FLICKINGER TwinFlicks Stereo Mic Preamp w/NOS Transistors
Dual OpAmp, 3-Transformer, 72 dB Gain, 2-Gain Stage, +/- 24V
Now Also Available in Single Channel 500-Series!!

Shipping: Week of May 29th, 2023

Up for consideration is our brand new Flickinger TwinFlicks -- a 72 dB dual-channel, dual-OpAmp mic preamp. Originally we racked up a bunch of vintage 56 dB Flickinger channel cards from the 1972 Ray Stevens' 32-Channel, Nashville Sound Lab console. These units were very successfully received, and when we sold out of the vintage channels, there was a demand for more. So we have now meticulously reproduced the 1972 console's original 52 dB Flickinger 736-2 channel cards, with its prized 535-7 opamp, and added a few new features, the most notable is a 2nd fader knob -- powered by a 2nd 535-7 opamp --which more closely resembles the signal path of the Flickinger console, giving a total of 72 dB of gain, while keeping the flexibility to drive the main gain stage harder by cutting back on the output fader. We now have 2x 535-7 OpAmps per channel, along with 3 transformers: with a custom-designed input transformer, an interstage transformer, and the output transformer. We have retained the +/- 24V power rails of the original design for ample headroom, and also the 150-Ohm input transformer impedance, and added a high/low impedance button allowing for a tonal change when switching to a higher impedance. Lastly, we added a 4-mode metering system to help you better control levels.

Flickingers's still have that great vintage American studio console character and tone that imparts a creaminess and heft to your tracks. The low-end is full and powerful, and the +/-24V design gives you lots of headroom. Closely reproducing the 1972 vintage 736-2 Flickinger channel card and OpAmp design -- using the identical NOS transistors -- these preamps still sound magnificent today -- and are one of very few built to the vintage 150-Ohm / 24V spec, which is where a lot of the Flickinger magic comes from. Comes with a full 1-year warranty. Video Clip from the Stephen Colbert Show was recorded with the mobile rack the photos.

CUSTOMER REVIEW
"I'm probably one of the recent sales that Stephen referred to earlier -- yes; I have a TwinFlicks. A couple of thoughts: It sounds just like the Cinderella Studios Flickinger console. Listen to the samples on the Cinderella Studio site and you'll hear what these channels do. The sonic footprint is all over those tracks.
- The bottom end is brought forward, big time! And boxy mids are non-existent.
- I read reference to a "thick-flick" opamp somewhere. I'm not sure what the thick ones are modeled after, but the TwinFlicks aren't thick sounding to my ears.
- The low, 150 ohm, impedance is very much a part of this circuit. To my ears it's what brings the lovely bottom end forward. The impedance button has an effect, and it's probably useful with dynamics mics (I haven't tried them yet), but running a condenser mic with the low impedance is the bomb!
- While I haven't, yet, tracked drums, I'm pretty confident that these will really shine in that application. Oh, and they sound fantastic." -- on REAL GEAR ONLINE

We have designed the preamp to behave like 2x channels from the vintage (Nashville Sound Lab / Ray Stevens) Flickinger console, with both the mic and line inputs going through the entire circuit: input transformer, 1st gain stage, interstage transformer, 2nd gain stage and output transformer. The idea for the unit is to have gain stage 1 behave with totally identical specs as the vintage 1972 Flickinger channel cards, but still let the unit behave like 2x mic/line channels from a Flickinger console by cascading a second opamp gain stage.

So far, the response from our first production run of 100x TwinFlicks units has been extremely positive. For example, we have one guy in LA who bought 4x units and has 8 channels going to Ampex 8-track (see photo). Another guy got it for kick and snare, and another guy is dedicating it to electric guitar, and another customer LOVES it for the saturation you get by overdriving the input stage, as it is a very pleasing, subtle saturation distortion without the typical solid-state harshness, and he uses it mainly to get that soft saturation sound. Another guy in LA actually bought it to use as a line-level conditioner, and believe it or not, he replaced his mastering comp with the TwinFlicks, and runs all his final mixes through it!! Several others are running mixes through the TwinFlicks as well.

Shipping: Week of May 29th, 2023