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Post by Johnkenn on Jun 18, 2024 23:33:33 GMT -6
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Post by doubledog on Jun 19, 2024 7:26:33 GMT -6
for that price I'd rather get 2 (or 3) Hairball preamps (which are all excellent)
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Post by Johnkenn on Jun 19, 2024 7:59:30 GMT -6
But then they would be Hairballs and not Trident A Range…
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Post by robo on Jun 19, 2024 9:40:08 GMT -6
I’ve never used an A-Range, but I understand Daking pres are basically a modern improvement on the same circuit.
I love my Dakings.
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Post by Tbone81 on Jun 19, 2024 9:45:42 GMT -6
The Daking is based on the A Range but not a 1:1 clone. I believe they took some liberties with the circuit and they use different components, transformers etc. (I love daking btw). That said it’s dubious whether or not this clone is an accurate reproduction or not. Past efforts have fallen short in one way or another.
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Jun 19, 2024 10:10:39 GMT -6
The Daking is based on the A Range but not a 1:1 clone. I believe they took some liberties with the circuit and they use different components, transformers etc. (I love daking btw). That said it’s dubious whether or not this clone is an accurate reproduction or not. Past efforts have fallen short in one way or another. The other factor, last time I sat behind the A range every ch sounds just a bit different after years of service. |
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Post by Johnkenn on Jun 19, 2024 10:24:30 GMT -6
I was reading about it and they talked about some technical mumbo jumbo and then said that the phase anomalies were probably what gave it such a unique sound. I've always wondered if the slightly out of phase channels on consoles are the reason we talk about them having more width and depth. I think some of these console emus supposedly do this...not sure, though.
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Post by recordingengineer on Jun 19, 2024 12:08:11 GMT -6
I use their current 2U stereo pre/eq A-Range at the studio. Without the eq engaged, it’s a very-balanced preamp (in today’s world, some might call it a little dark), but engage the eq (with it flat), it opens-up a ton, instantly, to bright and shiny. Play with the eq for just a sec, and you can broadly-create any overall-sculpture you’d like!
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Post by doubledog on Jun 19, 2024 13:12:42 GMT -6
I thought the "magic" part of the A-range was the EQ? What would make a standalone preamp special? (and yes, I mean this as a serious question)
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Post by dcarvak on Jun 19, 2024 13:18:06 GMT -6
for that price I'd rather get 2 (or 3) Hairball preamps (which are all excellent) Selling two on Reverb rn! |
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Post by nobtwiddler on Jun 20, 2024 16:58:01 GMT -6
"What would make a standalone preamp special?"
Zutt transformers, BUT this doesn't have them?
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Jun 20, 2024 17:11:38 GMT -6
"What would make a standalone preamp special?" Zutt transformers, BUT this doesn't have them? Don’t think they exist anymore, gone the way of the Zutt Suit! |
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Post by Quint on Jun 20, 2024 18:05:06 GMT -6
I thought the "magic" part of the A-range was the EQ? What would make a standalone preamp special? (and yes, I mean this as a serious question) Same thoughts here. Also, I've looked at the 500 series version of the eq that they sell, but it takes up two slots for one channel, so I always get turned off when I think about it. Also, I have no idea if I should be worried about it or not, but I have wondered about those faders they use on there, versus a more traditional pot. Did they cheap out on the fader? What does replacing it look like? |
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Post by roundbadge on Jun 21, 2024 1:09:08 GMT -6
I owned a pair of A Range channels some years back.
fairly hi fi open sound but nothing earth shatteringly better to the other stuff.
the eq's were pretty broad and were kind of a pain in the ass to be honest.the flimsy eq faders are impossible to source if one fails [and they fail].
I still enjoy my Daking vertical channels [workhorses and reliable going on well over 30 years use] and the newer Sound Techniques channels which I prefer over the A Ranges.
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Post by Dan on Jun 21, 2024 6:25:58 GMT -6
The Daking compressors are really good. They don’t really let you fuck up the sound like what happens with an 1176 or an opto out of the sweet spot or an ssl while not being something scientific like an aphex or tdr compressor.
The pres are more colored but it’s not weird unless you really push them. They’re on the cleanish side of colored but cost almost double the cleaner grace per channel from the transformers.
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Jun 21, 2024 8:36:58 GMT -6
The unobtainable nature makes it in many ways the perfect pre to clone, to satisfy most all you’re going to need to do is produce a decent sounding pre. Almost nobody is going to have the real deal for comparison and there are probably less than a 1000 of us who ever sat in front of the real thing.
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Jun 21, 2024 8:43:01 GMT -6
I was reading about it and they talked about some technical mumbo jumbo and then said that the phase anomalies were probably what gave it such a unique sound. I've always wondered if the slightly out of phase channels on consoles are the reason we talk about them having more width and depth. I think some of these console emus supposedly do this...not sure, though. Yeah, the difference in phase and distortion channel to channel definitely contributes to the console sound, but the dirty secret in the hey of the console the dream was to eliminate those channel differences, so the grass is always greener. |
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Post by Dan on Jun 21, 2024 10:10:46 GMT -6
I was reading about it and they talked about some technical mumbo jumbo and then said that the phase anomalies were probably what gave it such a unique sound. I've always wondered if the slightly out of phase channels on consoles are the reason we talk about them having more width and depth. I think some of these console emus supposedly do this...not sure, though. Yeah, the difference in phase and distortion channel to channel definitely contributes to the console sound, but the dirty secret in the hey of the console the dream was to eliminate those channel differences, so the grass is always greener. The dirty secret is that what's in an upper end interface like a Lynx Aurora N, Apogee Symphony II, or DAD/NTP/MTRX whatever is better than what's in any console ever made amplifier wise. Even some cheaper stuff like the MOTU 16a had some better stuff than consoles output wise but was like a effin Behringer on the inputs. Consoles didn't have access to the modern, lower power, post NE5532 opamps.
And whats in some interfaces is better than pres for hot condenser mics. less gain stages. something like the DADs just buffer the converters with what like 20 db of gain to get them to full scale for the chips so think like 40 db of gain in a normal pre? IF you don't need that much gain, that will be cleaner than any preamp because any additional preamps adds additional gain stages and electrical noise and the signal is already passing thruogh the converter buffers anyway. Using ribbons or inefficient dynamics (now why would you do that) and you will need more gain and something that's built like a tank like a grace (or even some colorful pres at like 50 db of gain before they really change the sound a lot) will give that to you much cleaner. now some crappy interfaces pad line level signals down and run them through the bad nasty chip pres. TI PGA 2500 grossness. Most of those have a built in detail killing pad.
Now with the THAT pres, the "no real pre" stuf kills them at low gain and the real pres kill them at medium to high gain but they still kill some nasty board pres.
Even massenburg vouches for the "just use the converter buffer" pres and he makes great pres but with unbalanced termination
Dan
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Jun 21, 2024 11:00:45 GMT -6
I thought the "magic" part of the A-range was the EQ? What would make a standalone preamp special? (and yes, I mean this as a serious question) Same thoughts here. Also, I've looked at the 500 series version of the eq that they sell, but it takes up two slots for one channel, so I always get turned off when I think about it. Also, I have no idea if I should be worried about it or not, but I have wondered about those faders they use on there, versus a more traditional pot. Did they cheap out on the fader? What does replacing it look like? Understand the concern, but if they are true to the original I’m betting the faders are pretty standard, other than Transformers I’m going to bet everything in their was pretty generic. When the A Range was built they never intended to build in large quantities so even then I doubt they had the numbers to justify anything that wasn’t off the shelf. |
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Post by Tbone81 on Jun 21, 2024 15:38:26 GMT -6
It’s been along time since I heard the A-Range’s they had at Cherokee but thinking about it, the A-Range reminds me a lot of the RND Shelford console. Thick, detailed, with a much nicer high end than a traditional 1073 etc. Viscerally they leave me with the same impression.
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Post by nobtwiddler on Jun 21, 2024 15:44:31 GMT -6
For that sound you'll probably not do any Better than just buying a Daking.
(unless you can find an original.
His Modules are the shit~!
They sound amazing!
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Post by bossanova on Jun 22, 2024 13:09:12 GMT -6
It’s been along time since I heard the A-Range’s they had at Cherokee but thinking about it, the A-Range reminds me a lot of the RND Shelford console. Thick, detailed, with a much nicer high end than a traditional 1073 etc. Viscerally they leave me with the same impression. The ACC Recording School in Austin has a 5088. I got to briefly sit in on a tracking session there once, and that’s exactly how I would describe it. It sounded thick and had vibe/color but the high end was smooth. |
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Post by roundbadge on Jul 5, 2024 22:22:26 GMT -6
For that sound you'll probably not do any Better than just buying a Daking. (unless you can find an original. His Modules are the shit~! They sound amazing! 100% agree with Paul. had mine for 30 years, never a single issue.Dakinga are the shit! the Old A Ranges I had were a pain in the ass to rack and maintain. |
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Post by Johnkenn on Jul 5, 2024 22:33:36 GMT -6
For that sound you'll probably not do any Better than just buying a Daking. (unless you can find an original. His Modules are the shit~! They sound amazing! 100% agree with Paul. had mine for 30 years, never a single issue.Dakinga are the shit! the Old A Ranges I had were a pain in the ass to rack and maintain. But…but…David Bowie |
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Post by Dan on Jul 5, 2024 23:33:17 GMT -6
100% agree with Paul. had mine for 30 years, never a single issue.Dakinga are the shit! the Old A Ranges I had were a pain in the ass to rack and maintain. But…but…David Bowie you aint got nothin yet |
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