D.W. Fearn VT-7 - Manual (Page 9)

D.W. FEARN
VT-7 Compression Amplifier
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A look inside the VT-7 reveals a very full box with several densely-packed circuit boards for
the gain control driver circuitry, interspersed with eight vacuum tubes. Because of the very
high frequencies involved in the control circuitry, there are many surface-mount (SMT) com-
ponents. Thus, the VT-7 is a combination of the latest technology, where needed, with a clas-
sic great-sounding vacuum tube audio path.
The VT-7 was designed from the beginning to be a stereo compressor. The two channels can
be used separately or linked together for stereo.
So what does the VT-7 sound like? In many respects, it is like the classic vacuum tube com-
pressors with the same musical sound. I have always believed that for most applications the
compression characteristics that sound best are those that approximate the natural compres-
sion inherent in our hearing. The VT-7 has this kind of natural-sounding compression that
sounds just right to me.
The ultimate test for all my products is this: Would I use it in preference to any other prod-
uct out there, old or new?
The VT-7 passes this test.
There are not a lot of controls on the VT-7. Basically, there is just a knob to control the
amount of compression (Threshold), the amount of gain, the attack and release times, and a
knob that smoothly varies the compression characteristic from a “softer” to a “harder”
sound. At first, some users may find the controls do not have the range of adjustment that
they are used to in more heavy-handed limiters. However, true to philosophy of design in all
my products, the VT-7 is intended to take good sound and make it sound great. Although its
effect can be made to sound obvious, I like the way the VT-7 sounds like what a really good
engineer would do if he had excellent taste and infinitely fast hands on a fader. In other
words, the VT-7 controls the levels without drawing attention to itself. To me, it just sounds
right.
Douglas W. Fearn
November 2004