Volume 4, Number 1, January 2006
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Ask the Doctors:
The Inside Scoop on the SOLOs
Webzine reporters on duty at Bocci's Cellar (a favorite tavern here in Santa Cruz) recently observed a conversation between the lead designers of the SOLO series mic pre and DI boxes, and a curious, young, aspiring recording engineer and local hero, Johnny Cogswell, a.k.a. D.J. Cogs. This is a transcript of what was said.
Cogs: What does it take to fit all that 610/110 into a little box like that?
Professor Vacuum Tube: Well, we chose the depth of the box to accommodate the PCB length we needed for the 610 tube circuits. We then laid out the tubes and components in a classic in-line front-to-back configuration that follows the signal flow. The power supply doesn't need the capacity required in a LA610 or 2-610, so it can be smaller and fit ever so nicely on the board.
Mister Transitor: Yeah, yeah, we had tons of room on the PCB. We used the same size PCB as the old guys got after plopping the tubes down on theirs. We used the same layout for each circuit section as in the 8110, and then just moved 'em around to cool places.
Cogs: Was ripping the EQ out of the 610 design pretty easy, or what were the challenges?
Professor Vacuum Tube: My goodness, we don't "rip things out." Rather carefully, we removed a few components around the output stage that typically provide EQ in the 2-610, leaving only a low cut. Cost is reduced by not having the EQ controls and components found on the LA610 and 2-610.
Mister Transitor- Geeze, what's the deal? We already had a low cut-circuit in the 8110 and just used that. No ripping needed; I was in the bar by 5 o'clock that day.
Cogs: Are they really like their big brothers? Did you cheap out on anything? C'mon- you must have!
Professor Vacuum Tube: Now, now son, we didn't cheap out anything. The signal path, circuits and components are exactly those of the 2-610. We repackaged the input transformer to be PCB-mounted. Eliminating a line input and the EQ, reducing the power supply to suit a single-channel mic pre, and going to a package without a rackable front panel was what let us produce this fine unit at a low price.
Mister Transitor: Nope. It's got the same circuits and components as in the 8110. We use a smaller supply since there's one channel. It costs less, you pay less.
Cogs: What about the shape switch on the 8110 and 4110- am I missing that if I get a SOLO/110?
Professor Vacuum Tube: Ah, yes, the shape switch. We in the land of great glowing triodes get our smooth tonal qualities from the soft saturation of the tubes themselves. You get complete control of this by a combination of settings of the gain and level controls.
Mister Transitor: There's no shape switch on the Solo/110. We hard-wired it to the middle position shape setting on the 4110/8110. This is called "vintage" mode, and is the most popular setting for the shape switch on the 4110/8110.
Cogs: On the boxes of the two units, one says the power supply is a switcher, and one is linear. Is that like one can bat right or left, and one can only hit line drives, or what?
Professor Vacuum Tube: Oh my, you are ready for spring baseball to start. Go Red Sox. Well, we use a linear supply in the Solo-610 because its soft rail so nicely complements the overdrive distortion character of the triodes. You can change over to 220-Volt operation by moving a jumper if you're on holiday in Europe.
Mister Transitor: Dude, any line voltage any time is what you get with the multi-stage switching supply. It's outputs go through additional linear regulators, so it's really a hybrid supply. I don't know about the baseball/bisexual mixed metaphor. Get a grip.
Cogs: What's about this DI business that is not on the big brothers, that allows me to hook up my amp while recording direct, too? Will it sound just like I'm plugging into my amp with my bass?
Professor Vacuum Tube: Well we do have a DI on the other units, but no "Thru Jack" to loop out to your amplifier. On the Solo-610, the Thru and DI are wired in parallel so your bass goes onto the amp as it would normally. You can both mic your amp and take the Solo line output over to the console, giving two channel inputs for your mix.
Mister Transitor: Wow, the Old Geezer got it right. Mixing the signals of a high-quality pre' and a miked cabinet gives you great sound options in your mix.
Cogs: If I buy both units and turn the handles around sideways, would they make good snowshoes?
Professor Vacuum Tube: Uh, I'm confused. Up here in Vermont you'd be eaten by woodchucks if you wore a Solo-610 in the snow. Consider the surface area over the snow and the resultant PSI load on the snowshoe, then try some Tubbs.
Mister Transitor: Dude, what you smoking?
Cogs: Can the Solos be used for smuggling when I'm on tour?
Professor Vacuum Tube: Well, when I'm on holiday, I have my gardener look after my lawn. I used to have a weed problem, but the farmer down the road gave me some white dust to sprinkle around and I haven't thought about weed since.
Mister Transitor: Okay, that explains the snowshoe stuff. I got one word for you: FedEx.
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Universal Audio SOLO/610 & SOLO/110
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Cogs: What does it take to fit all that 610/110 into a little box like that?
Professor Vacuum Tube: Well, we chose the depth of the box to accommodate the PCB length we needed for the 610 tube circuits. We then laid out the tubes and components in a classic in-line front-to-back configuration that follows the signal flow. The power supply doesn't need the capacity required in a LA610 or 2-610, so it can be smaller and fit ever so nicely on the board.
Mister Transitor: Yeah, yeah, we had tons of room on the PCB. We used the same size PCB as the old guys got after plopping the tubes down on theirs. We used the same layout for each circuit section as in the 8110, and then just moved 'em around to cool places.
Cogs: Was ripping the EQ out of the 610 design pretty easy, or what were the challenges?
Professor Vacuum Tube: My goodness, we don't "rip things out." Rather carefully, we removed a few components around the output stage that typically provide EQ in the 2-610, leaving only a low cut. Cost is reduced by not having the EQ controls and components found on the LA610 and 2-610.
Mister Transitor- Geeze, what's the deal? We already had a low cut-circuit in the 8110 and just used that. No ripping needed; I was in the bar by 5 o'clock that day.
Cogs: Are they really like their big brothers? Did you cheap out on anything? C'mon- you must have!
Professor Vacuum Tube: Now, now son, we didn't cheap out anything. The signal path, circuits and components are exactly those of the 2-610. We repackaged the input transformer to be PCB-mounted. Eliminating a line input and the EQ, reducing the power supply to suit a single-channel mic pre, and going to a package without a rackable front panel was what let us produce this fine unit at a low price.
Mister Transitor: Nope. It's got the same circuits and components as in the 8110. We use a smaller supply since there's one channel. It costs less, you pay less.
Cogs: What about the shape switch on the 8110 and 4110- am I missing that if I get a SOLO/110?
Professor Vacuum Tube: Ah, yes, the shape switch. We in the land of great glowing triodes get our smooth tonal qualities from the soft saturation of the tubes themselves. You get complete control of this by a combination of settings of the gain and level controls.
Mister Transitor: There's no shape switch on the Solo/110. We hard-wired it to the middle position shape setting on the 4110/8110. This is called "vintage" mode, and is the most popular setting for the shape switch on the 4110/8110.
Cogs: On the boxes of the two units, one says the power supply is a switcher, and one is linear. Is that like one can bat right or left, and one can only hit line drives, or what?
Professor Vacuum Tube: Oh my, you are ready for spring baseball to start. Go Red Sox. Well, we use a linear supply in the Solo-610 because its soft rail so nicely complements the overdrive distortion character of the triodes. You can change over to 220-Volt operation by moving a jumper if you're on holiday in Europe.
Mister Transitor: Dude, any line voltage any time is what you get with the multi-stage switching supply. It's outputs go through additional linear regulators, so it's really a hybrid supply. I don't know about the baseball/bisexual mixed metaphor. Get a grip.
Cogs: What's about this DI business that is not on the big brothers, that allows me to hook up my amp while recording direct, too? Will it sound just like I'm plugging into my amp with my bass?
Professor Vacuum Tube: Well we do have a DI on the other units, but no "Thru Jack" to loop out to your amplifier. On the Solo-610, the Thru and DI are wired in parallel so your bass goes onto the amp as it would normally. You can both mic your amp and take the Solo line output over to the console, giving two channel inputs for your mix.
Mister Transitor: Wow, the Old Geezer got it right. Mixing the signals of a high-quality pre' and a miked cabinet gives you great sound options in your mix.
Cogs: If I buy both units and turn the handles around sideways, would they make good snowshoes?
Professor Vacuum Tube: Uh, I'm confused. Up here in Vermont you'd be eaten by woodchucks if you wore a Solo-610 in the snow. Consider the surface area over the snow and the resultant PSI load on the snowshoe, then try some Tubbs.
Mister Transitor: Dude, what you smoking?
Cogs: Can the Solos be used for smuggling when I'm on tour?
Professor Vacuum Tube: Well, when I'm on holiday, I have my gardener look after my lawn. I used to have a weed problem, but the farmer down the road gave me some white dust to sprinkle around and I haven't thought about weed since.
Mister Transitor: Okay, that explains the snowshoe stuff. I got one word for you: FedEx.