Burl Audio B26 Orca

Burl Audio B26 Orca – standalone, fully analog control room monitor controller, built on a direct-coupled Class-A signal path with no transformers and no capacitors. The unit accepts six signal sources: three stereo mix inputs, two tape return inputs, and one RCA input for consumer devices, calibrated at +4 dBu and selected via six push-buttons on the front panel. Output covers two independent speaker paths for control room monitors plus a separate studio output for sending a distinct mix to performers in the recording room, with dedicated headphone outputs for both sections. Precise, 0.1%-tolerance stepped attenuators adjust each section's level independently, replacing the elaborate monitor section of a large analog console in a studio built entirely around a DAW.

Six mix sources switched at the push of a button

Quick switching between three mix inputs and two return inputs lets you, for example, compare a mix version with bus compression and EQ against a raw external summing signal, without repatching cables between listening sessions. A single RCA input additionally allows a quick connection of a phone, laptop, or consumer player for reference comparisons, without breaking away from the studio's main signal chain.

An independent studio mix with talkback

The dedicated studio output lets you send performers in the recording room a completely different mix from the one heard in the control room, with its own level control independent of the control room monitor volume. A built-in talkback input, specifically calibrated for a Shure SM58 microphone, allows direct communication with musicians without a separate intercom system or an extra mic preamp.

KEY FEATURES

• Direct-coupled, discrete Class-A path with no transformers or capacitors
• Six inputs: 3 stereo mix, 2 return, 1 RCA
• Two control room speaker outputs plus a separate studio output
• Dedicated headphone outputs for control room and studio
• Talkback input calibrated for an SM58 microphone
• Audiophile stepped attenuators with 0.1% tolerance

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Device type: analog control room monitor controller
• Signal path: discrete, Class-A, no transformers or capacitors
• Inputs: 3 x stereo mix, 2 x stereo return (+4 dBu), 1 x RCA
• Talkback input: calibrated for an SM58 microphone
• Outputs: 2 x stereo speaker (control room), 1 x studio output
• Headphone outputs: separate for control room and studio
• Level control: 0.1% stepped attenuator (per section)
• Auxiliary output: external level meter