Radiator brings the classic Altec tube sound to desktop recording rigs, capturing the distinctive warmth and punch of the original hardware. Producer Matt Wallace was a very big fan. Motown Records Chief Engineer, Russ Terrana, used the 1567A extensively and it became part of the distinctive Motown sound.

After Motown, and after much gear came and went, analog diehards began seeking out the 1566A and 1567A as inexpensive sources for real tube sound. The EQ is as simple as it gets, with one knob for bass, and another for treble. These mic preamps and mixers have a very coloured warm sound and are very loud. Songs by greats like The Four Tops, The Marvelettes and The Supremes went through a 1567A mixer to the massive three-track recorder. The unmistakable green-faced Altec gear, and in particular the 1566A and 1567A, played a big part in shaping the early “sound” of Motown between 1961 to 1964.

In its day, it was used on many early Motown hits and found its way into the PA racks of countless churches and school auditoriums across the USA. The sound, by today’s standards, is coloured and gritty, with a heaping helping of good old-fashioned hardware noise. The original Altec 1567A hardware was a rack-mounted five-input tube mixer with removable transformers, a simple two-knob EQ, an unmistakable green faceplate, and a whopping 97 dB of gain. Introducing Radiator, a dual drive tube input channel and EQ, based on the classic Altec 1567A tube mixer from the 1960s. Vintage vibe, drive, and the magic tone of the 1567a tube mixer.

Soundtoys radiator