|
Post by bowie on Oct 24, 2022 16:32:19 GMT -6
I find that hilarious, given all the NOS I’ve tried over decades, and how wildly different and iffy virtually all were. If you haven’t encountered an actual good one (likely), you might not know what’s missing, and $200-400 iffy tubes have a way of convincing the buyer they are good! The full press release states it’s tailored for the JJ which behaves differently from vintage. It’s one thing if it’s vintage and needs it, but a new design? Pass me those plentiful AC701k’s and VF14’s! well a couple of follow-up points on that. 1. I never assume any of us here are idiots who think by price tags and not actual quality. 2. I asked spock directly about dropping in an NOS as I didn't miss the point about it being made to tolerate the intolerant JJs 3. There are still some 701s around. But are they any good? Haven't tried or tested them. bowie might know. Ten years ago I almost bought a batch of 10 VF14m tubes that were still sealed (Neumann) in Telefunken boxes post testing at Neumann - for $2000 total. I doubt there are any of those left. Someone on GS got those. Weird and unpredictable things happen in our world. I never thought I'd spend a couple of hours playing a single owner near mint condition 1952 Telecaster hand assembled by Leo Fender, but that was part of my life last Wednesday night. These days, I strongly discourage anyone from building or buying modern gear that uses an AC701. Same for the VF14 or 6386. Not only have they become extremely overpriced (relative to other good tubes) but they are going to be even worse in another few years when it comes time for a replacement. You can't get a single nice VF14 for $2000 these days, let alone a batch. There's some magic attributed to these tubes, because pro-audio guys love to fetishize gear. I personally think they are only relevant in vintage gear, when you have all the other original parts and want to keep "that" sound. I hate seeing AC701s used in modern mics because they really aren't making them sound like a vintage mic (when you have a modern capsule etc) and there's so many vintage mic owners who can't get AC701s for their mics. Some are even having to mod vintage mics to take other tubes because the AC701 is too expensive to justify replacing. Take something like the 6386. It's doubled in price since the pandemic alone. And, there are other inexpensive NOS tubes that will do a similar job for about 5% of the cost. Instead of customers being stuck using an expensive JJ 6386 (which is not known for it's reliability), builders could be using NOS GE 6BA6s which cost much less, are actually easier to acquire, and sound better. One of the problems is that there's pressure to use the "legendary" tubes. People do enough research online that they think they know which tubes are good. So, some builders make compromises so that they can better market their products despite there being equally good NOS options that cost little and will be replaceable in the future. How that relates to this thread, I have no idea. Sorry. I just wanted to respond to the tag. This could be an irrelevant babble.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Mar 20, 2022 15:21:51 GMT -6
I respect your healthy skepticism, but their request refers specifically to building additional tubes in their factory in Rossville Georgia, " Our latest factory is equipped to handle production of multiple tube types and, in light of recent worldwide events, we believe our capacity to do so may become vital to the industry." Any effort on their behalf to pass off Chinese OEM tubes as American would crash and burn on liftoff. Oh I know, but here is what often happens, you send out a request like this, you realize that across the whole spectrum of audio their is demand for a quality 12ax7. Great than you do a very careful study of what it would cost to actually build them realize the investment is just to steep but man the demand is there. Then one of 2 things happens, 1 you get bought ( I’m sure that WE copyright didn’t come cheap) or someone inside already says man we could make a killing on Chinese 12ax7’s ! Ask Bowie we have seen this before! Yes, we've seen respectable names branded on low quality tubes. It's happening right now and I could rant about this but prefer not to make enemies. I've casually observed WE for a number of years and their intentions don't seem to be in line with that. They've been going slow and it seems they'd rather run out of stock than compromise anything they do. Which is good. Side note to this whole thing, there was a company in the UK not long ago that began making tubes once again on the old Mullard Blackburn UK site. They had skilled engineers working on them and, reportedly, several million was invested. The tubes went to market in 2009. The company folded in 2009. Unfortunately, they just couldn't get the design dialed in. We tend to think it should be easy to recreate 1950s tech but it's unlike resistors and caps, which have been refined and developed for decades with a lot of money behind them.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Mar 19, 2022 13:29:09 GMT -6
Far as I know, they only make a 300 tube now. Posters to the thread at TDPRI, where I got this, said the WE 300 is expensive, but about the same price as the Chinese equivalent. I gather the 300 is a tricky tube to make. Perhaps bowie would comment? As a guitar player and owner of multiple tube amps (and a lovely LaChapelle tube pre), I do think it would be good to make tubes in America again. So, if you agree, let’s encourage WE to do so. While it's larger and requires a bit more work than most, the real reason they're able to charge what they do is who they are selling them to. The HiFi crowd use the 300B and they are known for paying inflated prices ($1,000 power cables, $300 capacitors, etc). I've no doubt it's expensive for WE to make a 300B with US labor, factory space, etc. But, I would venture to guess the market they are selling to and the lack of competition in the high-end bracket allows for much of that pricing. The reason they would start making other tubes right now (my assumption) is that there's becoming room to sell more high-end tubes. Some of the prices being paid are absurd because there's this unfounded fear that we won't be able to get tubes anymore. Before long, China will ramp up production and things will settle down. But, the panic buying that Americans love to do is going to make it more painful. Because people are showing that they'll spend ridiculous amounts, the prices will never be the same, even when China makes up for the lack of Russian production. The main point of interest for me, as far as WE goes, is if they will be able to compete with the NOS market. IE; offer high quality 12AX7s, 6072s, etc, with pricing similar to what NOS are going for. Making tubes as good as 1950-70's era is going to be a lot harder than most realize though. A LOT of money used to be put into tube R&D. Much of the knowledge is gone and I don't see anyone willing to invest what it would take to get back to that point. Not when the market for tubes is so small now.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Jan 29, 2022 17:31:09 GMT -6
I've never liked Rogan. I'm a fan of Neil (and HUGE fan of Joni who has joined in on this) but... I find the whole statement to be hypocritic. This idea that the public is so ignorant and unable to consume various types of information that we must censor views we don't agree with is just disturbing. The scope of that thinking has spooky implications. I wonder how a younger Neil would have felt about someone telling people to speak one view or lose their job. I don't agree with the views that Joe and some others are allowing on their shows, but I STRONGLY support their right to do it. Giving the public various perspectives encourages critical thinking and research, censorship breeds ignorance. I think Ragan artfully laid out what is the reality of the situation here: Neil Young is taking a stand against a platform with whom he disagrees. A frankly predatory platform that profits from his work. That's a lot different from the accusations of 'censorship' being leveled at him. The ultimatum bit was a misstep, I will agree with others on that, but to chalk this up to some effort to 'censor' Joe Rogan is to take a very narrow and misguided view of the situation, of the first amendment, and of the definition of 'censorship', IMO. Respectfully disagree. Censor; suppress or delete anything considered objectionableIf someone were to argue that the censorship is justifiable given the nature of the subject and the consequences, I can understand that. But I can't agree that it's not censoring as it's censoring by definition. Had he simply asked to be removed, that is something else. But, he used the old "it's me or him" and is making a campaign to remove the voice he disagrees with. Suppression. That type of thing has always bothered me. I believe in sharing what we believe are truths, not suppressing the voices we disagree with. I would love it if people stopped listening to Rogan. But, I will not support efforts to remove him, which is what Neil's campaign is about; "Most of the listeners hearing the unfactual, misleading and false COVID information on SPOTIFY are 24 years old, impressionable and easy to swing to the wrong side of the truth." He wants people to hear what he feels is the truth, which is great, but not hear other people's truths... That sits so wrong in my gut.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Jan 29, 2022 16:24:45 GMT -6
I've never liked Rogan. I'm a fan of Neil (and HUGE fan of Joni who has joined in on this) but... I find the whole statement to be hypocritic. This idea that the public is so ignorant and unable to consume various types of information that we must censor views we don't agree with is just disturbing. The scope of that thinking has spooky implications. I wonder how a younger Neil would have felt about someone telling people to speak one view or lose their job. I don't agree with the views that Joe and some others are allowing on their shows, but I STRONGLY support their right to do it. Giving the public various perspectives encourages critical thinking and research, censorship breeds ignorance.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Nov 2, 2021 15:01:54 GMT -6
Living in AZ, with a natural, desert-scaped yard that I'm regularly digging and planting in, dust is something I'm always battling. Dust in your gear will trap heat and moisture and you can actually see degradation in computer performance. Here's some of my tips;
How you rack and stack your gear is something to put thought into. In some of the studios I service, I see gear in the open, on top of desks, or with big spaces in the rack. When I go to change the tubes out, there's usually a large amount of dust inside. Whenever you have a space in your rack, use a blank panel (a perforated one if airflow is needed). Also, keep in mind that gear placed lower to the ground is going to gather more dust.
Trap the dust, don't push it or blow it around. Start at the top and go down. For chassis/faceplates/furniture, a swiffer can handle light stuff but at a certain point it's pushing it around. I prefer a barely damp cloth with just a drop of dish soap in the soak water. Be mindful how you pass over the vents so dust isn't being 'swept' into the spaces. For internals, an air-can handles light dust, but be sure to do it outside or have a well-filtered vacuum held a few inches off the board (so you're not building up static). For heavier stuff, various brushes will be necessary. Don't use the swiffer or a rag in your gear as it'll snag little fibers. Very dirty components/boards can be cleaned with alcohol but that's more than I'm going to get into here.
BE CAREFUL with compressed air as it will often blow dust further into the nooks and crannies of your gear, possibly creating real problems.
Furniture oil isn't necessary on most modern finishes and dust can cling to it so only use it where needed.
If you're doing everything you can, the dust will still be there but it'll be on your floor, so vac regularly and make sure your vacuum has a filter that is holding the dust and not just sending it through the exhaust. I actually like having a couple small rugs in a room as they become dust/dirt traps and I find there to be less loose dust in those rooms.
Nerdy side note; Though water-cooling a PC is traditionally a gamer thing, I actually noticed lower fan noise and far less dust since I watercooled my rig a year ago.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Sept 11, 2021 11:31:48 GMT -6
I went through a lot of seats because I can get neck and back irritations. Sold and returned a few different seats and thrones until I got a "SoundSeat". That was about 5 years ago and I rarely every think about seats anymore now because the irritation has left. It's a combination of the ergonomic shape along with the materials used. I would definitely consider it "expensive", but it's paid for itself as I not only use it for playing, but it's become the seat I use for hours of tube testing, mixing, building, etc. Ironically, a lot of pro players put me onto this thig but I was never going to spend that money on a seat. Then, after wasting money trying various other seats, I ended up spending the money. Thankfully, it feels the same as the day it arrived so it worked out pretty well. I paired it with a Gibraltar throne base, which I love.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Aug 30, 2021 8:09:29 GMT -6
Anyhow, great stuff in here all 'round! I dropped in to ask for best recovery exercises! Last night, I had to track backing vocals and was singing in a raspy tone on a blues number and overdid it a bit - singing on a cold (I remember before 2020 I used to get those all the time) and now I'm like a groggy baritone here all morning! Almost like smoker's voice. Ugh. I doubt I could even sing 'Amor Ti Vieta' this morning. Suggestions welcome! Ken Tamplin has a voice repair (don't recall the exact name) video set that I found to be excellent. Not just for a tender throat, but for warming up after I've taken a few days off. It's something you have to buy but I don't regret the purchase.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Aug 23, 2021 9:00:28 GMT -6
You probably got your answer already but my experience with this is that I needed to either stack some of the 2" panels (creating 4") and/or get the panels off the wall by a couple inches (there are simple rigs for this) because having it slightly off the wall is more effective for trapping low end. FWIW, I lay diffusors on top of a lot of my panels so that the room doesn't go dead.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Jul 31, 2021 20:52:06 GMT -6
This is not meant to make you feel bad about your purchase but... one of the best things I ever did was to stop fighting with the 184s and move on to other SDCs. There's a top end glare, which indirectly causes the mids to always sound thin. I want an SDC to capture what I'm hearing, not to apply a pre-EQ like the 184s seem to. But, they're Neumann and they're popular so I blamed my technique and tried to make them work for years. These days, I'd happily take an Oktava 012 pair over the 184s. Very well-balanced and versatile. I ended up investing in a pair of Schoeps CMC6 with various capsules and haven't desired anything else since. Incredible detail and, as long as the source sounds good in the room, the Schoeps make mic set-up effortless. Always captures what I'm hearing and I'm never fighting with them, ever. That said, if you can find a decent Oktava pair, they are nuts for the money. They just aren't consistent so do a bit of research before buying. Can you elaborate on the inconsistency thing? I have a pair of the MK-012 that I've had forever. They're un-modded. I quite like them as is, but I had considered picking up another, newer pair eventually and getting them modded. What specific parts of the mics are inconsistent? Is this something that has always been the case or is it only with newer ones or older ones? I've only ever owned or used the pair I have, so I wouldn't really know what sort of research to do to determine whether or not a pair I might be interested in are sufficiently consistent. It's been a while since I went down that rabbit hole so I can't recall all the specifics off the top of my head but, I know there's fair bit of info out there. Just based on personal experience, the capsules can vary a bit. That may or may not be an issue with the newer ones. Maybe worth noting, it's claimed there were also a lot of Chinese "fakes" released into market a number of years ago. May be helpful for those shopping used Oktavas; recordinghacks.com/fake-oktava-mk-012-photos/I like the 0-12s un-modded.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Jul 27, 2021 13:33:22 GMT -6
This is not meant to make you feel bad about your purchase but... one of the best things I ever did was to stop fighting with the 184s and move on to other SDCs. There's a top end glare, which indirectly causes the mids to always sound thin. I want an SDC to capture what I'm hearing, not to apply a pre-EQ like the 184s seem to. But, they're Neumann and they're popular so I blamed my technique and tried to make them work for years. These days, I'd happily take an Oktava 012 pair over the 184s. Very well-balanced and versatile. I ended up investing in a pair of Schoeps CMC6 with various capsules and haven't desired anything else since. Incredible detail and, as long as the source sounds good in the room, the Schoeps make mic set-up effortless. Always captures what I'm hearing and I'm never fighting with them, ever.
That said, if you can find a decent Oktava pair, they are nuts for the money. They just aren't consistent so do a bit of research before buying.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Jul 20, 2021 18:15:37 GMT -6
I agree that running a couple of well-shielded, 1/4" instrument cables is a good idea. A lot of players are expecting a certain interaction when plugged in and I don't like to mess with that by doing any conversion in between. In my set-up, I try keeping the head in the control room and cab on the other side of the wall as it's so much more convenient, but you have to decide if the layout of your space allows for that. Off the top of my head, I can't tell you what the max length for a speaker cable is in that situation, but I've a feeling it's not long.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Jul 15, 2021 14:42:21 GMT -6
I have used one for a couple different applications and it made an obvious difference. I wouldn't even consider it debatable, given these items carry none of the original smell months later. I only used ozone after just about every reasonable chemical and enzyme treatment failed. I think there may be some confusion regarding scientific evidence as the EPA states that ozone levels safe for breathing are not effective at odor removal. The commercial unit you have is absolutely not a breathing-level treatment. The "household air cleanser" types are the ones that are often called scams.
I feel treatment is safe unless you are ignoring the basic precautions for some reason. Get all living things and sensitive objects out of the room, seal any air pathways out of the room, and let it air out for several hours when finished, before allowing any living thing back in.
"Sensitive objects" is a subject you'll have to research. Ozone machines are popular in auto resale because of their effectiveness in getting smells out of cars. Some people have reported leather damage, but that seems to be related to over-dosing (too powerful a machine for too long). Again, look into it. I don't think you'll have a problem in a studio if you use an appropriate machine for the recommended length of time. I used one to get smoke smells out of guitars and it was very effective, and after one year I haven't seen any damage to the instrument or recurring smells. Treated my wife's boots to get animal urine smell out. First treatment was about 90% effective. Second eliminated it. It's been several months and the leather shows no signs of degrading.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Jun 3, 2021 19:58:10 GMT -6
Princetons are probably my favorite amp and I've owned a few. The circuit is simple so quality really comes down to component choice. Don't spend a ton. You can even consider them a good beginner DIY project. I highly recommend a 12" speaker. Just gives them more of a "big boy" voice and they sound like they belong this way, IMO. I don't like gain mods as they just take away from the vibe here. The Princeton definitely isn't a "hot" sound. The charm is the natural rawness and a character that is slightly cold, but still smooth. Definitely not pushed sounding. The Reverb version has a little more volume if that's what you need. Otherwise, consider a Deluxe if volume is a real issue.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Jun 1, 2021 9:10:26 GMT -6
Well I have 3 KM56's and I don't worry about their tubes. The nickel capsule is much more fragile. I worry more about my U47 and MM2 with their VF14's. Even good 6072 tubes are getting expensive and hard to find good examples of. If you want to own these kinds of mics you need to buy spare tubes. Tim, and/or Christian bowie , What's a good reliable tube tester for AC701K tubes? Testers are good for several things, but they won't tell you if a tube is acceptable to use in a mic. For an AC701, you want to do your best to find true NOS/unused, and then run them in a mic (or rig made to simulate a mic circuit) for a few days to see how they behave. I choose not to stock AC701s because of the number of fakes and used being sold as new these days. I install them for customers who already have spares, but I don't actively shop them. Though I love tubes and spend many hours every week listening and comparing, I'm personally not into the mystique the community attaches to certain tube types, nor do I think mics have to have specific tubes to sound amazing (certain exceptions exist). Anyone who has contacted me about tubes like this has heard me preach against fetishizing the originality of old gear. I do feel that modern production tubes are mediocre, but had things gone differently we might be paying hundreds for a different tube. The EF800 was nearly forgotten about for decades. A few mic designers started making brilliant mics with them recently and now they're starting to get hot. For mics where a specific tube influences the value tremendously, yes, get an AC701. But, there are a few SDCs where one must decide if it's worth converting and I think people should be less afraid of that. There's an unfortunate mentality in pro-audio that sounding slightly different than an original = sounding worse. And, regarding nickel diaphragms, yes, they are fragile and that's something to consider with these mics.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on May 7, 2021 19:01:55 GMT -6
Quite a bit. I dabbled in the culinary field for a few years when the recording biz tanked in 2001 and picked up some food skills. I've had a lot of compliments on my ability to put together a dry rub, though I make my own sauces as well. It's really the only way to do it, IMO. Like crafting an audio mix, you don't want presets, you want to balance it yourself. For smoking, I like mesquite, pecan, apple, and the oak chips made of old Jack Daniels casks are surprisingly good too. Wife and I have been using the cheapest little charcoal bbq for years and making it work for everything but she's finally ready to upgrade.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Mar 26, 2021 19:41:00 GMT -6
I briefly read so pardon if I missed anything, but the general descriptions sound like something is not making proper contact. The "gating" issue happens when low level voltage fails to transmit but stronger levels make their way through. Could be anything from a bad solder joint to a pot, contact, cable, etc. I would start by monitoring the chain and then going through and wiggling every cable, connection, turning every pot, etc. This process of elimination will narrow it down a bit. Then, replace various pieces of gear in the chain to nail down exactly which one it is.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Feb 22, 2021 19:24:09 GMT -6
This is an interesting subject for me. One I don't talk about a lot but I'll open up. I developed a degenerative condition in my cervical spine (neck) almost 3 years ago and it changed a lot of things for me. Several times a day, I am pretty much forced to take breaks and not only rest my neck, but de-stress my mind because stress tension is one of the worst things for my condition. If I over-work my self like usual, my neck will lock up for days. Oddly, I found gaming to be very therapeutic. Playing challenging games gets my mind to let go of tension in my body in a way that lying down can't. Even my docs are saying to stick with it if it helps.
So, in my 40's, I made some online gamer friends and it's like hanging out on the island of misfit toys. We're all unusual in our own way but we're tight. I'm sure my reflexes aren't as sharp as the 20 year olds but I found I can out-think the opponents and predict their moves. So, I make the strategies and call-outs for my friends and we do really well. I've held my own against pro players on many occasions, which I can hardly believe because I never played competitive games until recent years. I was beyond awful 3 years ago. People would report me for being so incompetent. Seriously.
I mostly play Paladins and Gears of War, but also enjoy some non-competitive stuff with my wife like Red Dead Online, Borderlands, State of Decay, etc. In my 20's and 30's I said gaming was a big waste of time but I find it's been such a positive thing for me now and has helped keep me from getting depressed while dealing with the cervical pain. The socialization is nice too, especially when we're streaming, as I've been working for myself, by myself, for years now.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Feb 11, 2021 18:46:49 GMT -6
In case it helps anyone, I'll mention a few things I've learned over the years. Most of this relates to recent policies because things have changed a lot. First is that you can return just about anything through ebay or paypal (if it was purchased as "goods") just by saying it doesn't work correctly. When I sell an expensive item on ebay I take pics of the insides, because part replacement scams are still a thing. You might want to make a quick phone vid showing the item in operation. If I'm really unsure about the buyer and it's a high dollar item, I may even record myself packing/sealing the item so there's no debate about what was shipped. I've had a couple scammers bail on their claims when I upload evidence of the item I shipped.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Feb 11, 2021 18:35:40 GMT -6
Sometimes, but I will more often find myself warming up to something I previously disliked, usually because I started using it in a different way.
In a larger sense, it feels like pro-audio gear trends are going the way of social fashions/tastes now in that it's becoming cool to do whatever YOU like. That's just something I've noticed in the past couple years when talking with people about their gear and their tastes. There's a lot less of this, "what's the best 1073? what's the best U47 clone?" mentality that used to be dominant.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Feb 3, 2021 15:06:17 GMT -6
It's a mistake to overlook the fact that everyone has their own hearing, tastes, techniques, etc. Some of the most coveted vintage gear has degrading components (which were never great to begin with), limited features, etc, but many people find joy in the way they sound. On the other hand, you can find plenty of designs that are brilliant on paper, but fail to find a fanbase. I equate it to the subject of food. It hardly matters what other people like and dislike.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Oct 14, 2020 18:21:26 GMT -6
I bought a heavily used pair of Ideal brand 'Stripmasters' a few years ago and they were not only still perfect when I got them, but I probably won't ever wear them out.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Oct 12, 2020 19:53:42 GMT -6
I use the high purity, 99%+, isoprop alcohol. Touching it has never created an issue for me. It skyrocketed in price this year due to the pandemic(from $3.50/bottle to $12) but seems to be settling down now. Just running it over a PCB softens the flux so that it coats everything in a sticky mess. Don't do that. I like to scrub it with a semi-rigid plastic bristle brush, soak the residue up with a paper towel, and repeat until it's no longer sticky. I know many people just wash a board in alcohol and scrub it with a paper towel but this has only created a huge mess for me since the paper towel just rips and sticks to the flux.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Oct 5, 2020 9:56:00 GMT -6
Damn, sorry to hear about all that. This would be a horrifically depressing event for most but you remind me of the knight form Monty Python... Deep respect and admiration for your chin-up attitude and bulletproof spirit. Wishing you a speedy recovery.
|
|
|
Post by bowie on Jul 23, 2020 18:00:41 GMT -6
Can someone verify if these look like the Amperex mentioned? Is bowie in the house? I haven't been following the conversation closely so I'm not sure exactly which tube is being referenced but, if it's a tube I've sold in the last 6 months or so, it would not be the same as the Rogers-branded Amperex in the photo above. Those in the photo are also known as orange-label or "Globe-logo" Amperex and that production sounds a little different than the Amperex style that preceded them. Not that they're bad at all, I just know I haven't sold that version in a while. Funny enough, I've been recommending the earlier production Amperex EF86 for years but no one would buy them until Klaus said they sounded good, now I cannot keep enough in stock...
|
|