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The Music Valve Electronics Vacuum Tube Direct Box came to be as a result of a series of design experiments starting in 1989, to create a high quality interface from musical instruments to the mixing console This design has evolved since, incorporating the responses I received from a number of demanding users, most notably the visiting and staff engineers at the New York City recording studio, where I was a staff technician at the time I started building the Vacuum tube direct boxes.

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What people wanted out of a direct box became clear. Abundant headroom, wide bandwidth, excellent tone and great sound. Crafting a box to these standards out of existing parts proved to be impossible. Therefore I had to have the critical components custom manufactured to my specifications. A toroidial transformer was built for me to insure low noise for the fully regulated low impedance power supply, with plenty of reserve to preserve dynamics and headroom. An output transformer was custom designed and wound so that it would accommodate the demands for high output level and provide outstanding frequency response. The power bandwidth of the Vacuum Tube Direct box is from 5Hz to 65Khz. Undistorted output level is +20db 20Hz to 20Khz. The maximum output level is +24 dBm. All of the components in the box are of the highest quality. Rugged circuit board design, metal film resistors, polypropylene capacitors, and ceramic tube sockets with silver contacts are a few of the components you will find inside. A special suspension system isolates the circuit board and tubes from impact and vibration noise, shielded output transformer, and a double shielded power supply assures quiet operation.

Millions of tour miles and countless stadium dates have proven the construction quality to be tour ready. Hundreds of major label record projects later there is a consensus. Engineers love how it sounds, musicians are amazed at the tonal accuracy, and in comparisons to other solid state and tube direct boxes, it just sounds better.

Features include a nominal 1 Megohm input impedance, 600 ohm transformer balanced output, and a low impedance buffered output jack so that a guitar signal can be split without loading down the guitar.

The MVE direct box passes the signal through at unity gain, so what you put into it is what you get out of it, in contrast to other tube direct boxes that have a 20dB insertion loss.

Product Specs
Gain:  Unity, no gain or loss
Max Undistorted Output:  20 dBu (20Hz to 20kHz)
Frequency Response:  20Hz-20kHz +/- 1 dB
Power Bandwidth:  5hz to 65kHz
Noise:  Typically below -100 Dbu for power line frequency and harmonics.
Line Voltage:  120/240 VAC selectable
Unit Weight:  6 lbs
Unit Color:  Purple
Dimensions:  9 5/8 wide x 5 3/4 deep x 2 3/4 inches height
Price:  $2495 US Dollars

 

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