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