Fairchild

Browse Fairchild vintage audio equipment in the Vintage Technology Archive.

Microphones

• F-22 — Fairchild F-22 condenser microphone, announced in Audio in 1965; an early FET condenser OEM'd by Synchron (AU7A). Thin record.

Power Amplifiers

• 225A — Fairchild 225A: an obscure late-1950s moving-coil phono cartridge known mainly through Fairchild's own 1956–57 ads. Construction details from the period are listed here.

Processors

• 660 (1959-) — A mono vacuum tube compressor designed by Rein Narma, known for its fast attack and legendary status in studio recording.

Unknown

• 659A — The Fairchild 659A is the "Reverbertron" — a dynamic reverberation system for broadcast and recording-studio use, built by Fairchild Sound Equipment.

Other Models

• 660/670 — Fairchild 660/670 mono and stereo limiters — documented here only as far as period trade-paper want-ads and reissue advertising allow, with specs left blank rather than guessed.
• 670 — A dual-channel vacuum tube compressor/limiter, originally designed in the late 1950s, renowned as one of the most iconic audio processors in recording.
• 670/660 — Fairchild 670/660 — dual-channel and mono tube compressors from the 1950s, 1/5000th-second attack, reported $50K+ collectibles.
• MODEL-248 — Fairchild Model 248 (1958) stereo preamp-equalizer: two 245 preamps plus 247 master control, Raymond Loewy styling, EF86 low-noise design.
• MODEL-412 — Fairchild Model 412 single-speed turntable (1961–1964), $87.50 new or $55 as a kit — belt-driven, shock-mounted pulley, the front end of serious period systems.
• MODEL-440 — Fairchild MODEL-440 two-speed turntable (1960–61), $69.95 deck or $55 kit, 70 dB rumble per Audio-Collection. A short-run Fairchild front end worth hunting for.
• MODEL-500 — Fairchild MODEL-500 identity unconfirmed — the designation matches several unrelated instruments. Archive flags it as a placeholder pending documentation.
• MODEL-660 — Fairchild MODEL-660 — identity unresolved. The 660 number turns up on a $35,000 studio compressor, a $399 plug-in replica, and a $149.50 Citroen portable. Verify before buying.
• MODEL-663 — Fairchild Model 663 Compact Compressor — up to 20 dB compression, 40 ms attack, .3–7 s variable release, $158 original price. The per-channel compressor of the Fairchild line.