Joemeek VC6QCS Channel Strip

Description

THE JOEMEEK British VC6QCS WHAT IT IS AND WHY
The British Channel is an input conditioner. A microphone or musical instrument preamplifier designed to bridge the gap between the performing musician and the recording studio. It's been designed especially to be easy to operate, yet will give the finest professional 'glitter' to the sound; without hours of tweaking.
QUALITY AND BIG SOUNDS It's my theory (and was Joe's) that 'big' sounds can only be produced if the lower frequencies in an input amplifier are kept absolutely flat and under control. To achieve this, the MeekBox has an extended frequency range well below 20Hz. This ensures that there are no sudden phase shifts in the low end. The proof of the theory is that it sounds great!
QUALITY AND OVERLOAD MARGINS In the mid 1970s I designed a range of mixers specifically for Independent Local radio stations and the BBC. One of the specification clauses insisted on was an extreme overload margin on the microphone amplifier. The reason was that although momentary overloads (transients) are not audible, they have an effect on the quality of the sound you hear. A high overload margin amplifier just sounds better. Nowadays, many of these notions have been forgotten and 'quality' electronics is getting rarer and rarer. But the JOEMEEK range of specialist electronics applies these professional rules and you can hear the difference! The function of a microphone preamplifier is not complex, and the microphone/input amplifiers on normal professional mixers do it quite well; BUT they cut costs and corners. The British Channel has a specialist approach, it uses a super quality transformerless input stage in combination with a low-noise input amplifier; the overall design produces an input stage with excellent low noise characteristics and high margin capability. Joe would have loved one of these!
An interesting fact is that the cost and quality of the parts in the British Channel input amplifier are on a par with those used in the very highest priced professional mixers and microphone amplifier outboards. As well as giving the best performance with keyboards, guitars and basses (Joe Meek invented the 'direct inject' method of instrument recording), the VC6Q is also designed to work well with the best capacitor microphones; it is particularly good with the JOEMEEK JM47, The Neumann range, the AKG C3000 and C414, Microtech Gefell, and Audio Technica.
It's best to think of the VC6Q British Channel as three separate pieces of equipment:
1) The Input amplifier. 2) The Compressor. 3) The Equaliser.
THE INPUT AMPLIFIER The input amplifier takes audio signals from any microphone (XLR socket), musical instrument or high level source (1/4 inch jack sockets), and amplifies them up to 'line' level; that is, from a few millivolts, up to about a volt. The phantom power supply (push-button switch) provides power to capacitor microphones. Dynamic or ribbon microphones should be used with the phantom power turned off, then full advantage can be taken of the extreme low noise performance of this amplifier.
The MICROPHONE INPUT (XLR socket input) is designed for 200 ohm balanced microphones. The INSTRUMENT INPUT (front panel jack socket) is for guitars and basses and is particularly good for passive guitars (Fender Strat etc.) The micamp is a current sense that auto loads resistance.
The LINE INPUT is balanced and is designed as a mixdown input from other professional equipment.
2) THE JOEMEEK COMPRESSOR And now for the part of the British Channel that gives it most of its character; - the photo optical JOEMEEK compressor.