Rare Stereo Dolby 365 Vocalstressor “Dolby trick” modified module w/ modified Cat22 cards

Here we have a very rare Stereo version of the mono Dolby 361 used by Bruce Swedein and Quincy Jones to record the highest selling album of all time, Michael Jackson’s thriller album (among hundreds of other hit records). This unit lifts a vocal and gives it air and shine without using EQ or unwanted brightening. Bruce and Quincy paired a cheap dynamic Sm7 with a Dolby 361 noise reduction module using a modified cat22 card to get the iconic vocals we now enjoy on Thriller today. Other artists to famously use this “effect“ was Queen and John Lennon. In fact, there was a time when this was called the “Lennon trick” too.

By modifying the cat22 card, you remove the bottom two bands of the 4 bands of compression, and only the top two of the four bands remain, lifting the source and giving it “air” and space. This was one of the earliest forms of multiband compression. This is not to be confused with a EQ curve, sonic maximizer, spacial enhancer or even simple compression. This was used encode and decode to linear tape, but clever techs quickly found out that it can drastically improve the sound of a vocal recordings in the studio too.

I have sold varying models of the 361 to many people who use them all different types of sources. In fact, NJ synth guru Hanz Volt has stated he no longer can record or even play his synthesizers without his trusty Vocalstressor modified Dolby 361’s I sold him in 2022. Beyond the intended use for tape and vocals, they do magic on pretty much any source you throw at them from Drums, Guitars, percussion… to synthesizers and beyond. The effect is so astounding & dramatic that I recently made a YouTube video which I have attached to this listing if you’d like to check it out in here for yourself how powerful this unit is.

This particular unit is in fantastic shape and needs nothing. Differentiated from the 362 by it’s 2U rack space, it has a little more room for the unit to breath and does not need to be racked with blanks above or below. Rack ears are straight and not bent, faceplate is clean with no scratches. The calibration pots work when pulled although you should not really touch them, as the unit ships pre-calibrated (it’s just a gain pot really). All 7 LED’s work. The input and output have been cleaned with D5, the unit has been debugged and modified.

It comes shipped with two modified cat 22 cards as shown, with the vocalstressor modification. Unit is quite clean. Of the two completely useless VU’s, the left one does work, not that you need them at all, they just show the channel is getting signal, which you can also just listen to verify. Set-up button for tape also works as it should. This model is also compatible with SR Cards and I do have a pair of 280’s if you’d rather them than the 22’s. Same price.

Comes with new IEC power cable. Any questions please ask. I have a lot of other Dolby units and cards if needed. I also have hard to source Dolby bulbs, SR cards and film processing 43A devices from Dolby. Happy to help however I can. All the best!

- JML