BAE Audio announced that it will highlight its 500C lunchbox FET compressor, its new PDI (mono) and PDIS stereo direct injection boxes, as well as its Hot Fuzz dual-stomp guitar pedal at the 143rd Audio Engineering Society convention in New York City. The California-based company will also showcase the new 1173 preamp and compressor — the first product of its new subsidiary, UK Sound.
“We are pleased to return to AES in New York with a wave of exciting new products,” says BAE Audio CEO Mark Loughman. “BAE Audio has a longstanding reputation for analog excellence and classic circuitry, but the last year has seen many firsts for our company. Not only did we launch the Hot Fuzz — our first foray into guitar effects — but we just launched the 500C: our first compressor in the 500 series format.”
“Also, based on the success of our mono PDI, we are announcing the PDIS stereo direct injection box — the stereo version of our DI. Last but not least, our UK Sound subsidiary will soon be shipping its first product: the 1173 preamp and compressor.”
BAE’ new 500C compressor
Based on the design of hit-making studio FET compressors of the ’60s and ’70s, the 500C launched in 2017 as BAE Audio’s first FET compressor and also its first 500 series format compressor. Now a full BAE Audio lunchbox channel strip is possible forusers who demand classic sound and maximum analog integrity. The 500C features controls for input and output gain, plus the four selectable, time-honored compression rations of 4:1, 8:1, 12:1, and 20:1. Its signal path lends analog warmth to your signal, helping glue anything from drums to bass to vocals into the mix.
PDIS – Veritible analog punch in stereo
The new PDIS — which comes on the heels of the successful launch of the mono PDI — is a new stereo direct injection box that gets its unique character from a brand new transformer design that delivers a warm analog richness. Priced economically for project studios as well as professional studios, the PDIS’s circuit design is based on vintage rack gear, bringing premium analog tone to any guitar, bass, keyboard, or other line input source. Dual high-impedance outputs enable connecting multiple amplifiers to a source such as a guitar, and a low-impedance output is perfect for a feeding a recording console, all imbued with the warmth and clarity in the high end and ear-pleasing harmonics from the low end provided by the PDIS’s transformer.
Return of the Hot Fuzz
The Hot Fuzz is a dual-stomp guitar pedal featuring both a vintage-style treble booster and a vintage-style fuzz, each with independent bypass switches. The Hi Frequency Boost side features a single gain control, while the Fuzz side features treble, bass, juice, and gain controls to dial in the perfect tone. Each side of the pedal stands on its own, whether using the Hi Frequency Boost to drive a dirty amp into saturation or the Fuzz for anything from subtle rhythm saturation to a singing lead tone, but kicking on both pedals yields a distinctive searing fuzz tone that is sure to cut through the mix and attract attention.
UK Sound 1173 — analog will set you free
BAE Audio CEO Mark Loughman formed new subsidiary UK Sound with the goal of manufacturing affordable, high quality analogue equipment for musicians and project studios looking to integrate the unmistakable character of vintage recording gear into their signal chains. Now, UK Sound’s first product—the 1173 preamp and compressor—is shipping next week and promises to bring quality analog tone to studios of all sizes. Combing a preamp modeled on the beloved 1073 circuit with a classic FET compressor, the 1173 represents a unique combination of two classic sounds. This versatile input path excels with any vocal or instrument source, bringing the warmth and character only possible in the analog domain all within a compact single-space rack unit.