Seth Applebaum about his Sony SRA-3 Recording Amplifier

“This unit is also a relatively new acquisition that has found its way into very regular use in my studio. Like the Ampex units found sitting in almost every equipment rack in every studio in the world, this unit was liberated from a reel-to-reel setup and repurposed for its tube driven front-end. Since I've gotten it, only one channel has been functional, but the sounds I've gotten from that channel have been otherworldly. This unit is the king of direct-in fuzz tones. Clean is not what you'll get from the SRA-3.

The VU pins almost immediately and enters you into a world of warm, tube-driven scuzz. Apparently this box has been a secret weapon of Kevin Parker's for a while, but I learned that factoid after I bought it, and since using it for a bit I can certainly see how it lives in his wheelhouse. On top of fuzzed out guitar and bass parts, I've been using it to add dirt to drum tracks, Wurlitzer solos, and sometimes vocals. Sometimes my favorite pieces of gear are the simplest, and with really only one control to work with (volume), this is about as straightforward as it gets!”

- Seth Applebaum