Hazelrigg Industries VEC - Everything Chain  From DW Fearn

With backgrounds in live performance and production, brothers Geoff and George Hazelrigg approach the design and manufacturing of studio equipment from the perspective of the artists, with a deep understanding of the goals and challenges they face. While the Hazelrigg Brothers often work in beautifully outfitted studios (or truck racks of gear into less well-equipped venues), they found that many of their colleagues were facing very different obstacles. With changes in production methods, more and more tracks were being cut in bedrooms and hotel rooms, on headphones or unfamiliar monitor systems, with the resulting audio showing the marks of these inconsistencies.  

Confidence in one package

The VLC:

The foundation of the VLC is the legendary Preamp and Power Supply design utilized in the VT series of Tube Microphone Preamplifiers from D.W. Fearn. Designed for sonic transparency and delivering incredible headroom, the VLC will produce stunning results with dynamic, condenser and ribbon microphones and will change the way that you approach your mic locker during a session.

A rotary switch on the front panel will also select between Microphone, Instrument Input (DI) or the Balanced Line Level Input located on the back panel. The all tube DI path is ideal for acoustic instruments with pickups, electric bass, modular synths or any instrument that would enjoy a bit of D. W. Fearn magic, while the Line Level Input allows the VLC to be wired as an insert on your mixer or DAW for fast and easy “re-preamping” of tracks during production or mix down. This feature is the secret weapon of many VLC users and allows them to breathe new life into tracks received from remote clients or simply add a bit of extra mojo to a mix as needed.

Moving beyond the input and gain sections, the VLC delivers powerful tone contouring in the form of a passive LC EQ.  The bottom is handled by variable Low Cut and Low Boost controls while the top end is managed similarly with High Boost and High Cut dials. Each of these four controls features a two way High/Low Frequency Select switch for even more precise tone shaping. Beautifully musical - even at extreme settings - these controls encourage you to use your ears to dial in your tone while an EQ In/Out toggle is nearby to make it easy to check your work.

The VNE:

Ideal for tracking and mixing, the Hazelrigg Industries VNE features an all Class-A vacuum tube audio path, like all D.W. Fearn and Hazelrigg Industries products. As originally introduced in the D.W. Fearn VT-7 Stereo Tube Compression Amplifier, the gain reduction circuit utilizes readily available tubes to deliver classic tube compressor performance, while employing a unique Pulse Width Modulation control circuit to drive the compression. The combination of this precision PWM control methodology and D.W. Fearn’s high fidelity compression amplifier design result in an audio tool that delivers comprehensive dynamics control, without imparting unwanted tonal artifacts on the source material. In use, the VNE can be applied as subtly or aggressively as desired while retaining a beautifully transparent sonic signature.

As with all D.W. Fearn and Hazelrigg Industries offerings, each component has been hand selected for superior audio performance and rock-solid reliability and – most importantly - critical decisions in the development process were made during rigorous listening tests to ensure that the resulting device delivers superlative audio performance on any source, and on any session.  

In addition, the front panel of the VNE has been designed for fast, easy and intuitive operation and includes controls for Threshold, Attack, Release and Gain as well as a three-way rotary switch allowing the user to bypass compression or to insert a High-Pass Filter (HPF) in the side-chain to reduce the gain-reduction sensitivity to low frequencies. This is a gentle roll-off, nominally at 100Hz, to avoid heavy low-frequency transients from overly modulating the audio level.

The Package:

Both of these units are shipped with a matching VPH rack panel in a single shipping carton.