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Post by geoff738 on Oct 29, 2019 13:51:53 GMT -6
Ok, I may be about to jump into the 500 series thing. Be a couple months, but can start thinking and researching now. Am looking at the Cranborne thingamajiggy which does a lot more than just be a 500 series rack, but it is also limited to 8 slots. Before I jump I want to hear a bit more about it, the conversion specifically. (It does conversion, monitor controller, laundry maybe too). Also somewhat concerned about it being a brand new company and if they disappear in a year or two this thing won’t be supported. But I guess that’s true of any company. winetree here has or is getting one. Hoping to hear his thoughts. Right now I’m pretty good for compressors, although Audioscape is giving me serious gas. More on that below. I’m doing the track at a time thing, which sucks. Drums in the box, bass DI. So vocals, guitars, the odd bit of percussion is all that is gonna need to be miced. Let’s call what I do rock. And with the Daking and Sytek, I’m more than covered for pres. Also have a Gap N style that I don’t use and should sell. what I don’t have much of is outboard eq. So, here’s what Im thinking. A pair of pres. The Daking I only have one of, so fine for mono stuff. The Sytek has four, but neither it or the Daking are what you’d consider real character pieces. So, maybe a pair of something with a bit more character. Right now my leading contenders are the Capi vp28 or the Skibbe Flickinger style. Aside from sonic differences the Capi is more versatile With it’s DI, hpf, etc. The Skibbe only has the single gain knob and I think tops out at 60 dB. But Im still kinda leaning towards it. First, I like having stuff a bit off the radar. Second, I am not ruling out a Silver Bullet down the road which has the API flavour, and third, I’m considering Capi for some eq. And maybe I sell the Sytek. Then, a pair of eqs. Pretty much sold on the Kush Electras. Consider those two slots spoken for. I’ve been pondering getting a pair of La-3s for a while. Audioscape is apparently going to be making some for 500 series. That probably fills those two slots. Leaving two more slots. Jeez, I’m not really leaving much for you guys to weigh in on. I’m pondering more eq. Harrison? Capi, although I’m not sure they’re selling completed units, and Im not up for anything I need to build myself. Way beyond my skill set. Or something else entirely? The Retro double wide maybe? Or, perhaps something that isn’t even on my radar. Cheers, Geoff |
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Post by soundintheround on Oct 29, 2019 13:53:31 GMT -6
What would the size of the Audioscape LA-3As?
If it is a true clone would need 3 transformers in it.
Not sure that is going to exactly fit in 1 slot?
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Post by geoff738 on Oct 29, 2019 14:09:07 GMT -6
What would the size of the Audioscape LA-3As? If it is a true clone would need 3 transformers in it. Not sure that is going to exactly fit in 1 slot? Good point. Didn’t even think they might be wider than one slot. I think the Serpents are one slot? Cheers, Geoff |
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Post by soundintheround on Oct 29, 2019 14:12:41 GMT -6
Not sure? I only saw the Serpent Rack mount DIY clone. Thats a 19 inch I think 3U? (been thinking about doing one)
For 500; I'd say....
Buy as much CAPI as possible.
Add some Harrison or SSL EQ if you want that type of thing during tracking.
Add some Pultec for broader strokes.
Round it out with some compression (IGS Audio makes some great 500 series units)
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Post by geoff738 on Oct 29, 2019 14:22:56 GMT -6
Serpent Chimera is indeed one slot. So, it can be done.
Cheers,
Geoff
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Post by drbill on Oct 29, 2019 14:33:48 GMT -6
- 2X's Serpent Chimera - (These are supposed to be identical to the SA3a's aside from the power supply - which I'll address below. The SA3a's are SUPERB!!!!!!!!!!!!)
- 2X's Kush Electra - A wonderful clean EQ
- 2X's API 550A - my favorite 500 series EQ by far
- 2X's LTL Chroma - Super versatile, and will get you in the zone of the Silver Bullet if you use them in Line mode. But super versatile - API mic pre, Neve mic pre, API line card, Neve line card, Expansion slot. I've got mine filled with tubes.
- 2X's LTL Mr. Focus - for expansion, saturation, compression, other EQ options, etc. A Stage II version will be great to follow any of the pre's you have to give you more of a console sound.
For the rack, I'd suggest Purple 10 sp. EXCELLENT power supply, build, etc..
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Post by Blackdawg on Oct 29, 2019 14:41:21 GMT -6
Sure it can be done. Plenty of things out there with multiple transformers. the LAz3A 500 was the first la3a 500 clone with all the transformers in it(can't get it anymore).
Welcome to the 500 series game!
I love 500 gear.
The biggest question I have is....why the cranborne thing? I get it looks cool and handy but most of the features aren't use able unless you're using it as your main studio routing device/interface. Plus you can get an 11 slot rack from various others to fit more gear. So again...i see little point to that PSU setup. Im running a TAC511 chassis which has 2 inputs and 3 outputs PER slot(pending VPR compliant units which lots aren't ironically)
As for EQs in the 500 world, Jeff EQs are great, hell anything CAPI is great. The DIYRE EQP5 is VERY good don't let the price fool you i have 4. THey are great pultec eqs.
Serpent Sb4001 is the best buss compressor I think you can get from a manufacture without DIYing your own.
Check out AML, Sound Skulptor, JLM for more DIY kits that are great.
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Post by geoff738 on Oct 29, 2019 14:47:39 GMT -6
Why Cranborne? I’m looking for a new interface as well. If the conversion is up to snuff, you’re getting the 500 slot rack for free. Or vice versa.
Cheers,
Geoff
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Post by Blackdawg on Oct 29, 2019 15:08:51 GMT -6
Why Cranborne? I’m looking for a new interface as well. If the conversion is up to snuff, you’re getting the 500 slot rack for free. Or vice versa. Cheers, Geoff That's fair then. I think if I was expanding my I/O id want more actual I/O plus the 500 rack which will hold more gear. Be a better use of rack space. And a bigger win win IMO. |
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Post by nudwig on Oct 29, 2019 16:03:54 GMT -6
- 2X's LTL Mr. Focus - for expansion, saturation, compression, other EQ options, etc. A Stage II version will be great to follow any of the pre's you have to give you more of a console sound. +1 on these. I have 4 and want 4 more, use them mostly in the Stage 2 configuration juggling the Royal Blue, Mass Driver, and Pentode pairs for various duties. Also have a pair of the Smash comps which rule. Everything on this record I'm currently wrapping up was tracked through them, way less plugins used and sounding bigger and better than the last project for the same artist. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2019 16:38:05 GMT -6
Consider Hairball preamps. I know CAPI gets a lot of well deserved love here, but the Hairball stuff is serious business. The Copper is a very nice character preamp. Hangs right in there with my limited experience using vintage Neve modules. CAPI LC25 EQs are great, as are the 553f's if you dig more caveman-like simplicity in your EQ. TK Audio BC501 makes for a great 2-buss compressor. I back Dr. B's Mister Focus suggestion. They (stage II / royal blue) were a slow burn for me, but now I love them and wouldn't want to mix without them.
I'm gas'ing pretty hard for a pair each of Purple Odd and Tav EQ's.
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Post by stormymondays on Oct 29, 2019 16:59:26 GMT -6
I can highly recommend A-Designs EM-PEQ pultec style EQ. Solid state, of course.
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Post by matt@IAA on Oct 29, 2019 17:33:49 GMT -6
What would the size of the Audioscape LA-3As? If it is a true clone would need 3 transformers in it. Not sure that is going to exactly fit in 1 slot? oh it fits |
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Post by soundintheround on Oct 29, 2019 17:41:27 GMT -6
Yeh I wouldn’t have thought you could fit 3 transformers in a single unit. But I guess serpent did it! That one wasn’t on my radar actually....
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Post by brenta on Oct 30, 2019 6:04:32 GMT -6
I’ve got a couple of the Cranborne Camdens and they are excellent, versatile preamps. They can be super clean but not in a sterile way, and the cream and thump are way more useful and better sounding than I was expecting.
I’ll second the recommendation for the a designs em peq. I haven’t found a pultec style EQ I like better yet.
A couple 500 series products that have just been released that I’m super excited about but haven’t had a chance to hear yet are the Retro 500 pre and the BAE 73EQL. The Retro is a tube pre modeled after the gain stage of the sta level and can be used as a limiter as well. BAE knows 1073 EQ’s as well as anybody and 1073’s are to me one of the most useful EQ’s around.
I’m looking at picking up a Cranborne 500 ADAT eventually as well.
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Post by raddistribution on Oct 30, 2019 8:31:11 GMT -6
Ok, I may be about to jump into the 500 series thing. Be a couple months, but can start thinking and researching now. Leaving two more slots. Jeez, I’m not really leaving much for you guys to weigh in on. I’m pondering more eq. Harrison? Capi, although I’m not sure they’re selling completed units, and Im not up for anything I need to build myself. Way beyond my skill set. Or something else entirely? The Retro double wide maybe? Or, perhaps something that isn’t even on my radar.  |
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Post by Guitar on Oct 30, 2019 9:44:59 GMT -6
AML has some really appealing stuff and it hasn't been mentioned yet. I haven't owned them, yet, but I'd really like to.
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Post by geoff738 on Nov 5, 2019 20:07:44 GMT -6
What would the size of the Audioscape LA-3As? If it is a true clone would need 3 transformers in it. Not sure that is going to exactly fit in 1 slot? Just heard from Chris that it will indeed be one slot. Awesome! Thanks to all who’ve chimed in. You’ve given me some things to ponder. Cheers, Geoff |
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Post by johneppstein on Nov 5, 2019 20:37:09 GMT -6
Not much interested in the current "500" craze. Love the original API 500 stuff. The 3rd party stuff, where they try to cram a full sized 19" piece of gear into 500 format makes me very skeptical.
A lot of modular stuff is great (I have both SCAMP and Allison Research modules) - however a lot of the current 500 stuff strikes me as being compromised - you CAN'T fit most 19" gear into a 500 module.It's compromised.
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Post by Guitar on Nov 5, 2019 20:40:40 GMT -6
I hear you John. I am "getting out" of the 500 game sort of. Selling my API 500VPR currently, or trying to. Preamps will stay, and a pair of Calrec DIY EQ's that I can't bear to lose, combined in the Lindell rack.
The thing that got to me is the closely spaced controls. I don't want to fiddle. I'm going to try some more full sized rack gear, I hope. Plan is to get a Hairball 1176 if/when the API sells, and the Lindell EQ's that are going along with it.
Some 500 modules are laid out better than others though, I will say. The Midas 512 EQ was easy to use but it just didn't really strike me as special. Just a utility EQ with good controls and easy to use buttons and labels.
The Lindell PEX-500 are almost a nightmare to use because they are impossible to read, and not laid out like a "normal" pultec. The DIYRE looks better even though more "limited."
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Post by johneppstein on Nov 5, 2019 20:42:41 GMT -6
What would the size of the Audioscape LA-3As? If it is a true clone would need 3 transformers in it. Not sure that is going to exactly fit in 1 slot? Just heard from Chris that it will indeed be one slot. Awesome! Thanks to all who’ve chimed in. You’ve given me some things to ponder. Cheers, Geoff Does it have all 3 transformers? Are the transformers equal to the originals? Does it contain a proper T-4 cell? |
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Post by geoff738 on Nov 5, 2019 20:45:55 GMT -6
Just heard from Chris that it will indeed be one slot. Awesome! Thanks to all who’ve chimed in. You’ve given me some things to ponder. Cheers, Geoff Does it have all 3 transformers? Are the transformers equal to the originals? Does it contain a proper T-4 cell? Good questions. Dunno. Cheers, Geoff |
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Post by drbill on Nov 5, 2019 20:53:06 GMT -6
Not much interested in the current "500" craze. Too bad.....but you're missing out John. There's some AMAZING stuff out in 500 format. Really great stuff. Conversely, it annoys the CRAP out of me where manufacturers put single channel stuff in 3RU spaces just because of "tradition" when it could easily fit into 2RU - or less. That is very close to a deal breaker for me. The Serpent 500 1176's and SSL Buss comp and 3a's are spectacular, and really, a engineering miracle in the design and assembly. Very nice stuff. |
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Post by Blackdawg on Nov 5, 2019 21:32:09 GMT -6
Just heard from Chris that it will indeed be one slot. Awesome! Thanks to all who’ve chimed in. You’ve given me some things to ponder. Cheers, Geoff Does it have all 3 transformers? Are the transformers equal to the originals? Does it contain a proper T-4 cell? yes: serpentaudio.com/chimera/I wouldn't be surpised if Chris does the same. Most full rack stuff also runs at 18v so the headroom claim that some say full rack space gear has isn't really there. Hell you can get 24v 500 stuff. Im with drbill. There is some stellar stuff in the 500 series area and the fact you can fit up to 11 difference pieces of gear in a 3U space is awesome. Most |
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Post by drbill on Nov 5, 2019 21:52:29 GMT -6
Does it have all 3 transformers? Are the transformers equal to the originals? Does it contain a proper T-4 cell? yes: serpentaudio.com/chimera/I wouldn't be surpised if Chris does the same. Most full rack stuff also runs at 18v so the headroom claim that some say full rack space gear has isn't really there. Hell you can get 24v 500 stuff. Im with drbill. There is some stellar stuff in the 500 series area and the fact you can fit up to 11 difference pieces of gear in a 3U space is awesome. YES! That is the yardstick that I hold gear up to these days. If it's going to be 2-3RU for a single channel of "XYZ", it had better be freaking amazing, cause the quality you can get in 500 stuff is amazing. If you get well powered 500 racks, and quality built gear - not cheapo, but quality gear like Serpent, LTL, API, AML, CAPI etc. - the format is not holding you back, and it allows for SO much more space in studio's that seem to be shrinking daily. |
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