Hazelrigg Industries VLC MkII Tube Mic Pre/EQ  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.  

The VLC brings order to this sonic chaos by delivering confidence. Confidence that the tracks captured with the VLC will hold their own in the mix and deliver the emotional impact of the original performance. Confidence that tracks recorded on other gear can be brought up to the level of quality that today’s engineers and producers demand. And confidence that this can all be done quickly, easily and – most importantly – by ear.

The VLC is simply a solution: an elegant, high-performance Preamp/EQ combo that delivers world class sonics while still being able to fit into the overhead bin. 

Confidence: to go.

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.

Hazelrigg Industries VLC: The audio Swiss Army Knife that you should not be without.