Description
Calrec may not be as well-known as Neve or Solid State Logic but has been a supplier of high-end consoles for more than fifty years. The company is a long-term supplier to the BBC and broadcasters in the USA, Australia, Russia and Europe. Calrec equipment is designed & built exclusively in-house in West Yorkshire and has a reputation for durability, reliability and sonic excellence
Calrec channel strips are sought-after and appear only rarely on the second-hand market. This pair is in excellent condition. They were rack-mounted by Boffin Island, part of London-based vintage gear specialists Funky Junk
There are two channel strips rackmounted in the case. Each channel has a mic pre, line input, equaliser and line output so they can be used as stand-alone mic amps, stand-alone EQs (with or without filters) or as a complete, high-quality, two-channel recording package
The channels have been mounted in a substantial 2U rack case with an external power supply. Each channel has:
- Mic / Line switch
- Phase Reverse
- Gain Trim
- Mic gain switchable from -70 to +10 dBm
- EQ in / out switch
- Fully parametric Hi eq with switchable bell / shelf
- Fully parametric Mid eq with switchable bell
- Fully parametric Low eq with switchable bell / shelf
- Variable High and Low-Pass filters
- Switchable 48 Volt microphone phantom power
- Channel bypass switch
The channel strips are Calrec PQ 1347-1 input modules from a modular console. They are in traditional style with line and mic inputs. Mic inputs are transformer-balanced. There’s plenty of gain for ribbon mics and switchable phantom power for condensors. Each channel has a classic British three-band parametric equaliser plus high & low-pass filters
These are a powerful & musical equalisers with lots of control. They are smooth-sounding and very musical but have sufficient boost & cut to tackle tough eq jobs. There’s plenty of overlap for each frequency band
Individual controls are quite small but the fluted aluminium knobs & high-quality pots make them a joy to use. The knobs are a little smaller than those on an SSL 4K console eq and are parallel-sided, not tapered. The control layout is logical and easy to learn. The eq & filter boost/cut controls are colour-coded, yellow for high end, green for mids and black for low end, making them easy to distinguish
There’s a huge difference between professional broadcast equipment like these Calrec modules and ordinary outboard gear. These are designed for daily use on a long-term basis and have high-quality conductive plastic pots, aluminium knobs and quality switches. Broadcasters expect equipment to be durable, and pay a large premium for quality, so these units offer exceptional build quality and great value for money
For recording critical instruments like piano, acoustic guitar or voice these Calrec channel strips will be ideal. A pair of these and a decent compressor, like the Summit DCL-200 or Chiswick Reach will make an ideal analogue front-end
The channel strips have come direct from the outboard rack of a well-known UK producer and are in lovely condition with just minor marks. They are tested & working 100%
