Fairchild 659A
The Fairchild 659A is the "Reverbertron", a dynamic reverberation system for broadcast and recording-studio use, built by Fairchild Sound Equipment Corporation of Flushing, New York. The documented record is thin: a few trade announcements from 1971 and 1972. No production years, original price or full manual seem to have survived in the available material.
DB Magazine (July 1971, p.20) called the 659A the latest version of the earlier Model 659, matching or improving on its performance. It added a new lock mechanism for portability, in a 19-inch-wide, 9-inch-deep, 7-inch-high chassis. Recording Engineer (February 1972, p.32) reported it as a third-generation Reverbertron. It detailed six electromechanical delay lines isolated against building rumble and environmental noise, instant selection of three decay times, a lower input requirement (-30 dBm), an improved 65 dB signal-to-noise ratio, full-range equalization with bass/midrange/presence-peak selection and high rolloff, and metering of all signals.
Controls covered three reverb mixes (dry, premix 1, premix 2) and a decay selector. The DB Magazine spec sheet (December 1971, p.20) listed decay time selectable from 3 to 5 seconds, input level -30 dBm or higher, 600-ohm balanced or unbalanced input impedance, and +18 dBm output handling. The S/N was rated 10 dB better than the earlier model's.
A few facts as documented:
- Six electromechanical delay lines
- Decay time: 3–5 seconds, selectable (short/medium/long)
- Reverb mix: dry, premix 1, premix 2
- Input: −30 dBm minimum, 600 Ω balanced or unbalanced
- Output handling: +18 dBm
- S/N: 65 dB, about 10 dB better than the 659
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