A Blast From the Past: Valve/Tube/Electro-optic LA2A

Drip Electronics OPTO 6 version of the 1968 LA2A

When a friend of mine came and asked if I would help him build out an audio compressor that is based on tube amplification and some custom electro-optical cells I, of course, agreed!

The full details of the device are online at Drip Electronics: OPTO 6 (LA2A). They build a PCB to approximate the old point to point wiring typically found under tube systems as well as build the custom electro-optical cells.

Now I am not a tube guy nor an audio guy but any electronics that glows when it is working is good electronics.

Yours truly, (Matthew Swabey) testing the system with safety
 glasses in case one of the tubes or big caps "pops"

I really enjoyed the different construction style but testing was a real problem - the system is so non-linear, clips all the time and distorts it is almost impossible to know if I built it right. The current owner had to take it home and test with a microphone and speakers before it could be signed off.