Bloody Valentine,Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails Downward Spiral, U2's Pop.
Mike Caffrey
Steve 'Dub' Jones - Engineer/Producer - Chemical Brothers, Madness. Culture Vulture Mastering MV & Phoenix
Tom Findlay - Groove Armada - Earlybird-2, Phoenix
Pietro Taucher - Engineer for Sharrie Williams
Paisley Park
Tie Dye Keith
Jerry Harrison and Eric Thorngren (Talking Heads)
Peter Katis
Jimmy Boyle
Kevin Bacon ( Axis Studios, recent credits include Jaimeson )
Angel Mountain Studios
Overtones
Andy Strange ( recent credits include Robbie Williams )
David Ives
Bernard Butler
Tony Hoffer ( Beck , Turin Breaks )
Edwyn Collins
Mick Jones
The Libertines
Mark 'Spike¹ Stent ( U2, Madonna, Oasis )
Portishead
Ken Nelson ( Badly Drawn Boy, Coldplay )
Dave Gilmour
The Prodigy
Hugh Jones
Strong Room Studios
Air Studios
Mute Records
Ross Hogarth - "Mondo distorto! dude, i like your box a lot...really liked the musicality of it!"
San Francisco Soundworks
“La Source” Mastering suite - Paris France
Yves Jaget
Bertrand Blais producer of Etienne Daho
Wisseloord Mastering
The Thermionic Culture Pullet is a passive equaliser originally designed to complement the Earlybird pre-amp. The Pullet will provide a variable Q boost at 11 frequencies of 21 dB and simultaneously a cut at 11 frequencies of 21dB. In addition high top can be boosted or cut with a shelving filter. The Earlybird will provide the gain makeup required after a line level signal has been passed through the pullets passive EQ network. This provides an excellent arrangement due to the fact that the passive EQ of the pullet gives full control over any midrange frequencies whilst the active EQ of the Earlybird can give a smooth sounding control over the bass and top frequencies. The fact is that passive EQ can give a much better result when radically boosting or cutting mid frequencies with a tight Q than active EQ can ever do.
Its possible to boost a narrow band of midrange by 21dB with a musical sounding result using the pullets passive network whereas an active EQ may well start to sound harsh and begin to ring.
The pullet has lately been re-designed in order to allow it to be used with any preamp available. The preamp will need to give between 38 to 40 dB of gain makeup and it ideally will have an input impedance of 1200 . A range of commercially available preamps have been used during testing of the pullet and all have given excellent results.
The high input impedance (10k) of the Pullet means that it will give optimum performance when placed in a chain after any piece of equipment.
The mid boost frequencies are:
800 Hz 3.5 KHz 1.2 KHz 4.4 KHz 1.6 KHz 5 KHz 2 KHz 6.3 KHz 2.5 KHz 8.5 KHz 3 KHz
The mid cut frequencies are:
230 Hz 2 KHz 340 Hz 2.8 KHz 500 Hz 4 KHz 700 Hz 6 KHz 1 KHz 8 KHz 1.4 KHz
The air control will shelve as a lift from 15 KHz, 12 KHz and 10 KHz. It will cut from 15 KHz, 11 KHz and 6 KHz.
Originally designed as a "distortion box" to simulate distortion in valve amps, the Thermionic Culture Vulture has found lots of uses beyond this. We know that some owners use them on drum loops, vocals, piano sounds and even across entire tracks (it is a stereo unit).
We have refined this so that distortion figures are reduced to only 0.2% at lowest to about 99.9% (at least that's what our distortion meter tells us!). Predominant distortion can be changed from even to odd harmonics with a simple switch. We know it's recently been rented to mix a JAMES BOND movie!
Key Features:
Warm sounds gently or create a noise like a 200 watt guitar stack with all the drivers slashed. Independent channel operation
Odd or even harmonic distortion, or combination of both.
All valve design free from solid state additives.
High impedance line input or instrument inputs.
4 & 7 kHz filters
Overdrive & bypass switches
Some Cultured users...
Because of their unique blend of flexibility, musicality, and usability, brought about as a result of being hand-built by some of the worlds leading pro audio valve equipment designers and engineeers, Thermionic Culture products attract their fair share of high profile, industry leading producers and engineers from the world of recording technology. Here is just a handful - why not add your name to the list?
Tony Maserati - Culture Vulture
Black Dog Productions - Earlybird 2.2, Pullet, Phoenix Mastering Compressor, Culture Vulture.
Al Schmitt - Phoenix
Big Life Music - Phoenix Master Compressor
Steve Dub Jones - Earlybird 2
The Dairy - Phoenix
Al Stone - Culture Vulture
ROBERT CARRANZA - PRODUCER FOR LOS LOBOS, SUPER GRASS, JACK JOHNSON - CULTURE VULTURE
PABLO MUNGUIA - ROBBIE WILLIAMS - PHOENIX & CULTURE VULTURE
STEPHEN STREET - KAISER CHIEFS - CULTURE VULTURE
JAMES FORD - PRODUCER - ARTIC MONKEYS - CULTURE VULTURE
GROOVE ARMADA - EARLYBIRD & CULTURE VULTURE MASTERING - " Both myself and Tom Findlay bought the Earlybird and the Culture Vulture Mastering, they're like your first mobile phone, once you've used them for a week you wondered how you ever liver without them!" Andy Cato - Groove Armada.
Larry Hammel - Producer, Deepwave Music Productions, Earlybird 2.2 and Phoenix
Peter Katis
Chemical Brothers - Culture Vulture Mastering MV & Phoenix
"The vulture it distorts synths in a truly beautiful way-we used to acheive this effect thru a long,convoluted process now we can get this great sound at a flick of a switch!" - Tom Rowlands
Peter Gabriel - Real World Studios - Culture Vulture
Alan Moulder -Producer/Engineer The Jesus & Mary Chain, Swervedriver, My Bloody Valentine,Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails Downward Spiral, U2's Pop.
Mike Caffrey
Steve 'Dub' Jones - Engineer/Producer - Chemical Brothers, Madness. Culture Vulture Mastering MV & Phoenix
Tom Findlay - Groove Armada - Earlybird-2, Phoenix
Pietro Taucher - Engineer for Sharrie Williams
Paisley Park
Tie Dye Keith
Jerry Harrison and Eric Thorngren (Talking Heads)
Peter Katis
Jimmy Boyle
Kevin Bacon ( Axis Studios, recent credits include Jaimeson )
Angel Mountain Studios
Overtones
Andy Strange ( recent credits include Robbie Williams )
David Ives
Bernard Butler
Tony Hoffer ( Beck , Turin Breaks )
Edwyn Collins
Mick Jones
The Libertines
Mark 'Spike¹ Stent ( U2, Madonna, Oasis )
Portishead
Ken Nelson ( Badly Drawn Boy, Coldplay )
Dave Gilmour
The Prodigy
Hugh Jones
Strong Room Studios
Air Studios
Mute Records
Ross Hogarth - "Mondo distorto! dude, i like your box a lot...really liked the musicality of it!"
San Francisco Soundworks
“La Source” Mastering suite - Paris France
Yves Jaget
Bertrand Blais producer of Etienne Daho
Wisseloord Mastering
This is the latest in the Culture Vulture range and is designed to be used both as a mastering tool and for those applications where balanced inputs and outputs are required plus some extreme distortion. It has lower noise, better frequency response, and greater accuracy in level controls by having a three-position input gain switch and a two-position output attenuator.
We use Mullard M8100 low-noise, high-gain valves in the input stage, a pair of GE 5725s for distortion effects, and the Philips 5963 in the output. All are military-grade valves for long life. There is an extra exciting distortion setting on the Function switch. This is labelled P2. It’s similar to P1 (the most used, Pentode setting) but goes into mad distortion and compression when the valve is overloaded. The old P2 is now P3. In addition to the line level transformer balanced output, there is a lower level unbalanced output which can be used to go to inputs that require low level or if one wants to avoid the distortion in the output transformer.
Main advantages over previous versions:
Transformer balanced inputs & outputs on stereo jacks Large indented input Drive controls with 3 position switch Indented Output level controls with attenuator switch Four-position Function control for distortion “flavors” Military-grade valves with longer life and low microphony, including matched 5725 distortion valves Extended frequency response Lower noise Specifications: Figures obtained with 1kHz signal, 0.25mA bias current, function at T, feeding a 10kΩ load.Maximum output level: +21dBu, 20% distortion Distortion: 0.2% to 98% Noise: 83dB below MOL Input impedance: line - 20kΩ, DI: 50kΩ Output impedance: Hi output: 2kΩ, Lo output: 4kΩ Frequency response: +0.5dB/-1dB over 40Hz to 20kHz Max gain: 76dB (P1, min bias) Valve Complement: Input: M8100 (equiv. CV4010*, 5591, EF95) x2 Output: 5963 (equiv. CV4003*, ECC82, 12AU7) Distortion: 5725 (equiv. CV4011*, M8196, 6AS6) x2 *CV is the British military equivalent to US JAN
The Thermionic Culture Rooster is a valve based design mic/line & DI pre-amp with
EQ and a distortion section based around the same 5725 valve used in
the ever-popular Culture Vulture.
Input Stage
The input stage uses a custom 1200-ohm input Sowter transformer and an ECC81/12AT7 valve.
EQ Section
The neatly laid out EQ section has all the Boost or Lift controls on
the left, with a broad bass lift control, peaking at 60Hz, and a
selectable mid/high lift at 2.5k, 4k ("bell" shaped) and 7k (shelving)
respectively. All the Cut controls are on the left hand side, the mid
cut is 700Hz, the 6 position bass cut is straight off the Earlybird 2
pre-amp. There is also a switchable LPF ( low pass filter ).
'Attitude' Distortion Section
The same 5725-distortion tube which is employed in the Culture Vulture
is used in the new Rooster. It offers a subtle distortion
characteristic in the triode position, more so than a Culture Vulture
due to the higher HT voltage, and so has a very low (about 0.01%)
distortion when the 'Attitude' control is set to 1. In the pentode mode
it generates more 3rd harmonic distortion. Distortion can be pretty
radical when the Attitude control is to 'Max' and the input is high.
Output Section
The output valve is ECF80 which combines high output with low impedance
(less than 100 ohms). There is +48v phantom power, and phase reverse.
The output is unbalanced as standard but a balancing transformer option
that is used in the Culture Vulture Mastering will be available.
The Thermionic Culture Nightingale is the second of the Thermionic Culture half rack 4U units. These are of course all valve. Continuing with the 3-part principle (3 being the most powerful number in the universe) it consists of 3 parts: 2 x Mic amps with useful valve eq. Both have their own outputs (XLR unbalanced), which can give 20+dBu. These can be combined or taken individually into...1 x vari-mu compressor-based on The Phoenix but with a little more "attitude". The compressor section has its own input ("balanced" XLR) which can be selected instead of a feed from the mic amps, also an XLR "balanced" output capable of +25 dBu.
More than just a straight summing mixer, the Thermionic Culture Fat Bustard
provides sound shaping possibilities too, with a simple yet powerful
bass ( 50Hz ) and treble ( 10kHz ), Stereo Width and Depth controls, and
the new ‘Attitude’ distortion section. The inputs are arranged as 4x
stereo pairs and 4 mono, all with mutes, the mono inputs also have pan
pots too. Two additional Aux inputs are provided for echo returns and
the optional forthcoming Little Bustard 16 channel expander.
New and Improved!
The master section now includes a INT/EXT switch and a pair of
associated rear mounted jack inputs for attaching a playback device to
route through the monitor buss. This can also be used to check the
effects of a Phoenix compressor that has been connected to the output of
the Fat Bustard. The level of the EXT signal can be adjusted via the
rear mounted trim pot.
The Fat Bustard lives up to its name-guaranteeing Big Fat Sounds!
The Thermionic Culture Phoenix Standby
is virtually identical to the standard model but also includes a
standby switch which is provided to extend valve and capacitor life.
When in 'standby' the HT current through the valves is only 50% of the
normal value. The zero level meter adjusters have now been front to the
front panel to make calibration easier and to avoid having to take the
unit out of the rack
The Phoenix Standby also includes the same side chain filter section
from the Phoenix Mastering Compressor (MC). This side chain filter
provides 75Hz & 150Hz, but more permutations are possible when the
MC is used in stereo mode with the link switch engaged. So, this model
has the same higher gain structure as the standard model, which means it
can slam more than the Mastering model, which makes it more useful for
individual tracking or mixing functions, but adds the extra versatility
of having one of the best two bus compressors available for your stereo
bus due to the chain filters.
Features
All valve design for greater presence and naturality Completely free from solid state additives Transparent compression Punchy when pushed Drive it hard for compression effects and distortion Absolutely flat frequency response over entire audio range and beyond Minimal phase shift giving a crisp and warm sound
Thermionic Culture have released a new version of the Mastering valve compressor, the Thermionic Culture Phoenix Mastering Plus . The classic hand built point to point wired soft knee compressor has a compression ratio from 1.2:1 to 5:1 at 15dB of compression and uses Mullard and Siemens valves and custom Sowter transformers. Following on from the success of the previous models including the red face anniversary limited edition the new model features new switched and stepped rotary controls for quick and easy recall. The input gain features a 24 position ELMA, a 11 position ELMA for the Threshold, 6 position ALPHA attack and release and a 31 position OMEG stepped output pot. The same side chain filter section as previous versions has been retained. A significant difference to the previous M/C versions is the the Mastering Plus now has the same input gain structure as the standard model Phoenix, enabling the mastering Plus to cope with tracking and mixing of individual instruments and vocals that may require high amounts of compression. Other new features include a standby switch which is provided to extend valve and capacitor life. When in 'standby' the HT current through the valves is only 50% of the normal value. The meter zero level adjusters have now been brought to the front panel to avoid having to take the unit out of the rack and so making calibration easier.
With the Thermionic Culture Vulture Solo there is more of a focus
on use with guitar and bass DI / amplifier front end applications but
the unit also retains all the useful features for line level
applications that previous models, including the Limited Edition Culture
Vulture, offered.
The Culture Vulture Solo is a single channel unit in a 2U 19" rack
chassis. It features the ability to switch, via the front panel or a
dedicated foot-switch, between the Clean and Dirty channels.
The Clean channel is an active channel that provides up to 35dB variable
gain to an instrument level signal with a flat but warm sounding
frequency response.
The Dirty channel has the Vultures Drive, Distortion type, Bias controls
found on a standard Culture Vulture. It also features the PQ positions
found on a Limited Edition Culture Vulture and the two Squash positions
found on the Mastering and Limited Edition Culture Vultures. The Dirty
channel has a brand new Presence control and a more control over the
amount of LPF available.
The rear input connector of the Culture Vulture Solo is unbalanced and semi-floating for improved integration with a DAW setup.
Thermionic Culture believes that the Culture Vulture Solo has a greater
range in the tonality that can be applied to mono instrument signals
than ever before, providing any signal with warm sounding gain or
infinitely adjustable amounts of saturation, distortion and bite.
The valve complement of the Culture Vulture Solo is:
1 ECC83 double triode 1 5725 / 6AS6 single pentode 1 12DW7 / ECC832 double triode