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classicapi.com*VP2x Assembly Guide for 500 Series*Now Complete!!!

Hey everyone,

As some of you may know, I offer a couple affordable 500 series, all discrete mic preamp kits over at my store, classicapi.com. I do offer them in fully assembled, tested versions also but the kits seem to be the most popular thing these days. I guess when you look at the “bang for buck” ratio, I don’t think they can be beat. They have been available now for almost a full year with an excellent proven track record.

The kits started off over at Prodigy and have been migrating this way to gs over the last few months. I could tell by some of the inquiries that customers were very much newb’s to DIY work. After noticing this progression, I started on a very detailed and complete, step-by-step Assembly Guide. This guide will take any and all guess work out of populating the PCB and the little quirks of physical assembly. I wanted to make sure that if a person has decent tools and can build a clean guitar cable, that this mic preamp kit would be a logical “first DIY project”.

I am also making this guide a free download for any and everyone. This way, if you are not sure about the kit, download the docs, read them over and get a feel for it before investing any hard earned money.

Click to download the VP2x Assembly Guide

VP2x Features:

* All discrete, vintage style circuitry with 60 db of overall gain
* Continuously variable control of Preamp Gain over a 34 db range
* Mute switch for quite & safe switching of microphones
* Polarity reversal
* 20 db Pad for input attenuation
* 48V switchable phantom power
* Fully variable, custom made output attenuator
* Custom made, Ed Anderson EA2622 1:7 input transformer
* Custom made, Ed Anderson EA2623-1 or EA2503 output transformer
* Standard 2520 DOA footprint mounts in Mill-Max sockets
* Standard 500 series compatible
* GroupDIY 51x compatible
* Multiple pre-built or kit form 2520's are available

More details can be found at the beginning of the Assembly Guide along with suggested and required tools and some important tips/pointers.

For some quick background, this preamp is directly based on the console preamp out of mid ‘70’s, vintage API™ console. It is not a 312 preamp. They sound distinctly different but still from the same great family of mid aggressiveness. I think they also prove that they don't have to be old to sound vintage!

My goal for this Assembly Guide was to have an interested but inexperienced person read it and come away with the "I can do it!" attitude. I hope I have done my job.

Link to pre-assembled VP26

Link to complete VP26 Kit

Link to complete VP25 Kit

Cheers, Jeff Steiger