The Swiss army knife you should
not be without

The debut offering in the Hazelrigg Industries Solutions Series, the VLC is a powerful and elegant All-Tube Preamp/EQ combination designed to address the sonic challenges faced by today’s audio professionals.

The VLC is simply a solution: an elegant, high-performance Preamp/EQ/DI combo that delivers world class sonics while still being able to fit into the overhead bin.

The foundation of the VLC is the legendary Preamp and Power Supply design utilized in the VT series of Tube Microphone Preamplifiers from D.W. Fearn. Designed for sonic transparency and delivering incredible headroom, the VLC will produce stunning results with dynamic, condenser and ribbon microphones and will change the way that you approach your mic locker during a session. 

A rotary switch on the front panel will also select between Microphone, Instrument Input (DI) or the Balanced Line Level Input located on the back panel. The all tube DI path is ideal for acoustic instruments with pickups, electric bass, modular synths or any instrument that would enjoy a bit of D. W. Fearn magic, while the Line Level Input allows the VLC to be wired as an insert on your mixer or DAW for fast and easy “re-preamping” of tracks during production or mix down. This feature is the secret weapon of many VLC users and allows them to breathe new life into tracks received from remote clients or simply add a bit of extra mojo to a mix as needed. 

Moving beyond the input and gain sections, the VLC delivers powerful tone contouring in the form of a passive LC EQ.  The bottom is handled by variable Low Cut and Low Boost controls while the top end is managed similarly with High Boost and High Cut dials. Each of these four controls features a two way High/Low Frequency Select switch for even more precise tone shaping. Beautifully musical - even at extreme settings - these controls encourage you to use your ears to dial in your tone while an EQ In/Out toggle is nearby to make it easy to check your work.

All Tube Microphone Preamp

All Tube DI (DIRECT INJECTION) Interface

Line Level  Processor For Tone Contouring

Passive 4-way LC Equalizer

All-Tube Signal Path

Handcrafted in the USA

Amplifier Designed by D.W. Fearn

7 Year Warranty (90 days for vacuum tubes)

Specifications

  • Polarity Reversal Switch

  • EQ Bypass Switch

  • Passive EQ

    • Custom-wound Inductor

    • Low Cut , Low Boost, High Cut & High Boost Controls

    • 2-way Frequency Selector for Each Band

  • Transformer Coupled Input and Output

  • Front Panel Microphone/Instrument Input

  • Dedicated Balanced Line Input on Rear Panel (Selectable from the Front Panel)

  • Redundant Microphone Input on Rear Panel

  • 3-Way MIC / LINE / INST Selector

  • Aircraft Inspired Locking +48V Safety Switch

  • -20dB Pad Switch

people are talking about vLC…

  • Jon Castelli

    “Knowing that I have 12 channels of pure, musical, lifelike capture permits me to focus my attention on what really matters: my relationship with the artist, the content of their ideas and what I can do to help them communicate with their audience.”

    – Jon Castelli

    Mix Engineer: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande

  • Dom Morley

    “Whatever you do with it…it sounds better. It’s only difficult to use because you don’t know which ‘better’ to go with.”

    – Dom Morley

    Producer / Engineer: Amy Winehouse, Adele, Sting, Nick Cave

  • Mat Teofilo

    “When you have clients literally stop mid-performance to tell you how amazing their voice or instrument sounds through the VLC, you know it’s a keeper!”

    – Mat “Songsbury” Teofilo

    Gold Record-Winning Songwriter/Musician/Producer

  • Wes Maebe

    “The moment you put this VLC box in your chain, you simply do not want to give this back!”

    – Wes “Wesonator” Maebe

    Producer / Engineer: Sting, Chaka Khan, UB40 (ft. Ali Campbell & Astro), Specimen, Suzi Quattro, New Model Army, Carly Simon

  • Colin Hay

    “When Hazel first arrived on my doorstep, there were no firm plans in place, but I knew she was here to stay. Right from the start, she exuded a presence and self confidence which was undeniable. A classic beauty, spanning time, she does not give away all her secrets straight away. I find myself constantly drawn to her, hungry to hear more…”

    – Colin Hay

    Producer/Lead Vocalist: Men at Work & Solo Artist

  • Brian Moncarz

    “Simply put the VLC is a stunning sounding Tube Mic pre! Easy to use and handled every vocal and instrument I ran through it with incredible sonic results. Running a bass direct through the VLC produced some of the best bass tones I’ve heard throughout my career. The VLC turned heads and ears during my recording sessions!”

    – Brian Moncarz

    Award-Winning Engineer / Producer

  • Mark Osegueda

    “It takes a lot to keep up with a band like Death Angel, but the Hazelrigg Industries VLC Preamp comes ready to fight. It's all about tone, power and control and the VLC delivers every time”

    – Mark Osegueda

    Vocalist: Death Angel

  • John O’Reilly Jr.

    “I use 4 VLCs in my studio because they sound good. Really good”

    – John O’Reilly Jr.

    Engineer/Drummer/Educator

  • Brandon Unis

    “The VLC instantly became an integral part of my mixing workflow. Anything I send through them simply comes out better! Warmer, more forward, punchier, wider. The works. The EQ is incredibly capable but also limited in a way that allows me to move quickly, making musical decisions and loving the results every time. I cannot imagine myself working without these by my side. I highly recommend and love my stereo pair!”

    – Brandon Unis

    Head Producer: Velveteen Music

  • Josh Wilkinson

    “I have been searching for something like this for a while. The VLC is an extremely high quality recording channel and I have found myself pushing the EQ to the max without really realizing. It never gets harsh, ever. But when I need that tube goodness I need it to perform every time and this for me is the deciding factor between purchasing a new tube preamp and a vintage one. I am confident the VLC will continue to do its thing for many, many years to come.”

    - Josh Wilkinson

    Engineer / Producer: Damien Rice, Ólafur Arnalds, JFDR and John Grant.

people are Writing About VLC…

 

“His P-bass went through the… VLC and then to the DAW. The result was amazing! My jaw dropped, my assistant’s ears perked up and everybody loved the bass sound; it’s on the record exactly as it was recorded on that day.” READ

— Mix Magazine, Jan, 2022

“Try one, but don't blame me if you end up wanting a stereo pair.” READ

— TapeOp Magazine, Jan/Feb 2022

“While the VLC has the sonics to elegantly track (or re-track) anything thanks to a dedicated line input and the mic/ instrument inputs, this is notably a game-changing box for vocal recordings. It’s among the best-sounding I’ve heard, let alone had a chance to use in my own sessions.” READ

— Professional Sound Magazine, (Canada), Jan 2022

“The Hazelrigg VLC-1 is a world-class channel strip that makes it easy to capture and shape any source.” READ

— Everything Audio Network, 2016

Christian Svedin

Musician, Producer, Engineer and Gear Enthusiast, Christian Svedin,provides an overview of the Hazelrigg Industries VLC and VNE and includes some fantastic, high quality audio samples.

Mike Avanaim

Musical Director, Producer and Session Drummer, Mike Avenaim, runs the VLC and VNE through their paces in this deep dive demo clip.

Dom Morley

Grammy award-winning producer/mixer/engineer Dom Morley shares his love for the Hazelrigg VLC as a preamp and EQ.

Thilo Fehlinger

Thilo Fehlinger, live sound engineer for metal outfit, Death Angel, on using the VLC for lead vocals on on stage.

Tom Spiker

Tom Spiker, musician, engineer, and faculty member of Philadelphia University of the Arts on the importance of trusting yourself to commit to your input signal chain with the VLC.

Sound On Sound

Sound On Sound learns about the key details about the VLC preamp & EQ.

Jon Castelli

Mix engineer and producer Jon Castelli (Khalid, 6LACK, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Ariana Grande) and Doug Fearn talk tubes, workflow, and why Jon owns racks on racks of Hazelrigg Industries and D.W. Fearn gear in this long-form interview for Doug’s Podcast.