The Mercury 66 Studio Limiting Amplifier is a fully balanced, all-tube, transformer-coupled dynamic processor, designed as a faithful tribute to the classic Fairchild 660 limiter. Built with no integrated circuits and using hand-selected components, the Mercury 66 preserves the sonic legacy of its inspiration while offering modern refinements for today’s studio environment.
The Mercury 66 mono limiting amplifier uses a variable-bias design with a massive custom power supply transformer, three audio transformers, a control amp transformer, and eight tubes housed in a 3U chassis. The circuitry is entirely push-pull and transformer-coupled, with no capacitors in the audio path. It is engineered for exceptional sonic transparency, fast attack times, low distortion, and full musical character without any audible thumps or unwanted artefacts.
The Mercury 66 offers attack times as fast as 0.2 milliseconds and release times ranging from 0.3 to 25 seconds, including two automatic modes that respond to program material. This versatility allows the unit to function equally well as a compressor or limiter, adapting to different programme types and mix needs.
A key enhancement over the original Fairchild 660 is the front-panel DC Adjust control, giving the user more flexibility in shaping the character and saturation of the compression. This “magic knob” enables subtle tone sculpting or heavy compression depending on the setting, giving engineers and producers precise control over the sound.
Other controls on the Mercury 66 include input gain, AC threshold, attack/release time selection, meter zero trim, stereo link, and power on/off switch. The Mercury 66 combines its vintage tube character with robust reliability, offering the tonal beauty of the past with modern build quality and usability. With its classic VU meter, large Bakelite knobs, and powder-coated front panel, the unit is visually rooted in the 1950s and sonically built for timeless recordings.
Features
- All-tube, fully balanced push-pull circuit with transformer-coupled inputs and outputs
- Inspired by the Fairchild 660 with no ICs and hand-built in the USA
- Extremely fast attack time as quick as 0.2 ms
- Release times ranging from 0.3 seconds to 25 seconds with automatic modes
- DC Adjust control for variable compression character and saturation
- No capacitors in the signal path for cleaner audio
- Massive custom power transformer, choke, and control amp transformer
- Front-panel controls for input gain, AC threshold, attack/release, DC adjust, and meter trim
- Stereo link function for matched dual-unit operation
- Classic VU meter, Bakelite knobs, and powder-coated front panel