AMEK Big 1 channel strip fully refurbished & upgraded to the max!

This listing is for owners of AMEK's Big by Langley consoles. If you own a Big 28 or Big 44, you'll probably be interested in this upgrade. As these desks get older, it's of growing importance to keep a spare channel strip tucked away somewhere. In fact, why not replace it before it breaks with a hot-rodded, like-new, beast of a Big 1 channel strip? The Lightning Channel.

Every one of the 37 electrolytic capacitors have been replaced with brand new low-esr and/or low-inductance equivalents rated for 5000 hours or greater. Significant electrolytic capacitors in the audio path have been bypassed with WIMA film caps on the back side of the PCB to help preserve high frequency details. One film capacitor value was modified. It's been changed to lower the HPF cutoff frequency to about 80Hz, whereas stock seems to sit around 100Hz. 7 audio-critical integrated circuits have been replaced with much higher performing modern equivalents. These upgrades include the mic preamp (THAT 1510) and direct output driver (OPA2134PA), but extend to the entire EQ section, the 2-bus output driver, and the VCA. Of course no VCA upgrade would be complete without a proper symmetry adjustment! This channel comes dialed into her sweet spot as per the service manual. Her beautiful sound is void from any hiss or crackle. Every one of the 32 switches were meticulously cleaned and lubricated with professional products, as were the 13 potentiometers. The plastic knobs and buttons were all cleaned in an ultra-sonic bath. The faceplate was carefully cleaned to protect the screen printing, which is in excellent condition I must add. The backside of the circuit board was thoroughly cleaned of any solder flux or residue at the end of the procedure.

If you're curious about the sound you should hear it for yourself (30-day return policy), or you could watch the video I made a few years back about this topic (or the whole Big series). Link below. However, the channel in this listing is superior to the one in the video. The item in this listing has undergone a symmetry adjustment to lower the THD, an additional IC was upgraded (MON I/P), and more bypass caps were added throughout the audio path.

This channel strip has been fully tested and calibrated and comes with a 1-year service guarantee, valid if correctly installed and used in an AMEK Big console. Contact me if you would like additional Lightning Channels or if you'd like to send your channels in for the upgrade.