OR-0010
Halvyn
United Kingdom · 1983 – c. 2008
Ser. 2500/A008
1990 · effect
Issued as VST3 · AU
Restored 2024 from 1990 hardware.
Halvyn X-2500 — Exciter
Halvyn X-2500 · harmonic exciter · restored from unit no. 2500/A008 · Halvyn, United Kingdom, 1990
The restorer's note
The presence-and-air box that made a source lean forward — a little manufactured brightness that reads as money. Serial A008, an early unit, restored to add its exact flavour of shine: no more, no less.
Acquisition
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The plate
The controls
The controls.
- Harmonics 0–100 % · 25 % as issued
- Sets how much generated harmonic content is added above the split point, in percent — the added air.
- Frequency 1.0–10.0 kHz · 3.0 kHz as issued
- Sets the frequency above which the exciter generates its harmonics, in Hz.
- Tune 0–100 % · 50 % as issued
- Tilts the generated harmonics' character, from warmer even harmonics at 0 % to brighter odd harmonics at 100 %.
- Big Bottom 0–100 % · 0 % as issued
- Sets the depth of the low-end enhancement, in percent.
- Bass Freq 40–300 Hz · 100 Hz as issued
- Sets the corner frequency of the low-end enhancement, in Hz.
- Input -24.00–24.00 dB · 0.00 dB as issued
- Sets the level going in, in decibels, before the signal reaches the restored circuit.
- Output -24.00–24.00 dB · 0.00 dB as issued
- Sets the level coming out, in decibels, after the restored circuit and the Mix blend.
- Mix 0–100 % · 100 % as issued
- Blends the restored circuit against the untouched signal at equal power, from the untouched signal alone at 0 % to the circuit alone at 100 %.
- Bypass Off as issued
- Takes the restored circuit out of the path and passes the untouched signal, delayed to match the circuit so nothing shifts in time.
A stored setup is a program. PROGRAM hands the DATA wheel to the list, and each program applies as the wheel reaches it; line one shows its number and name, line two ARCHIVE, a pack's name or USER. STORE asks STORE? PRESS AGAIN; a second press opens the name, which starts as USER NN, and line one reads NAME, THEN STORE. The wheel changes the letter, PROGRAM moves on, and STORE stores it; the computer keyboard may type the name instead, Return storing and Escape cancelling. Holding STORE on a user program asks CLEAR? PRESS AGAIN.
Listening
Listening
Demonstration recordings, prepared at the bench.
The air, plainly
The mix, then the mix with 25 % Harmonics generated above the 3 kHz split — the air switched in at five seconds, out at eighteen for reference, and in again.
0:00 / 0:30
Harmonics, from nothing
Harmonics climbs from 0 to 100 % above the 3 kHz split. Frequency then drops the split to 1 kHz — brash, into the mids — and lifts it to 8 kHz, where only the top of the mix is excited.
0:00 / 0:30
The bottom, enlarged
Big Bottom at 80 % under 40 % Harmonics. Bass Freq moves the low corner from 100 to 40 to 220 Hz, then Tune sweeps the harmonic character from one end to the other.
0:00 / 0:30