Vari Tube Recording Channel
High-end channel strip with a flexible tube preamp, passive Pultec-style EQ, opto- and Vari-Mu compressor.
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Price 1.679,84 €
Demo
Test it
Fall in love
Or simply send it back
Register now and get the Vari Tube Recording Channel for
- You register.
- We send you the device to your studio by appointment.
- You try it out for 14 days.
- Then you decide if you want to keep it.
- If not, you can return it without any ifs or buts.
Description
Vari Tube Recording Channel
Channel Strip
Soloed, the recording sounds fine. In the mix, the voice loses its place: it will not come forward, it will not blend in, and it starts to sound processed. So you stack plugins on it, and the voice ends up sounding even more processed.
We ran into this as musicians ourselves, and it is why we built the Vari Tube Recording Channel. One channel from the microphone to the mix: a tube preamp you can set from clean to fat, a passive EQ built on the Pultec principle, and two compressors, opto and Vari-Mu, that can work at the same time. It takes care of the recording before the signal ever reaches your DAW, so there is very little left to repair afterwards.
You can hear all of this in your own studio: register at the link above and try the VTRC for 14 days with no obligation. It ships the same working day (if in stock).
Technology
From clean to fat
Every take starts at the preamp, and this one shapes the sound as much as the level. Its two controls, Input and Gain, set the character of the recording: keep the Gain low and the tube stage stays clean and direct; raise it and the sound gets fat and saturated, with the warmth of the tubes staying in it the whole way. The microphone input comes with a transformer, true 48 V phantom power and a phase switch, and there is a high-impedance instrument input as well.
Silky highs, gentle cuts
The EQ is passive, built on the Pultec principle. Add silky highs all the way up to the 24 kHz air band, give a voice more body in the range of its fundamentals, and gently filter out the frequencies that get in the way, with the mid cut and the low cut.
Then comes the part no other channel strip offers: an opto compressor and a Vari-Mu tube compressor in one signal chain, usable alone or at the same time.
Optical Compressor
An LED shines on a light-sensitive resistor and regulates the gain with the level. The memory effect of the resistor additionally supports the automatic timing control. The result is an open, airy and soft compression that holds the level nicely steady while hardly touching the microdynamics of the signal.
Vari-Tube Compressor
Here the amplification of a control tube is adjusted directly. The result is a sound with the presence to hold its place even in a dense mix, without ever losing its warmth. Both compressors are soft-knee designs with program-adaptive attack and release, and the compressor timing is switchable on top.
Move the slide for a before/after comparison.
Routing and de-essing
The routing is switchable: run the EQ before or after the compressors, or switch it into the sidechain of the compressors. In the sidechain the EQ no longer shapes the sound itself; it tells the compressors which frequencies to react to. That gives you frequency-dependent compression and de-essing without an extra device.
Line input and stereo
A recording that has not been through the VTRC yet can be refined afterwards. The line input has its own transformer, developed for line level, so the signal does not pass through the microphone input transformer. All functions of the VTRC, from preamp to EQ to compressor, are available for line-level signals as well. And for stereo sources, two VTRC units can be linked.
At the start of the chain
Within the Tegeler family, the VTRC is the device for the way in. It sits between the microphone and your DAW, so the recording arrives needing very little afterwards. If your work happens at the other end of the chain, on the mix bus or in mastering, look at the Creme, the Vari Tube Compressor or the Schwerkraftmaschine.
Presets
The VTRC is a tool for professionals, so it contains no presets.
To get you started while testing and getting to know the device, here are a few settings that make a good starting point.
Photos
Videos
Review
Recording Studio Rockstars
Listen To The Tegeler Audio Manufaktur VTRC In Action! - Full Walkthrough And Demo
English / English
Chris Selim - Mixdown Online
The VTRC in Action - Vari Tube Recording Channel Strip by Tegeler Audio
English / English
Musotalk
Angezerrt: VTRC und E-Gitarren
Deutsch / German
Tegeler Audio Vari Tube Recording Channel VTRC Review & Sound Demo - Channel Strip komplett erklärt
Deutsch / German
Wil Santana
Channelstrip a válvula - TEGELER AUDIO VTRC
Español / Spanish
Delamar
Channel Strip Tutorial // Vocals mit dem Channel Strip bearbeiten
Deutsch / German
Adrian Tucker
CHANNEL STRIP Tegeler Audio VTRC Review
Español / Spanish
【全功能录音通道】Tegeler VTRC 电子管前级话放 - 追求音色的不要错过
中文 / Chinese
Stazma
Démonstration du VTRC de Tegeler Audio
Français / French
Recording-Blog: Unplugged-Aufnahme und Mix mit dem VTRC
Deutsch / German
Sound Demo
Tegeler Audio Tube Recording Channel used for Bass (Fame Baphomet V Gothic)
English / English
Vari Tube Recording Channel vocals (no talking)
English / English
Vari Tube Recording Channel acoustic guitar (no talking)
English / English
Vari Tube Recording Channel Dave Smith Instruments OB 6 (no talking)
English / English
Vari Tube Recording Channel Elektron Analog Rytm (no talking)
English / English
Sprecher Markus Kästle - Audiodemo
Deutsch / German
Theresa Cherchi
Wake Me Up - Theresa Cherchi feat. Melissa Metzner
English / English
Features
Features
General
- Tube device (3 Triodes)
- Class-A circuit
- Stepped Potentiometers
- Transformer balanced inputs and output
- Internal power supply with toroidal transformer
- Height: 132 mm (3 U), width: 483 mm, depth: 250 mm
Microphone Preamp
- Microphone preamp with transformer / 48 V / Phase
- True 48 V phantom power
- Phase switch
- High-impedance instrument input (100 kΩ)
- Character changeable from clean to fat
Equalizer
- Low-cut: 80–160 Hz
- Low-mid boost: 80, 120, 200, 300, 500, 700, 1000 Hz
- Mid-cut: 200, 300, 500, 700 Hz; 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 kHz
- High boost: 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24 kHz
Compressor
- Opto compressor
- Vari-Tube compressor (vari-µ)
- Soft-Knee
- Program-adaptive attack and release timing
Specifications
- Frequency Response: 20 Hz–22 kHz
- Maximum Mic Input Level: +12 dBu
- Maximum Line Input Level: +20 dBu
- Maximum Instrument Input Level: +6 dBu
- Line Input Impedance: ≥ 2.4kΩ
- Instrument Input Impedance: = 100kΩ
- Output Impedance: < 600 Ω
- Maximum Output Level: +24 dBu
- Dynamic Range: ≥ 95 dB
- Voltage: 230 V~/50 Hz or 115 V~/60 Hz
- Fuse: 500 mA slow-blow
- Maximum Power Consumption: < 25 W
- Dimensions: 3 U, H: 132 mm, W: 483 mm, D: 250 mm
FAQ
For economic and environmental reasons, we refrained from throwing away everything with the old logo. Instead, we will replace all parts and materials piece by piece. Of course, when you buy a unit, you get the same quality no matter what logo is on the outside.
- If you feel confident replacing the lamp yourself, you can order a new one here: Order lamp at Mouser
- You can order a new meter from us: Order new meter
- You can send the unit to us for repair. Please fill out the form beforehand: Fill out repair form
Please fill in the form before: Fill in the RMA form.
In the USA, we have a partner who handles repairs on our behalf to make things easier for you.
Please contact the Audio Collective Group at customerservice@audiocollectivegroup.com to discuss the next steps.
