Published 17/11/08
Sound of the ’70s
British hardware manufacturers DAV Electronics have added a new product to their range of audio processors, derived from the designs of the Decca Record Company. The Broadhurst Gardens No. 7 (or BG7 for short) is a 1U rackmountable channel strip that features a mic and instrument preamplifier, plus a compressor/limiter section, which is a replication of the Decca 1976 circuit, “brought up to date” by DAV, whose founder used to work as a design engineer for Decca.
Interestingly, the two sections are treated as individual channels, so the rear panel features inputs and outputs for both the preamp and the compressor/limiter, although the two channels can be internally linked using a switch on the front panel.
Controls for the preamp section include a switched gain knob, which can supply between 22dB and 66dB of gain, and there are buttons for engaging phantom power, a 26dB pad, a phase-reverse circuit and a high-pass filter. A cluster of three LEDs provide simple but adequate metering.
The dynamics-processing ‘channel’ has very simple controls: a gain knob, which apparently boosts the signal of the input (so is not a make-up gain control); a switchable fast/slow recovery time control; a threshold knob, and bypass functions. Again, a bank of LEDs provide metering facilities.
The DAV BG7 costs a very reasonable £599 including VAT and can be purchased through KMR in the UK or from your nearest pro audio dealership.
KMR Audio +44 (0)208 445 2446
www.kmraudio.com
www.davelectronics.com
Interestingly, the two sections are treated as individual channels, so the rear panel features inputs and outputs for both the preamp and the compressor/limiter, although the two channels can be internally linked using a switch on the front panel.
Controls for the preamp section include a switched gain knob, which can supply between 22dB and 66dB of gain, and there are buttons for engaging phantom power, a 26dB pad, a phase-reverse circuit and a high-pass filter. A cluster of three LEDs provide simple but adequate metering.
The dynamics-processing ‘channel’ has very simple controls: a gain knob, which apparently boosts the signal of the input (so is not a make-up gain control); a switchable fast/slow recovery time control; a threshold knob, and bypass functions. Again, a bank of LEDs provide metering facilities.
The DAV BG7 costs a very reasonable £599 including VAT and can be purchased through KMR in the UK or from your nearest pro audio dealership.
KMR Audio +44 (0)208 445 2446
www.kmraudio.com
www.davelectronics.com
