Spectra 1964 Model V610 - An Unusual Beast!

Spectra 1964 Model V610 (formerly Spectra Sonics) is a bit of a curio, and although it’s always easy to walk away from the unfamiliar, we encourage you to take a proper look at this uniquely powerful and flexible compressor/limiter…
 
Originally introduced in 1969 and based on the revered 601 complimiter module, V610’s first function is as an ultra-fast peak limiter. With fixed attack and release times of 90 nanoseconds (you read that correctly, nanoseconds not milliseconds) it’s quicker than the space between two sample points. So one great application is to place it at the front of your signal chain, catching any troublesome transients and giving your favourite analogue compressors plenty of headroom (an extra 6-12dB) to do their thing with more perceived loudness - a boon for mastering engineers.

This bullet-proof transient killing also allows you to run analogue signals 10-12dB hotter into your A/D converter knowing you're in no danger of clipping - a BIG advantage while tracking.
 
V610 has both line and mic inputs, with 48V phantom power on the mic input. Worry not mastering engineers, the phantom power gets nowhere near the line inputs! This means you can also use the unit as a tracking device with your signal passing through the subsequent limiter and compressor stages. Which brings us to the compression bit…
 
The compressor stage is affected by both the input level and LF content. While the amount of compression is governed by the Slope control, the actual sound is radically changed by the hotness of the input signal and how you set the Threshold and Release controls. Tickle the Threshold indicator and you’re at the clean limiting-only end of the spectrum. As Release time is shortened you’ll introduce a glorious-sounding distortion, which can get quite extreme and explains why it’s a popular choice as a dynamics “crush” box. Somewhere in the middle means you can dial in the right amount of "hair" while recording any source (especially bass and drums). This unusually wide range of control means it’s equally at home as a creative tracking tool as it is a mix bus processor and mastering tool.
 
This latest model has been improved with Elmer detented controls, lower noise/distortion and +24dBu output. Two units can also be used together with the 610SI accessory kit for true stereo operation.
 
If you’re a studio owner with a good range of standard kit and are looking for something refreshingly different - while still being remarkably useful - we can wholly recommend giving this processor a spin. There’s nothing else quite like it. And for mastering engineers, this could very well become your favourite secret weapon…
 
Available for demo @KMR Audio.

Click HERE for more information.