Furman LC-3A Compressor

£295.00

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Description

Refurbished / rebuilt with:

  • All electrolytic caps replaced with high-spec Panasonic caps
  • All caps in the audio path replaced with higher-value Panasonic bipolar caps
  • New power transformer
  • New UK power plug
  • Upgraded power supply with bigger reservoir caps and added decoupling
  • New conductive-plastic pots
  • New knobs & knob caps

Furman is not well known in the UK but is a big name in the USA for their power management products. The LC-3A is one of their vintage units and dates back to the mid-1980s. It’s a VCA-based compressor with a big, aggressive sound and lots of character

The LC-3A is a single-channel compressor / de-eeser in a 1U chassis. It has sidechain send & return jacks (labelled sidechain output & input) and a jack for stereo linking. Using the sidechain with an outboard EQ is definitely to be experimented with!

The compressor has input & output level controls with input acting as threshold. It has the usual attack, release & ratio controls plus a front-panel switch for the sidechain. Compression ratio is variable from 2:1  to 50:1.

The LC-3A uses an SSM2013 VCA as the gain control element. SSM VCAs were used in the UREI 7110 and other high-end compressors and – when well designed – can produce less distortion than FET-based designs

Like many early VCA compressors, the LC-3A retains an edge which is missing in later designs. It’s capable of very audible gain reduction and is more of an effect compressor than a subtle dynamic shaper. Careful use of the attack & release controls can make it less overt but it excels at vicious compression & savage pumping

The LC-3A is ideal for drum ambience, drum busses or anything that benefits from heavy compression. It works well on bass guitar & vocals and has lots of character

The LC-3A has the tough 1U steel case typical of American products. Internal construction is simple with a single PCB & through-hole components so it will be repairable in the future. Most of the circuitry is TL072 opamps and there is an SSM VCA for gain reduction. If you want a compressor to hot rod the LC-X is ideal - beefiier power supply regulation, better decoupling and modern electrolytic caps will improve it dramatically

The unit has balanced inputs & outputs on XLRs. I suspect it is wired pin 3 hot. High and low-level inputs & outputs are provided on mono jack sockets, as are stereo linking and sidechain input & output

Mains input is 220 Volts and has an earth lift switch, internal power fuse and a short, fixed 2-core cable with IEC socket. UK IEC or European Schuko mains lead supplied on request

1U form factor for standard 19" rack fitment. 220 Volt

1U

In excellent condition. Refurbished / rebuilt with:

  • All electrolytic caps replaced with high-spec Panasonic caps
  • All caps in the audio path replaced with higher-value Panasonic bipolar caps
  • New power transformer
  • New UK power plug
  • Upgraded power supply with bigger reservoir caps and added decoupling
  • New conductive-plastic pots
  • New knobs & knob caps

Tested & working 100%