|
Post by kcatthedog on Apr 20, 2018 8:59:05 GMT -6
The comment about wa-2a being bright, guess it depends what you are comparing to? I got some nos tubes from Bowie and they added presence and smoothness, not night and day, but different.
|
|
|
Post by Vincent R. on Apr 20, 2018 9:44:52 GMT -6
Has anyone had the Audio-Scape next to a Universal Audio or Stam? Just curious. I have. Audio-Scape side by side with the Stam. How do the SA2A and the AS Opto compare sonically?
|
|
|
Post by shoe on Apr 20, 2018 16:59:31 GMT -6
I really like my Stam Audio version. Sounds great, especially with an 1176 after to catch the fast transients. I use that combination a lot.
|
|
|
Post by jtc111 on Apr 20, 2018 22:16:48 GMT -6
I have another Audio-Scape Opto heading my way on Monday. They weren't even on my radar a month ago and I've bought three pieces of gear from them in the past three weeks.
|
|
|
Post by stam on Apr 21, 2018 5:11:24 GMT -6
Has anyone had the Audio-Scape next to a Universal Audio or Stam? Just curious. I have. Audio-Scape side by side with the Stam. Do you have the SA2A MK1 or MK2? Big difference between them. Both use the same circuit so I guess it comes down to the tubes and transformers. the MK2 has Sowters and carbon resistors.
|
|
|
Post by jtc111 on Apr 29, 2018 19:18:03 GMT -6
I tore my rack apart this weekend and rearranged things. The new Optos and the 76a made it necessary but it was long overdue. Bright side - the back of the rack no longer looks like a hellish jumbled nightmare of xmas light strings.
|
|
|
Post by brewer on Apr 29, 2018 21:23:35 GMT -6
I tore my rack apart this weekend and rearranged things. The new Optos and the 76a made it necessary but it was long overdue. Bright side - the back of the rack no longer looks like a hellish jumbled nightmare of xmas light strings.
|
|
|
Post by brewer on Apr 29, 2018 21:24:20 GMT -6
Not to derail this thread but how are you liking the Hendyamps DaVinci?
|
|
|
Post by indiehouse on Apr 30, 2018 5:10:04 GMT -6
I have. Audio-Scape side by side with the Stam. Do you have the SA2A MK1 or MK2? Big difference between them. Both use the same circuit so I guess it comes down to the tubes and transformers. the MK2 has Sowters and carbon resistors. It was the MKI. I’d love to try the MKII.
|
|
|
Post by jtc111 on Apr 30, 2018 14:00:05 GMT -6
Not to derail this thread but how are you liking the Hendyamps DaVinci? The Da Vinci is probably my favorite piece of gear in that rack, now only because of the sweetness of the tone it produces but also because of the flexibility in tone shaping that if affords. You can get a beautiful clean sound (sweet but not sterile and brittle, if that makes sense) from it or you can push it and get some really musical tubey coloration. One of my favorite features is the six-position low cut knob. So rather than simply engaging or not engaging a low cut, you can dial in how much low end you want to cut. The Air switch is useful too if you want a little bit more sparkle on the high end. It's just a really nice piece of gear that flies under the radar for some reason. And when Vincent R. heard himself on it, he damn near wet his pants.
|
|
|
Post by Vincent R. on Apr 30, 2018 16:07:01 GMT -6
Not to derail this thread but how are you liking the Hendyamps DaVinci? The Da Vinci is probably my favorite piece of gear in that rack, now only because of the sweetness of the tone it produces but also because of the flexibility in tone shaping that if affords. You can get a beautiful clean sound (sweet but not sterile and brittle, if that makes sense) from it or you can push it and get some really musical tubey coloration. One of my favorite features is the six-position low cut knob. So rather than simply engaging or not engaging a low cut, you can dial in how much low end you want to cut. The Air switch is useful too if you want a little bit more sparkle on the high end. It's just a really nice piece of gear that flies under the radar for some reason. And when Vincent R. heard himself on it, he damn near wet his pants. I have to admit that if I had the cash I would grab one right now. Without the air or low cut engaged it reminded me of my Tab Funkenwerk V78M. We didn’t even play with the opto compressor built it. At some point I should bring the Tab over and hear them next to each other.
|
|
|
Post by Ward on Apr 30, 2018 19:23:07 GMT -6
I tore my rack apart this weekend and rearranged things. The new Optos and the 76a made it necessary but it was long overdue. Bright side - the back of the rack no longer looks like a hellish jumbled nightmare of xmas light strings. I think I'm going to have to buy 1 or 2 of those also. I have to say, the Audioscape stuff is VERY impressive!!
|
|
|
Post by thirdeye on May 12, 2018 16:10:24 GMT -6
I've never owned the real thing, but to save some money, we've been using a Drip Opto 4 for the last 6 years and we love it! Sourced great parts and got a tech friend with great skills to assemble it. I'd like to soon add a Warm or Stam as an alternative.
|
|
|
Post by aremos on May 12, 2018 21:32:01 GMT -6
Has anyone had the Audio-Scape next to a Universal Audio or Stam? Just curious. Add the others mentioned (writing from memory) here also: Kenetek (Isn't that the name of the company that made the original opto light for the original LA-2A?) RJR (regular John Recording?)
|
|
|
Post by aremos on May 12, 2018 21:34:51 GMT -6
I was comparing the first batch back in the '90s with UREIs from the '70s. Bob, What's wrong with the UREI 90's reissue? Those weren't identical to the Teletronix?
|
|
|
Post by Bob Olhsson on May 12, 2018 21:55:34 GMT -6
The Teletronix was far more transparent. The same is true of LA-3as.
|
|
|
Post by Vincent R. on May 17, 2018 6:36:19 GMT -6
I have a couple of questions about a few of the units being discussed.
Does the Stam have the high frequency control on the back of the unit, like the Warm does?
Has anyone used the WA2A as a stereo unit with the stereo link? I want a pair of LA2A style comps and I love the idea of a Stereo Link.
I’m not a huge fan of the Warm stuff, as I always find they lack “something.” Revive Audio has a mod for them though that looks pretty cool and I could see myself buying a couple of there new modded units. Anyone try modding one of the Warms?
|
|
ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,967
Member is Online
|
Post by ericn on May 17, 2018 7:39:13 GMT -6
I have a couple of questions about a few of the units being discussed. Does the Stam have the high frequency control on the back of the unit, like the Warm does? Has anyone used the WA2A as a stereo unit with the stereo link? I want a pair of LA2A style comps and I love the idea of a Stereo Link. I’m not a huge fan of the Warm stuff, as I always find they lack “something.” Revive Audio has a mod for them though that looks pretty cool and I could see myself buying a couple of there new modded units. Anyone try modding one of the Warms? The Warm stuff so far isn’t bad, a mod and better tunes and they would be quite useable, but if I was going to try for stereo use opto’s can be tricky because you want 2 Optos that match up so I would go Audioscape or Stam, but talk to them first and buy them as a pair. Also confirm that the stereo link uses the detector in both not just one channel, if they just use one ch I would rethink it as a stereo pair. I like to bring the stereo link to a patchbay un- normalled, then I can engage the link with a patch cable rather than dig in the back of the rack! When I had to ADL 1000’s never remember using them as a stereo comp, always found them sitting on individual channels.
|
|
|
Post by Vincent R. on May 17, 2018 7:59:00 GMT -6
I have a couple of questions about a few of the units being discussed. Does the Stam have the high frequency control on the back of the unit, like the Warm does? Has anyone used the WA2A as a stereo unit with the stereo link? I want a pair of LA2A style comps and I love the idea of a Stereo Link. I’m not a huge fan of the Warm stuff, as I always find they lack “something.” Revive Audio has a mod for them though that looks pretty cool and I could see myself buying a couple of there new modded units. Anyone try modding one of the Warms? The Warm stuff so far isn’t bad, a mod and better tunes and they would be quite useable, but if I was going to try for stereo use opto’s can be tricky because you want 2 Optos that match up so I would go Audioscape or Stam, but talk to them first and buy them as a pair. Also confirm that the stereo link uses the detector in both not just one channel, if they just use one ch I would rethink it as a stereo pair. I like to bring the stereo link to a patchbay un- normalled, then I can engage the link with a patch cable rather than dig in the back of the rack! When I had to ADL 1000’s never remember using them as a stereo comp, always found them sitting on individual channels. It’s more about having the option, rather than planning to do it all the time. I’ve actually been leaning toward the Audio-scape stuff. Good idea about the patchbay, if I do go down that route.
|
|
|
Post by Ward on May 17, 2018 9:52:43 GMT -6
Up until now, the STAM has been the best clone. I'm going to get an Audioscape, and that's what I'm really interested in comparing to a Telegronix and the stam
|
|
|
Post by Vincent R. on May 17, 2018 10:24:18 GMT -6
Up until now, the STAM has been the best clone. I'm going to get an Audioscape, and that's what I'm really interested in comparing to a Telegronix and the stam I'd love to hear someone's thoughts on how the Stam and the Audio-scape compare to each other and the Teletronix. Those are the two I've been most interested in.
|
|
|
Post by Ward on May 17, 2018 10:46:40 GMT -6
Up until now, the STAM has been the best clone. I'm going to get an Audioscape, and that's what I'm really interested in comparing to a Telegronix and the stam I'd love to hear someone's thoughts on how the Stam and the Audio-scape compare to each other and the Teletronix. Those are the two I've been most interested in. Well, another factor to consider is comparing it to a Tubetech CL1b The CL1b smoothes, the STAM grabs. Both are extremely useful and MUCH quieter than an old Teletronix.
|
|
|
Post by iamasound on May 17, 2018 21:28:02 GMT -6
Though, the Tube-Tech CL 1B grabs in it's own way...about 5X more greenbacks.
|
|
|
Post by Johnkenn on May 17, 2018 22:07:00 GMT -6
The HF knob really allows it to be more transparent - at least with vocals. As you move it counter CW, it puts more of the reduction emphasis on the top, and doesn't grab the bottom nearly as much. I've found I keep it at 9 o'clock on vocals.
|
|
|
Post by the other mark williams on May 17, 2018 22:57:48 GMT -6
I've only had my SA-2A racked up for about a week, and definitely haven't had time to run signal into it yet, but my understanding is that it, too, has the HF-emphasis pot, but it is located on the inside of the unit, so rather useless in terms of changing it on the fly.
I was actually planning to go the Audioscape route myself a few months back, but then Chris sold out of them. In between him selling out and completing new builds, I ran across a virtually new SA-2A for $750. I couldn't pass it up. It does have a stereo link option on the back, FWIW.
In every audio example I've heard of the Warm and/or the Stam, I've preferred the Stam. Not very many audio examples of the Audioscape out there, but Chris seems like a badass, and awesome to work with. I'm hoping to get one of his SSL bus-style comps sooner or later.
|
|