Since Colt Capperrune released a video this week on the future of VCA compressors, we’ve had quite a few people reach out asking about the future of our products. Here’s the deal:

We’ve been relying on THAT Corp to provide critical chips since we started back in 2016. Last week they announced they’re discontinuing some VCA and IC chips that we rely on heavily. There are 6 products that will be affected:

G-Series Buss Comp

E-Series Buss Comp

EuroBuss

 260VU Classic

260VU Deluxe Edition

XL-305R Reverb

How affected? We’ve double-checked our inventory and should have enough stock to take orders on these units for about 1-2 months. Supposedly, THAT Corp is taking orders until the end of the month, before no longer offering them. We have been calling and emailing THAT Corp a few times a day. They are understandably super busy, so we are currently unsure exactly what the future looks like for these products… We are also scrambling to see where any suitable redesigns are possible. The situation is developing — we’ll keep you all in the loop, but this is what we know right now.

This week has been a whirlwind of sorts. We excitedly launched VCA month, and then promptly received word that some critical parts we use in some of our VCA based products will be no longer produced. Definitely a gut punch…

While we often buy obsolete and NOS parts, these particular components are critical to our current production of these units. We’re hoping we can get enough in the meantime to keep supplying them for the forseeable future, but at some point we may have to find substitutes or stop producing them altogether, while we redesign them and/or change features. We will update you further as this situation continues to develop.

— Chris

We get lots of questions about the term B-Stock, and rightfully so! Today we’re gonna dive in deep and answer the most common questions we get:

A Bird’s Eye View

We have three regular indicators to describe the type of products we offer:

• A-Stock

• B-Stock

• Refurbished (or Refurb)

By default, any given product is A-Stock unless explicitly stated otherwise. A-Stock is the cosmetic target we aim for when building all new units, period. B-Stock items are also brand-new, but generally have some minor cosmetic defect which would disqualify the unit from passing our visual quality assurance checks. Refurbished units may be either brand-new with a cosmetic defect, a demo unit, a return, or trade-in which we pass back into the production queue like it were new to make sure it is compliant with all of our build, sound, and measurement requirements.

A Comparison

Here’s what’s true for all units, regardless of the indicator:

• All of our exacting standards for audio performance and build-quality must be met.

• World-class customer support

• Includes full 2 year warranty

Here’s where they may differ:

• A-Stock: The best of the best looks-wise, always brand-new.

• B-Stock: May have a minor cosmetic defect, always brand new.

• Refurbished: May have a cosmetic defect, sometimes new, sometimes not.

Why B-Stock?

We’re a small shop making gear by hand, one unit at a time, using NOS parts. Every now and then we’re bound to mill a little too far on one side of a hole, drop a screwdriver onto a face panel, sharpie a little too close to something visible, or tighten a screw a little too hard. And the same is true for our huge list of super hard-working suppliers, whose bulk parts have to survive getting shipped over to our shop from all over!

It feels like a waste though to let an otherwise perfectly functional case part go unused because it doesn’t look perfect. That’s why we like B-Stock: it gives us a way to make use of those blemished pieces and also find a fair way to offer a more affordable product to our customers who don’t mind the look!

Does B-Stock mean In-Stock / Ready to ship?

No. To avoid confusion, we’ll only use the phrases “In-Stock” or “In-Stock, Ready to Ship” to refer to units which we have on hand that are already fully built and able to be shipped within the next business day. The In-Stock units we have available at any given time may be A-Stock, B-Stock, or Refurbished. When referring to a limited number of units we can build under a lead time, we will opt for phrases like “Only X available” or “First batch of Y” on a product page. Additionally we will mark products that are In-Stock with a yellow strip that says “In-Stock, Ready to Ship” when browsing through them on their respective category pages.

We are not set in our ways about the best way of communicating this information, and are always open to receiving feedback on the matter if someone has ideas! Let our team know through our email: info@audio-scape.com

Why would a brand new unit be Refurb, and not B-Stock?

We also have standards for what may visually qualify as a B-Stock unit! A brand-new item labeled as “Refurb” (most all refurbished units are also brand new builds BTW) will typically have a more visible cosmetic defect than one labeled as B-Stock, such as a larger scratch or chip in paint. The author of this article recounts a time when he was deburring a hole for one of the controls on an EQP-A and created a nice gash on the front panel as the tool slid away… my bad (or my good?) if you got that refurb. 

We want “minor cosmetic defect” to actually mean minor when you get a B-Stock, so typically we reserve those bigger marks for refurbs. Once we’ve accumulated enough of either, we will offer them on our site.

What about a returned item as Refurb?

All items which come in previously owned by someone else must go through all quality control checks again to ensure they function correctly, full stop, before they are permitted to leave the shop again. 

There are too many of these checks to name here, but among them: some are mechanical (are screws tightened and seated correctly, are transformers oriented correctly, are all braces and brackets present and functioning, do jacks look and feel correct when plugged into, etc.), some electrical (do PCB traces look correct, are all wires in good condition, how do solder joints look, etc.), some audio path (what do noise levels and distortion look like, are all controls performing within their expected ranges, do we meet our specs, etc.), some cosmetic (are there any visual defects present, do these defects indicate any other issues, etc.).

Any unit which does not meet our criteria we will attempt to repair, or replace subsections of the build with new ones until it meets this criteria. We don’t like to waste parts, so any failing boards which still have properly performant components within them are stored for future consideration (such as during parts shortages!). We will not reuse a component in a build if it does not meet spec, or if it is within spec but at higher risk of failure or falling out of spec.

You didn’t answer my question…

Don’t see the info you’re looking for? Let our team know at info@audio-scape.com and tell us this article sent you so we can include it.

Peace Out!

Demystifying THE ALL-IMPORTANT Line Amplifier

In today’s world with  EQP-1A “clones” out there ranging from as low as $250 to upwards of $5k, it’s understandable to wonder what sets each build apart. The original circuit dates back to 1953, and passive EQ is an even older technology. Inductors can’t be *that* expensive…right?

Setting aside the other crucial elements - proper transformers, tubes, and vintage-accurate components - a huge part of what distinguishes recreations of this circuit (and its siblings) is the all-important line amplifier. 

What’s In A Line Amp?

In a passive EQ, the line amp naturally plays a much bigger role in the sound of a unit than with other designs. Passive EQs famously achieve their “boost” effect not by increasing energy at a specific frequency, but rather by attenuating the surrounding frequencies and boosting the result to create a resonant peak. Needless to say, the quality of that amplifier matters a lot!

All amplifier circuits have limitations in bandwidth and headroom. In an EQP-style design, those limits are pushed even further by the requirements of a make-up gain amplifier compensating for the dozens of dB’s lost when introducing passive attenuation. (This is why we have kept our EQP true to the original design, not adding additional bands to the circuit, which can drastically change the character of the output amp by limiting bandwidth.) So getting the amp right is very important.. and it also means that different amplifier topologies will play a big role in the resulting sound of an EQP (or MEQ) style unit.

Passive EQ Tube Line Amps: Push-Pull vs. Class A

The classic EQP-1A line amp uses a push-pull configuration consisting of a 12AX7 and 12AU7 tube in the first and second gain stages, respectively. It’s an efficient, elegant-sounding tube amplifier with extraordinarily wide bandwidth, reproducing high and low frequencies effortlessly even when pushed to the maximum (as the EQP design encourages!). High-quality tubes are important here, and we swear by NOS made-in-USA options like RCA or GE - just like the original companies used in their builds going back to the 1950s. This amp is also known for a very pleasant harmonic distortion, which just tends to make things sound.. better. Just throw an EQP into bypass, drive the input, and you’ll see what we mean!

The MEQ-5, as we’ve written about previously, uses a different amplifier topology altogether – a unique single-ended Class A design, much more like you’d expect to find in a high-end audiophile setup than in a vintage studio EQ. This amp, also found in the 2U EQH-2, is less efficient than the EQP’s push-pull design, but the character is wonderful, with a remarkable transparency that speaks to the MEQ’s original design intent as a program-shaping counterpart to the EQP-1A. While some tube designs may impart a vintage “character” too heavy-handed for mix buss or mastering use, the MEQ‘s line amp makes it a perfect choice for this application – with the ability to push it harder and sculpt mids to the extremes on individual sources when desired, all without ever sounding harsh or unpleasant.

Solid-State Passive EQ: Where Opamps Rule

Most modern EQ circuits use opamps in some form, but the first solid-state EQPs were a little more special than that. In the early 1970s, when designing a solid-state replacement for the tube amplifier in the EQP-1A, the engineers reached out to the recently founded Automated Processes, Inc®, in nearby New York City, who were quickly gaining a reputation as masters of high end transistorized audio equipment. Thus the solid-state EQP was born, using the famous 2520 discrete opamp in place of the old tube circuitry. 

As fans of 2520-based circuits will know, this particular piece of audio wizardry is perfectly suited to the EQP. Shining especially in the low end, the punchy, responsive character of this opamp reproduces the EQP’s musical EQ curves beautifully, with a slightly faster and more defined feel to it.

While we’ve yet to introduce a solid-state EQ to our lineup, it’s not for no reason that our limited Emerald EQP-A and MEQ-A– which both feature an optional solid-state mode – make use of the excellent CA-0252 reproduction opamp from CAPI® in their output stages. There’s simply no better fit for this style of EQ!

*All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.