Maestro Antique (aka MA : LIMITED

 Leqtique's first product was MaestroAntique Revised (aka MAR) in 2010, and in the first half of this year, 2018, we sold MAR VPtP as the first item on the Leqtiqueshop ( leqtique.ch ).

  To conclude 2018, I have decided to reissue the Leqtique version of Shun Nokina Design's Maestro Antique, which was my first work as a professional effects builder in February 2009.

In the early days of Shun Nokina Design (aka SND), I was leaning towards some vintage parts, which I can't imagine now. This time, I have gathered a small amount of the wonderful components listed below from both Japan and overseas. For example, the SND-Maestro Antique at that time used Wima MKS2 (a high-quality German capacitor that is used in many Leqtique pedals), which is still familiar to us, but this time I used the vintage ERO MKT1826, which was my favorite of my favorites at the time, for all values. At that time, it was almost impossible to get all the values ​​with MKT1826 (as I recall, 0.047uF was really hard to get), and I only assembled it once with my own sample, but this time, as time passed, NOS products from all over the world have been on the market, and I have succeeded in collecting a small number of them.

The SND Maestro Antique was heavily influenced by the Landgraff Dynamic Overdrive at the time, and this time, as well as the familiar vintage Allen Bradley resistors, we have made full use of parts that could only be used in this project, such as Sprague 150D "blued tantalum" and 517D.

As a result, the components are different from the MAR VPtP, containing only two transistors, and although many people may have the impression that the contents of the Leqtique are "red," this time it is a completely different scene. As for the actual sound difference, it is a completely different direction from the MAR VPtP, MAR, or MAR Quad.

A few years ago, I became convinced that the choice of potentiometer curve changes the player's inspiration and ultimately influences the choice of sound output, and for this reason, in the Maestro Antique, I deliberately returned the parts that were improved when upgrading from TS to MAR to the traditional curve. The above-mentioned part selection is a very big factor, but I also believe that these small considerations have given the actual sound an unmistakable "antique" feel. As some of you may have noticed, the look of the satin finish, which is the first for Leqtique, also contains this message.

In the MA"R" family, the voicing, which was described at the time as having a metallic sound, was a harmony-like sound that was fused with the original rustic bluesy sound of the TS, but the Maestro Antique is based on a mellow and comfortable sound that is the exact opposite of a metallic sound, but the most important thing is that it uses the exact same op-amp that was a long-held secret in the SND - Maestro Antique, adding depth to the sound. In addition, the low noise level during operation is noteworthy, making it a very practical unit despite being an extremely limited item.

Although some of the content overlaps with the above, please take a look at the introduction to each component used in Maestro Antique below. If there were a treasure chest of components, each one would be said to belong in a small, special section in this modern age, and although there was a limit to the number of components we could include in planning Maestro Antique this time, we were very happy to be able to compile the list we originally wanted to use without compromise.

I have been using ERO's MKT1826 as a point for many years as a personal preference. (At the time, I couldn't get more than the quantity and number variations required for point use...) Generally, the successor version, the MKT1817, is still used in European effects pedals, but this MKT1826 has very little incidental noise to the signal, mainly because the lead wire is non-magnetic and the encapsulation material is different. For example, compared to the red capacitor Wima MKS2 that I use most often, it has a rounded and soft sound in the high end, but also gives the impression of delicately outputting the sound, so it's like a capacitor version of a vintage Allen Bradley resistor. This capacitor was what inspired me to come up with the MA project this time, and although I can only use it in pinpoints, this time I was able to obtain the values ​​for all the necessary parts of the circuit, so I've installed seven MKT1826s in one effect pedal, which is very luxurious.

The Sprague tantalum capacitor 150D was a capacitor that had a very important effect on the sound of Landgraff's DOD. This tantalum capacitor is made of incredibly high quality material that is still available today, and although I tend to replace it with MLCC or film capacitors in my current method, it has a sense of speed that is not excessive and a moderate resolution that can only be expressed with this tantalum capacitor, and a delicate expressiveness that is similar to the MKT1826. Similarly, the 517D adopted from Sprague is an electrolytic capacitor that reminds me of the old days, but the fact that it does not perfectly condition the power supply like modern polymer electrolytic capacitors gives it a secret flavor that adds thickness to the sound in a good way.

Vintage Allen Bradley resistors (AB resistors) are highly valued for their high fidelity in reproducing the original sound and the warmth derived from the carbon composition, and have been used in all Leqtique effects from the past to the present. Basically, they are only used in signal lines that have a strong effect on the sound, but this is also an old technique, and this time we used AB resistors for all the resistance parts. I think this is why the moment you open the back cover of the MA, you get a very strong feeling of a vintage effect. By using this AB resistor for the resistors and protective resistors in the bias formation parts, which basically have little effect on the effect sound, the small effect becomes a peak, and I think it creates a unique warmth of sound.

At the time of the release of SND - Maestro Antique, the secret op-amp was this Raytheon RC4558D, which was only mentioned as "a model number selected from over 400 types of op-amps". This op-amp is so valuable that few people have tried it. Of course, the 4558 model number has been released by various companies, but this "D" model number from Raytheon has an unusually smooth top end and low noise. In terms of fidelity, it is distributed higher than, for example, the JRC4558 glossy, but it is very well balanced with the above components. The other components are all things that you will never get again, but it is no exaggeration to say that this heart is even more museum-level. However, the practical acoustic characteristics are more attractive than the aspect of a collection item, and I would say that this op-amp is like a perfectly balanced version of my favorite LM1458 rather than the 4558...

Maestro Antique (aka MA) has been brought back to life with the best of old techniques and special old-fashioned components, so please compare it with MAR, MAR Quad, or MAR VptP. You will be able to enjoy the differences in sound between the components even more. In addition, it shares the clipping diode with the special 2SC1815(L)-GR from MAR VPtP. (SND-MA too) Please take a look at this article.

https://leqtique.ch/collections/frontpage/products/maestro-antique-revised-vptp-l-cld-special-bandle

L to R: MAR(Circa 2011, MAR VPtP 2018, MA 2018