The biggest sale of the year starts now.  Head over to the store section of this website for the deepest discounts never before seen on LBA gear.  The sale lasts until the end of November or until supplies runs out.  Check out the used section of the store too.  There's a bunch of cool things for sale in order to raise funds for the development of the Op-2HD compressor.

This is related to the Op-2HD Compressor and the Dark Storm.  I have settled on powering the compressor with a 15V DC line-lump power supply.  In order to tie it in to the Storm Series I decided to develop a Storm Series power supply that offers both 48V DC for the Dark Storm (and any other solid-state devices I develop for the storm series) and 15V for the compressor or any other tube gear I may develop for the product line.  What you see in the photos above is the first prototype.  I need to develop it more before it's ready to be a product.  I expect it will get released at the same time as the compressor.  The power handling capabilities of this supply dwarf any line-lump adapters.  This is intended to be for those who either want the best or who have a Storm rig. 

Here's prototype number 2 in the development of a Storm Series compressor.  The first prototype had a lot of issues, distortion being the biggest one.  This one doesn't have any issues and sounds great.  I think at this point its ready to move forward with refining the design and look.  I'll have to sell this prototype in order to fund the advancement of the design.  It'll be available in the store section of this website under the used gear section later tonight. 

So what is it then?  2 tubes (12AT7, 12AX7) running at high voltage and 3 audio transformers are inside of this compressor.  It is based on my Op-2 Compressor pedal from a few years back, but this is radically better in every way.  More features, more headroom, more tone.  It is essentially an optical compressor, but different from usual in that a vacuum tube is responsible for creating the ratio by means of tube compression (distortion).  The compression knob is both the threshold adjustment and the ratio adjustment in one knob and it acts directly on the compression tube.  As you turn up the compression knob you increase the ratio and increase the amount of signal allowed to pass over the threshold.  There are controls for attack and release times, but they are a little interdependent.  A slower attack setting will result in a slower release time, but the release time switch has no affect on the attack time.  You can get a medium fast release with a slow attack, or a slow release.  You can also get a very fast attack and a fast release, or a slow release.  There is a side-chain low frequency bypass for the detection circuit.  There's more gain available in the tube makeup gain control than you'll likely ever need.  Your input signal level is not adjustable.  A hotter input signal will pass the threshold easier and compress more. 

This device runs on a 12V DC external line-lump power adapter (740mA draw). 

Production of the 2020S will cease with the release of the final batch on September 20th.  Pre-ordering is over and the quota is met.  The final one produced will be number will be 323.  Instrument transformers will continue to be produced... just not the 2020S.  If you really want a 2020S, you can make one yourself with the 20SX transformer that I will continue to offer as a product.  Thank you for supporting my endeavors!

Everyone seems to love the wide range of color offered by the Dark Storm, even some focusing on how it can get very distorted.  The Dark Storm can be very clean too and we set out to demonstrate that by recording piano.  Pianist and piano tech, Kevin Urso laid down a jazzy jam at LBA Studios in the video below.  Don't forget to buy 7 Dark Storms! :D

Finally, I've been able to work out all the issues with equipment failures and supply chains.  We're back on production and working 7-days per week to catch up.   Already, there's a lot of product back in stock.  Simultaneously, I'm working to develop several new products  (slowly working on developing a new compressor, I have an interesting idea for a ribbon mic signal booster, and a couple of nifty transformer designs).  This week, Paul is coming back to work now that things are looking better.  His first job is to edit the 5th and final video in the Big Flippers Youtube series.  The mixing board was sold to Adam Horwitz of New Jersey, so I no longer have it to shoot anymore videos with.  However, I may follow up with some more related videos in the future, but on my AMEK Big 44, which had far more extensive upgrades and mods done to it.  For now, Paul's next mission after Big Flippers is to focus on a Dark Storm ad/video, an Eye of Jupiter demo, and then possibly on a new video series.  His job is now exclusively video production and some minor photography stuff. 

Due to multiple big problems with equipment and supplies, small signal transformer production is halted.  Limited stock on hand for the time being.  This directly impacts all LBA products.  Whatever is in stock is all we can sell until the issues get resolved.  I expect things to get back on track in under 2 weeks.  I'm sorry for any inconvenience.  This is a terribly frustrating time for me.  I'm working as fast as I can to get back on track. The huge expenses involved are killing me.   Your support is appreciated during this time.  Thank you.

-Mike

I've been working on a video series to document my acquisition of a beat-up 1995 AMEK Big 28 mixing board with the intent of repairing it to sell for profit.  In this series I provide some how-to methods for recapping old electronics, replacing IC's on circuit boards, setting up a vintage PC with MS Dos and the automation program for the mixing board, and much more!  In the first episode I take us on tour of BRM Sound, the recording studio where the Big was located when I purchased it.  Subscribe to the channel to follow along.   Here's what we have so far:

The Eye of Jupiter is a 500 Series module, which offers both a DI input and a Re-Amp output.  In fact, both the DI and RA (Re-Amp) jacks can be used at the same time and both offer a little something extra in the tone department.  The DI is exactly the same circuit as what is in our Dark Storm preamplifier and as a result, features our popular MC15 audio transformer.  Furthermore, the DI signal path also includes the Low Cut switch of the Dark Storm.  However, this can only be used with the DI signal and not the Re-Amp signal.  The Re-Amping section features LBA's new "Hot" light to indicate when the signal exiting the Re-Amp jack is higher in volume than that of a typical passive electric instrument (ie. electric bass).  The level of this output jack can be controlled by the "Out Trim" knob.  Internally, there is a setscrew adjustment pot for fine tuning the threshold of the "Hot" light.  The Re-Amp signal is similar in design the the DI amplifier in that it is also features a discrete JFET signal path... a design choice made for tone.  Get yours here.