Fryette Valvulator Mini Vacuum Tube Buffer

Short Description:

250V Tube Buffering and Professional DI Performance

What We Think:

The Fryette Valvulator Mini is far more than a simple DI box, serving as a high-voltage tube buffer that preserves the feel, dynamics, and harmonic character of your instrument and pedalboard. Operating at a true 250V plate voltage, it delivers the authentic response of a tube circuit while providing a strong, low-impedance signal for long cable runs, recording setups, and complex rigs. Dual pickup load controls allow players to fine-tune impedance and capacitance for optimal interaction with their instrument, while features like phase invert, ground lift, transformer-isolated output, and balanced XLR DI make it exceptionally versatile. Thoughtfully engineered and built around genuine tube performance, the Valvulator Mini is an invaluable tool for players who demand the best possible signal path.

Manufacturer Description:

The Fryette Valvulator Mini is now shipping. At $199 MAP, the Mini is a high voltage, vacuum tube–based buffer that is perfect for guitarists who utilize modelers, digital amps and long pedal chains. Designed to preserve and enhance your guitar’s tone by converting the signal from high to low impedance eliminating high-frequency loss and signal degradation caused by cable capacitance, impedance mismatches, phase / ground loops and the use of effects pedals. The tube buffer also acts as a tone sweetener, cleaning up and enriching your sound while unveiling subtle harmonics, dynamics and the touch sensitivity normally associated with plugging directly into an amp.

Housed in a compact steel chassis, the Valvulator Mini provides an unbalanced low-impedance output, an unbalanced transformer isolated output and a balanced XLR output, making it aversatile solution as a tube direct box for both pedalboards and studio use.

The Valvulator Mini is the long-awaited evolution of one of our most popular rig solutions, the Valvulator 1 Vacuum Tube Buffer. The Mini features increased headroom and dynamic range, together with significantly lower noise. "As always, I wanted a solution for myself that I knew would be a welcome tool for players, especially those who really appreciate the tone and feel of plugging directly into an amp” commented Steve Fryette.

DIMENSIONS:

HEIGHT:1.7”(4.3 cm)

WIDTH: 3.5”(8.89cm)

DEPTH: 4.2”(10.6cm)

WEIGHT:1Lb.(.45kg)

Specifications:

Product type: High-voltage vacuum tube buffer and DI

Model: Valvulator Mini

Tube operation: True 250V plate voltage

Circuit type: Tube-based impedance converter

Pickup load switches: Dual HI/LO controls (impedance and capacitance)

Ground lift: Yes

Phase invert: Yes

Input: 1 x 1/4" instrument input

Outputs: 1 x 1/4" low-impedance output, 1 x 1/4" transformer-isolated output

DI output: 1 x balanced XLR output

Chassis material: Steel