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The Thermionic Culture Vulture is one of those pieces of gear I've heard about for years, but never actually had in my hands. The hardware is a hand-built, 2U rackmount valve unit made by Thermionic Culture that produces varieties of harmonic distortion. With EF86, 5963 and 6AS6 tubes, transformers, capacitors and filters, as well as the ability to adjust bias and drive, it can go from subtle to screaming. [Read PAR Contributor Rob Tavaglione's full review of the hardware Culture Vulture here: http:// www.prosoundnetwork.com/article/ review-thermionic-culture-culture-vulture/15320.-Ed.) However, with the release of Universal Audio's V2.8 software, the Culture Vulture is available on your desktop for UAD-2 hardware and Apollo interfaces.
Each channel (1 8c 2) features Drive, Bias and Distortion Type with choices of Triode, PI (Pentode 1) or P2 (Pentode 2). Below that resides a switch for Overdrive and Filter (OFF 9 kHz, 6 kHz). There are dual VU meters, a Master Power button, 0n/0ff switch, Control/Link switch, and a Mix knob forwet/dry control. There is also an Output level knob (1-11) and a Bypass switch for each channel.
In general, Triode mode is for gentle warming. Pentode 1 has more edge and Pentode 2 even more. The Drive knob and Overdrive switch hit the 6AS6 tubes for up to 20 dB of nastiness. The only real difference between the hardware and software versions is the addition by UA of a wet/ dry Mix control and the Link function for stereo imaging.
Since I like to add grit to my bass tracks,...