Tube Tech CL 1B Mono Optical Compressor
“Like many of the gems in the Tube-Tech catalogue, this striking looking compressor remains a well-kept secret. We personally rate this as one of the best tube compressors/Dynamics on the market. It provides everything one could want from a valve unit – a thick, creamy sound that allows vocals to stand proud of the track without pushing the fader, lets a bass thump at the bottom end without crowding the rest of the track or warms a mix and makes acoustic tracks easy on the ear. These days, a plethora of boutique manufacturers are trying to cash in on the vintage boom by producing costly, funky tube gear, all costing three fingers and a thumb but rarely matching the far cheaper CL1B in terms of sound or quality. If you want one high-end tube comp for tracking vocals or fattening bass, then put your financial eggs in the CL1B market. It’ll please your ears for years to come and hold its value while all around plummet like a financial stone. Highly recommended.”
– Funky Junk
The TUBE-TECH CL 1B Compressor is an optical, all-tube based compressor targeted at single-track studio recordings: It is equally suited for delicate vocal recordings as well as critical instrument recordings such as lead guitar, drum solos and much more.
Throughout the years and thousands of track recordings the CL 1B has proven its value by adding that sought-after vintage warmth and realism to the most demanding studio tracks.
The unit features a gain-reduction element, positioned immediately after the input transformer. It is controlled by the side-chain amplifier, which also contain the two time control circuits‚ one for fixed and one for variable Attack/Release. The two time-controllers can either be used separately or combined. This circuit contains semiconductor OP-amps for the entire control. A dedicated Bus selector with three positions (Off, Bus 1, Bus 2) is used whenever you want to link several compressors/Dynamics together.
The gain-reduction element is followed by a tube-based push-pull amplifier with variable gain up to 30dB. Input and output transformers have a static-screen between the primary and secondary wirings. Both Input and Output are balanced as well as fully floating.
Tube Tech CL 1B Features
- Unique low distortion gain-reduction element
- All tube-based push-pull amplifier
- Multiple interconnection of several compressors/Dynamics via two busses
- VU-meter for monitoring input, compression and output
- Continuously variable attack and release time
- Gain Range (off to +30 dB)
- Variable Threshold (off to -40 dBu)
- Frequency response @ -3 dB: 5 Hz to 25 kHz
- Low noise: < -75 dBu @30 dB gain
- Clickless bypass relay
Specifications
Impedance
- Input: 600 ohm
- Output: < 60 ohm
Frequency response @ -3 dB: 5 Hz to 25 kHz
- Distortion THD+N @ 40 Hz
- 0 dBu: < 0,15 %
- +10 dBu: < 0,15 %
Noise Rg=200 ohm
- Output Gain @ 0dB +30 dB
- 22 Hz-22 kHz: < -85 dBu < -75 dBu
- CCIR-468-4: < -75 dBu < -65 dBu
CMRR @ 10 kHz: < -60 dB
- Max. output @ 1 % THD+N: > +26 dBu
- Gain: off to +30 dB
- Compressor
- Input: Ratio: 2:1 to 10:1
- Threshold: off to -40 dBu
- Attack: 0,5 ms to 300 ms
- Release: 0,05 s to 10 s
Tubes
- ECC 82 1 pc
- ECC 83 1 pc
Dimensions
- Height:3 units 132 mm 5,2″”
- Width: 480 mm 19,0″”
- Depth: 170 mm 6,7″”
Weight
- Net: 4,1 kg 9,0 lbs.
- Shipping: 5,9 kg 13,0 lbs.
Power requirements @ 115 V/230 V, 50-60 Hz: 22 W