An Avalon AD2055 parametric EQ with the top removed, displaying all of the interior components, sitting on a table in the Vintage King Tech Shop.

What comes to mind when you hear the term “vintage audio gear?”  Perhaps a well-worn preamp from the 70s, or a classic compressor from the 60s? It may be hard to believe, but gear as recent as 2004 can be considered vintage.

While we work on our fair share of 1073s and 1176s here in the Vintage King Tech Shop, we also see a lot of modern classics, like this Avalon Design AD2055 equalizer and VT-737SP tube channel strip that recently came through the door.

Keep scrolling to learn more about these popular pieces of outboard gear from not so long ago, and check out pictures of the internal components as our audio wizards work their magic.

Avalon Designs

Before we dive into the details of the AD2055 and VT-737SP, let's take a quick look at the brand behind the gear.

Avalon Design was founded in 1986 by company head and designer Wynton Morro. The company's early collection of Class A preamps quickly garnered a solid reputation amongst the world's leading engineers, producers, and musicians. Soon, Avalon began branching out to other outboard gear designs, including equalizers, compressors, and channel strips.

Today, all Avalon systems combine 100% discrete, pure Class A audio amplifiers with high-quality active and passive components. Each design features a minimal signal path including balanced DC coupled drivers, fully discrete DC regulators, and low-noise toroidal power transformers. This powerful combination delivers increased headroom and greater dynamic transient capability.

Avalon Designs AD2055 Equalizer

First released in 1997, the Avalon Designs AD2055 is a dual mono equalizer that uses both active and passive EQ designs. Word about the AD2055 got around fast and it quickly became an industry standard for mix-bus processing and mastering, and was also commonly used on individual tracks—especially vocals.

The low and high bands of the AD2055 use a passive design to deliver powerful, full-bodied lows and brilliant highs. The low band ranges from 18 Hz - 450 Hz, while the high band ranges from 1.5 kHz - 25 kHz. Both bands use a shelf shape by default but can be toggled to a bell for more precise adjustments.

Unlike the low and high bands, both midbands utilize an active design. These fully parametric bands range from 35 Hz - 450 Hz and 160 Hz - 2 kHz, respectively. Both bands also feature variable Q controls and 10X frequency multiply buttons for conducting sonic surgery.

The Avalon Designs AD2055 equalizer was officially discontinued in May 2017.

Avalon Designs VT-737SP Tube Channel Strip

While the original Avalon Design VT-737 tube channel strip was released in the late 90s, the updated VT-737SP is still available for purchase today. However, many engineers choose to maintain and restore vintage versions for one reason or another.

Nearly identical in design, the new "Special Performance" version features higher-grade aluminum knobs, increased mic input transformer level, and faster attack times on the compressor circuit—more on that later.

The Avalon VT-737SP channel strip combines the brand's award-winning tube preamp designs with a colorful optical compressor and versatile four-band EQ. The preamp section is fully Class A and utilizes two cascaded, dual vacuum tube triodes configured with minimum negative feedback.

Up next comes the optical compressor, which also uses twin Class A vacuum tubes for gain matching. Controls for attack and release times make it easy to dial in the perfect settings for any signal.

Rumor has it, that early versions of the VT-737 feature much slower attack times. Famed producer Baby Face requested Avalon update his personal channel strip with faster attack times. Afterward, Avalon began production of the VT-737SP, dubbed "Special Performance" for its modded compressor circuit.

Finally, at the end of the chain comes a four-band EQ. Unlike the AD2055, the VT-737SP EQ features an all-passive design. The low band ranges from 15 Hz - 150 Hz and the high band ranges from 10 kHz- 32 kHz, while the mid bands range from 35 Hz - 450 Hz and 220 Hz - 2.8 kHz, respectively.

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Avalon VT-737SP Tube Channel Strip
Avalon VT-737SP Tube Channel Strip
$ 3,866 .00
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