Thermionic Culture Culture Vulture Stereo Valve Enhancer
Vendor: Thermionic Culture
Available
Thermionic Culture Culture Vulture Stereo Valve Enhancer
Meet the Culture Vulture, the original and unparalleled studio unit solely dedicated to infusing valve-produced harmonic distortion into sounds, free from any interference of solid-state components. Since its inception in 1998, this unique unit has remained virtually unchanged, standing as a testament to its timeless innovation.
Equipped with three fundamental distortion settings:
- T (Triode): Offers a typically "musical" effect reminiscent of triode valves, ideal for subtly "warming up" sounds.
- P1 (Pentode Mode 1): Switches the "distortion" valve to Pentode mode, introducing odd harmonics for a more aggressive tone while retaining the characteristic valve character.
- P2 (Pentode Mode 2): Unleashes a "No Holds Barred" setting, configuring the valve in an unconventional manner, delivering an extraordinary range of distortion, including an extra octave at higher bias settings.
The Bias control regulates the current flow through the "distortion" valve (6AS6 type), displayed on the milliammeter. At low currents, the Vulture appears "starved," resulting in thinner, easily-breakable sounds. Conversely, high currents yield a fuller, bloated tone. Optimal distortion occurs at medium currents (0.25-0.3 mA), ideal for gentle "warming up." Over-driving the Vulture causes the meter to "twitch," indicating the extent of distortion.
The Low-pass filter features a 12dB/octave slope, effectively eliminating unwanted frequencies above 6 or 9 kHz (selectable), resulting in a smoother, rounded sound. The Drive control and Overdrive switch provide precise control over signal boost before reaching the 6AS6 valve. The Output Level governs the signal sent to the output valve. For minimal distortion, set it at 8+. Increase when enhancing distortion with Drive, except when P2 is selected. The Bypass switch seamlessly bypasses the unit, allowing direct comparison between the original and the Culture Vulture's effect, ensuring accuracy in sound evaluation
Key Features
- The original and only all-valve rack-mountable distortion /enhancer.
- Vast range of distortion effects;
- Low pass filters (switchable);
- Bypass and Overdrive switches;
- 2 inputs per channel. DI at the front cuts out LINE at the rear;
- 2 outputs per channel, line, and low level;
- Standard ¼" jacks, stereo wired unbalanced for all connections;
- Long life high-quality valves;
- Made in England.