Thermionic Culture Vulture Two-Channel Tube Distortion Unit

The Thermionic Culture Vulture is the original and still the only studio unit dedicated to just adding valve produced harmonic distortion to sounds, with no solid state components in the way. This unique unit has changed little since its introduction in 1998.

There are 3 basic settings for the type of distortion:

• T gives the typically "musical" effect found with triode valves and is good for just "warming up" a sound
• P1 means that the "distortion" valve is switched to Pentode mode to add odd harmonic which make the sound more aggressive, but retaining that valve character
• P2 is the "No Holds Barred" setting and is very unusual way of configuring an unusual valve, even giving an extra octave at higher bias settings

The Bias control varies the current through the "distortion" valve (6AS6 type) and this current is shown on the millimeter. At low current the Vulture is "starved" and the sound is inclined to be thinner and "break up" easily. High current and the Vulture is over-fed and becomes quite fat and bloated. At medium current (0.25-0.3 mA) it distorts least, and this is the best setting for just "warming up" a sound. When the Vulture is over-driven, the meter may "twitch" and this gives a good indication of how drastic the distortion is.

The Low-pass filter has a 12dB/octave slope and will remove unwanted frequencies above 6 or 9 kHz (selectable) so as to make the sound more "rounded". The Drive control and Overdrive switch give the user ample control over the amount the input signal is boosted before it hits the 6AS6 valve.

The Output Level controls the amount of signal going to the output valve. This control should be set at 8 + for low distortion and turned back when Drive is increased for more distortion, except when P2 is selected.

The Bypass switch completely bypasses the unit so that the Culture Vulture's effect can be accurately compared to the original.

SOME CULTURED USERS...

Because of their unique blend of flexibility, musicality, and usability, brought about as a result of being hand-built by some of the worlds leading pro audio valve equipment designers and engineeers, Thermionic Culture products attract their fair share of high profile, industry leading producers and engineers from the world of recording technology. Here is just a handful - why not add your name to the list?

• Tony Maserati - Culture Vulture
• Black Dog Productions - Earlybird 2.2, Pullet, Phoenix Mastering Compressor, Culture Vulture.
• Al Schmitt - Phoenix
• Big Life Music - Phoenix Master Compressor
• Steve Dub Jones - Earlybird 2
• The Dairy - Phoenix
• Al Stone - Culture Vulture
• ROBERT CARRANZA - PRODUCER FOR LOS LOBOS, SUPER GRASS, JACK JOHNSON - CULTURE VULTURE
• PABLO MUNGUIA - ROBBIE WILLIAMS - PHOENIX & CULTURE VULTURE
• STEPHEN STREET - KAISER CHIEFS - CULTURE VULTURE
• JAMES FORD - PRODUCER - ARTIC MONKEYS - CULTURE VULTURE
• GROOVE ARMADA - EARLYBIRD & CULTURE VULTURE MASTERING - " Both myself and Tom Findlay bought the Earlybird and the Culture Vulture Mastering, they're like your first mobile phone, once you've used them for a week you wondered how you ever liver without them!" Andy Cato - Groove Armada.
• Larry Hammel - Producer, Deepwave Music Productions, Earlybird 2.2 and Phoenix
• Peter Katis
• Chemical Brothers - Culture Vulture Mastering MV & Phoenix
• "The vulture it distorts synths in a truly beautiful way-we used to acheive this effect thru a long,convoluted process now we can get this great sound at a flick of a switch!" - Tom Rowlands
• Peter Gabriel - Real World Studios - Culture Vulture
• Alan Moulder -Producer/Engineer The Jesus & Mary Chain, Swervedriver, My Bloody Valentine,Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails Downward Spiral, U2's Pop.
• Mike Caffrey
• Steve 'Dub' Jones - Engineer/Producer - Chemical Brothers, Madness. Culture Vulture Mastering MV & Phoenix
• Tom Findlay - Groove Armada - Earlybird-2, Phoenix
• Pietro Taucher - Engineer for Sharrie Williams
• Paisley Park
• Tie Dye Keith
• Jerry Harrison and Eric Thorngren (Talking Heads)
• Peter Katis
• Jimmy Boyle
• Kevin Bacon ( Axis Studios, recent credits include Jaimeson )
• Angel Mountain Studios
• Overtones
• Andy Strange ( recent credits include Robbie Williams )
• David Ives
• Bernard Butler
• Tony Hoffer ( Beck , Turin Breaks )
• Edwyn Collins
• Mick Jones
• The Libertines
• Mark 'Spike¹ Stent ( U2, Madonna, Oasis )
• Portishead
• Ken Nelson ( Badly Drawn Boy, Coldplay )
• Dave Gilmour
• The Prodigy
• Hugh Jones
• Strong Room Studios
• Air Studios
• Mute Records
• Ross Hogarth - "Mondo distorto! dude, I like your box a lot...really liked the musicality of it!"
• San Francisco Soundworks
• “La Source” Mastering suite - Paris France
• Yves Jaget
• Bertrand Blais producer of Etienne Daho
• Wisseloord Mastering