The Earlybird 2.3
€5480 ex VAT outside Norway, including shipping
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Highest quality sweet sounding 2 channel valve pre-amp with multi input functions and EQ.
Featuring:
Beautiful quality of push-pull class A valve pre-amplification
Switchable multi input functionality
Active 3 band lift EQ
Variable input impedance selection
HPF and shelving filters
Very low minimum distortion
Very low noise
Very high headroom
€5480 ex VAT outside Norway, including shipping
——————————————————
Highest quality sweet sounding 2 channel valve pre-amp with multi input functions and EQ.
Featuring:
Beautiful quality of push-pull class A valve pre-amplification
Switchable multi input functionality
Active 3 band lift EQ
Variable input impedance selection
HPF and shelving filters
Very low minimum distortion
Very low noise
Very high headroom
FOR BEST PRICE AND DELIVERY TIMES
Further Info:
The Earlybird 2.3 is the latest version of Thermionic Culture’s Earlybird 2 channel valve pre- amplifier, now featuring all point to point audio circuit wiring.
Vic Keary, the designer and originator of Thermionic Culture felt that there was something very special about the sound of this circuit when point to point wiring was used, as has always been the case in the Earlybird 4, 4 channel format.
We felt that it was time to bring that back to the 2 channel format and we optimised the physical construction of the Earlybird 2.3 for excellent performance with the point to point wiring.
Over the years it’s become recognised that the Earlybird is one of the finest sounding valve pre- amps ever made, with unusually wide frequency response and high headroom, plus incredibly low noise and distortion specs provided by its special push-pull, class A topology.
We think there should be no compromise to the sound quality available in this design and point to point wiring has brought us to the best possible result.
The Earlybird 2.3 retains all of the previously available features found in the 2 channel Earlybird format.
This makes the Earlybird 2.3 a flexible centrepiece to any kind of studio, facilitating recording, mixing and mastering applications, all with an incredible sound quality.
The Earlybird 2.3 will act as:
2 channels of mic preamplifier with active EQ.
2 line amplifier channels with active EQ
2 line amplifier channels with active EQ and additional Pullet EQ
1 mic channel with active EQ plus additional Pullet EQ
The easy access to these different configurations from the front panel switching and rear panel connectivity means that the Earlybird 2.3 can be very quickly configured for use in recording, mixing or mastering duties without any need for removal from its rack position or XLR cable re- patching.
Vic Keary’s circuit design of the Earlybird also relies on the quality of the input and output transformers, which were designed in conjunction with Sowter transformers, to give results that are optimised to the Early bird topology. This also contributes to the lowest phase shift and highest headroom possible from a mic preamplifier.
How does it sound?
These excellent specs help the EB2.3 to have great transparency, revealing the source in full detail but the sound produced can also be put firmly in the big and beautiful category.
Users have frequently commented that there is not a trace of pinched mid range or harshness that can become a problem with other types of preamp.
It’s also frequently noted that, once captured in a DAW, boosting a sound afterwards with digital EQ in the mid to high end reveals none of the typical issues with harshness which can make that process so hard to achieve euphorically with digital EQ. It’s typically noted that one way to address harshness is to apply a little valve distortion/saturation, which is certainly effective when needed but the Earlybird design manages to avoid the problem without any signal distortion/ satutration. In fact, the problem isn’t there to start with.
It could also be noted that it’s less necessary to use a plugin to reduce harshness. Although some plugins can reduce harshness effectively they do tend to remove the life from the sound being treated, which will then need to be added back in again with further processing.
The benefit of this quality of sound to the user can’t be understated. Turning essential but often frustrating tasks into a creative enjoyable experience based purely on what you’d like to hear, unlimited by undesirable artefacts. Leaving you free to enjoy listening to a beautifully captured source and how it sits within the mix.
Earlybird 2.3 Features
Essential features of a mic pre-amp are all provided on the front panel such as:
Gain range switching
+48v phantom power switching
Input impedance switching
Output gain continuously variable trim Phase invert switching
3 band active lift EQ:
The active lift EQ section provides great sounding, useful and creative eq possibilities. It works within the feedback loop of the amplifier therefore no extra gain stages are introduced when using the eq, meaning it can be used in recording without fear of introducing unwanted artefacts from additional gain stages.
There are unique ‘varislope’ curves for the ‘bass’ and ‘top’ lift controls.
The ‘mid lift’ control provides a broad, musical curve centred at 800Hz or 2.8kHz. The 3 bands interact for a wide range of tone shaping possibilities.
High pass filters:
The high pass filters are arranged so that the first two switch positions provide 12dB/octave filters to cut unwanted low frequencies below 40Hz or 100Hz. The last position provides a filter with a shelving nature that interacts with the ‘bass’ lift control to provide a low mid cut ‘ bass lift response that can be tailored to taste.
Function:
The ‘function’ switch allows the unit to take its input from:
‘Mic in’ XLR sockets - allowing gain, impedance and +48v to be set for different microphones
‘Line in’ XLR sockets - optimised impedance and gain range for line level sources
‘Pullet’ XLR sockets - optimised impedance and gain range for signals being fed through the “Pullet’ passive equaliser.
The Pullet
The Pullet equaliser is the perfect companion to the Earlybird 2.3.
The Pullet focuses on the midrange frequencies providing passive EQ lift or cut in an incredible fine selection o frequencies in that area.
There is also control over the “air” high frequencies in a very natural sounding way.
The Pullet offers an extremely powerful type of passive EQ with 20dB boost or cut available. Not only that but the passive design gives an exceptionally sweet and rich nature to the sound, allowing huge boosts in the upper midrange without the harshness that would normally be expected. Extra harmonic content can be lifted out of the source material in the most musically pleasing way possible.
In combination with the Earlybird 2.3 the Pullet provides a full range Equaliser that excels in recording, mixing and mastering applications.