PRODUCT
TESTS
Hazelrigg Industries VLC , VNE & VDI
By Andrew Leyenhorst
Based on legendary designer Doug Fearn ’ s acclaimed outboard tube hardware , veteran studio and live sound techs Geoff and George Hazelrigg have delivered a fascinating and sonically delightful slew of offerings to the recording market with the Hazelrigg Industries VLC , VNE , and VDI .
Hand-built in the U . S . from schematics licensed from Fearn himself , the VLC is a Class A tube preamp and LC EQ channel that shares the spirit of D . W . Fearn ’ s VT-series preamp and power supply design , while the VNE is a singlechannel tube dynamics processor based on Fearn ’ s VT-7 stereo compressor . The VDI takes the VLC ’ s DI signal path and packs it into a box all of its own , with some added sugar and spice .
With Hazelrigg Industries and D . W . Fearn recently expanding their reach within the Canadian pro audio market , it proved a good time to take these units for a spin .
VLC The 2U VLC ’ s all-tube signal path features a transformer-coupled input and output as well as a custom-wound inductor . With the amplifier and power supply being original Doug Fearn designs , the unit has a flavour and character only found in some of the world ’ s most revered pieces of kit .
The bypassable , passive LC EQ offers a Low Cut , Low Boost , High Cut , and High Boost , each with two switchable frequency bands , and it sounds incredibly smooth no matter how much you dial up a band . The pots and switches themselves are also very smooth and comfortably weighty .
I found the High Boost adds a pleasant touch of air without adding any harshness . While the unit has the sonics to elegantly track ( or re-track ) anything thanks to a dedicated line input and the mic / instrument inputs , this is notably a game-changing box for vocal recordings . It ’ s among the bestsounding I ’ ve heard , let alone had a chance to use in my own sessions . On the opposite end of the frequency spectrum , it ’ s also a phenomenal bass DI , whether you ’ re looking for something completely pristine , or a little bit of warm tube drive . That being said , it ’ ll serve you well for anything you may want to track through it . Acoustic guitars are another standout .
The VLC also offers both -20dB pad and phase flop switches , and features an XLR / instrument combo jack on the front panel , as well as a redundant mic input on the back neighbouring the balanced XLR line input ; these are all switchable via a detented knob on the front . A cool little feature is the locking + 48V phantom power switch , which requires the switch to be pulled outward before it can be toggled , preventing potentially damaging spikes in level cause by an accidental bump . Designed with an “ ears-first ” usage philosophy , the box boasts a single LED light for metering ; it ’ s green when there ’ s signal , and orange when the signal gets hot .
Altogether , the VLC is an exceptional unit for recording and re-recording , offering smooth and transparent tone-shaping options while also delivering the weight , clarity , and fullness that a tube circuit affords . Used in tandem with the VNE , the VLC becomes an even more powerful input stage .
VNE Sharing the same 2U footprint and steely brown faceplate as the VLC , is the VNE Class A single-channel tube compressor based on the gain reduction architecture of D . W . Fearn ’ s hallowed VT-7 stereo comp , including the VT-7 ’ s characteristic Pulse Width Modulation control circuit .
The ultra-clean-sounding VNE also boasts a transformer-coupled input and output , a signal-to-noise ratio of more than 80dB , and has a THD rating of less than 0.07 %, while offering a full-range frequency response of 20Hz-20kHz . That said , there is also a high-pass filter at 100Hz that can be activated using the front-panel rotary switch in order to prevent deep low-end content from overcrowding the compression circuit . The same switch also can be used to put the unit in bypass , or to run regularly without the high-pass filter .
Compression controls on the VNE are again very simple , with pots for Threshold , Attack , Release , and Gain . Carrying over from the VLC , it has a high-quality feel and all the same hardware in terms of the knobs and switches . The smoothness of the user experience when dialing up parameters is worth noting . It also has the single-LED input meter , though the VNE adds a 10-segment LED meter to display gain reduction at-a-glance .
In use , the VNE is generously and staggeringly transparent . Regardless of what ’ s running through it , from vocals to acoustic guitar to bass to a drum mic , levelling is applied smoothly and with zero compromise to the audio . Even with extremely exaggerated parameters , including a buried threshold , the VNE offers smooth , linear compression without any extraneous grab or chewiness .
For engineers looking for a compressor that ’ ll do the work wonderfully without adding unwanted colour or texture , the VNE might as well be a perfectly washed pane of glass . It ’ s that good .
VDI Boasting a custom-made Jensen transformer balancing the output , the VDI employs the design of D . W . Fearn ' s VT-I / F and VT-3 DI circuits . This tube DI features a 100mV nominal unbalanced TS input , as well as a TS throughput wired directly in parallel , and outputs via balanced XLR at a nominal level of -30dBm , somewhat higher than that of a hot mic .
Hand-built and encased in 1 / 4-in . -thick aluminum , the VDI is rugged and quite frankly tank-like in its build quality .
Sonically , the VDI delivers in droves , with clear , full , warm tone and delightful clarity on bass , electric guitars , synths , and so on . There ’ s not as much to say about the VDI ; you plug it all in , it works , and it sounds incr edible .
Andrew Leyenhorst is a Niagara-based freelance producer , engineer , mixer , and the Assistant Editor of Professional Sound .
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