Electrical Engineer Chip Verspyck and Recording Engineer Henry Hirsch have partnered together in the recording studio developing unique analog equipment designs since 2010. Their original tube compressor and mic pre prototypes have been finalized. The VH “Clear Compression” compressor is now available for preorder short run sales. The mic pre is still under development for manufacturing. These are not clones or variations of any vintage retro classic, they are new one of a kind circuit concepts that have been honed and dialed in by ear at Henry's studio with precise monitoring and acoustics. The main design criteria for their equipment is to achieve clarity and tightness for every sound within a multitrack arrangement, so that when all summed together, foundation tracks are not getting lost in a wash, fighting or masking one another, so that you can just push up faders and mix without wanting to grab for an EQ or a plug-in.
Design Partners Chip Verspyck and Henry Hirsch
Henry using the VH compressor in its early crude form
The VH studio lab and design process: Henry auditioning changes to raw circuitry that Chip adjusts in real time, all while recording a live session player to analog tape. The meter bridge of the Helios console serves as the workbench!
On the album Jardin, by Gabriel Garzon Montano, Henry Hirsch recorded and mixed every sound exclusively through the VH compressor and mic preamp prototypes. The making of this record was the test bed for the final development of these circuits. Click the buttons below for Youtube links to hear demonstrations of VH equipment.
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CLEAR COMPRESSION
IT’S WHAT IT DOES
By Henry Hirsch
Upon trying to establish a basic track sound that then integrates with a vocal, the need for tight dynamic control is most important for clarity and separation in the stereo field. This compressor works by effectively compressing low end material that would get lost with too wide of a dynamic range, and the muddy sound of low bass ringing out, confusing to the lower range of the music arrangement. To be able to control the clarity, it allows for the bass frequency to be kept as well as controlling the level. There is always a compromise between limiting and frequency on the bottom end where low notes are soft and sluggish sounding. This unit does away with that problem better than any compressor I have ever used. Then as you move into subtle harmonic chords that enforce the arrangement, by selecting the tonal range of your guitars, pianos, or orchestra, you literally can open up the harmony that usually crosses over into the bass range, and by clarifying the harmony, audibility of these stereo chords with the bass brings you into unparalleled clarity. For punch on the drums, the compressor again allows you to choose how much natural drum kit to be kept next to heavily compressed drums. Usually the mics for drums come in sounding soft and surprisingly different than our natural perception, and because of this they quickly disappear into the tapestry. By choosing the specific range of compression, the drums can be glued to the track and will get your balance to sound clear and tight. Finally for vocal compression, this device is so fast, it can tighten up the peaks and dips in a vocal, and even out those variables to allow the lyric to ride on top of your bed of music. Most compressors are too slow to catch all the peaks or they mangle the sounds trying to catch up to them. This device is lightning fast, and is inaudible when set at the precise position. In the end, compression is the most difficult job of the engineer, and this device allows you to use the ranges of the instruments to lock in together what’s usually a confused series of sounds. Absolutely invaluable.
IT’S WHAT IT DOES
By Henry Hirsch
Upon trying to establish a basic track sound that then integrates with a vocal, the need for tight dynamic control is most important for clarity and separation in the stereo field. This compressor works by effectively compressing low end material that would get lost with too wide of a dynamic range, and the muddy sound of low bass ringing out, confusing to the lower range of the music arrangement. To be able to control the clarity, it allows for the bass frequency to be kept as well as controlling the level. There is always a compromise between limiting and frequency on the bottom end where low notes are soft and sluggish sounding. This unit does away with that problem better than any compressor I have ever used. Then as you move into subtle harmonic chords that enforce the arrangement, by selecting the tonal range of your guitars, pianos, or orchestra, you literally can open up the harmony that usually crosses over into the bass range, and by clarifying the harmony, audibility of these stereo chords with the bass brings you into unparalleled clarity. For punch on the drums, the compressor again allows you to choose how much natural drum kit to be kept next to heavily compressed drums. Usually the mics for drums come in sounding soft and surprisingly different than our natural perception, and because of this they quickly disappear into the tapestry. By choosing the specific range of compression, the drums can be glued to the track and will get your balance to sound clear and tight. Finally for vocal compression, this device is so fast, it can tighten up the peaks and dips in a vocal, and even out those variables to allow the lyric to ride on top of your bed of music. Most compressors are too slow to catch all the peaks or they mangle the sounds trying to catch up to them. This device is lightning fast, and is inaudible when set at the precise position. In the end, compression is the most difficult job of the engineer, and this device allows you to use the ranges of the instruments to lock in together what’s usually a confused series of sounds. Absolutely invaluable.
Currently the VH is not yet available for purchase in Europe. This is due to the fact that this product contains lead solder which is banned in the EU, and therefore it is not CE compliant. Tech It Out Inc is working towards an export model that will comply and also be at a much more affordable price point, albeit with surface mount components, Molex and ribbon cable connections, and far fewer hand soldered point to point connections in the circuit.
