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Post by Johnkenn on Nov 8, 2024 23:52:40 GMT -6
Ditto
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Post by andtide on Nov 9, 2024 0:13:09 GMT -6
I love my AS gear so so so so so much. My 76D/F and 3A are getting a ton of use. I’ll be scooping more for sure.
I would be so happy if AS released an awesome 4 band EQ or even a great 3 band parametric EQ.
Love me pultecs but I have that covered!
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Post by ragan on Nov 9, 2024 2:51:54 GMT -6
Has Audioscape ever claimed to be populating their PCBs in the US? I doubt they are, at their prices, though I have no specific knowledge of it. I always suspect there is some overseas design/layout happening too. Again, I have no specific knowledge of what Audioscape is doing. But, ever notice how like Stam/Audioscape/Warm/Behringer/Heritage/etc will all suddenly have, say, a 33609? This happens with mics. 3U will design a C800 voiced capsule and suddenly 12 companies have a C800 style mic coming out. We have claimed US made on everything from the start.
All our pcb designs and transformers are done in the US. All R&D on site, most by yours truly. David McDonald in Texas (who does some killer Flickinger preamps) helped with the pcb design for the Metal Knob 609 (MK-609) and we had been working on it since 2021. We got stuck on the comp attack times alone for one year and fought with it until we got it right. A lot of hard work went into the design, custom molded knobs and finding every NOS obsolete part to nail it (no one talks about the dual fet in the comp section, but I digress). The lengths we went to sourcing original parts are documented on the product page here.
Cheers, Chris
Cool! Thanks for clarifying. |
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Post by kcatthedog on Nov 9, 2024 4:40:53 GMT -6
^^This^^
AS cred and people always struck me as legitimate.
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Post by poppaflavor on Nov 9, 2024 8:11:54 GMT -6
Oh snap. Doubters proved wrong again... What a great time to be alive. I see some Audioscape 76's and OPTO's with some of that good old fashioned American iron to compliment my Coil preamps in the near future. I have the VComp+ (STA Level style) following the CA70S for tracking and outboard processing as an insert. Highly recommended! The combo can be set up to be gooey and thicc, or can be gentle and mid forward, or pumpy and high mids emphasis (no pad, -4 low knob, moderate output and no NF on CA70S). Or anything in between. It's truly like the Wonder Twins. I like the Boost drive toggle on the VComp+. It allows me to reduce gain of the output knob of the CA70S (which results in less NF so it's brighter) while still juicing the VComp strongly. It's a way to partition the saturation back and forth between the CA70S and the VComp+ to provide a broad palate of flavors across the record. Get one! |
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Post by audioscapeinfo on Nov 9, 2024 8:22:56 GMT -6
I do want to say there's validity to modern parts not originating in the US. As a manufacturer we do use A LOT of vintage US parts, but even some of the later solid state gear we aim to nail used parts that were a mix to some degree. The good ones do have factories that carry a lineage to the original factories where machines and methods were transferred. You can't just chuck any cap or resistor in there cause there are some that are straight up crappy, and by crappy, I mean, they will fail in a device sooner or will straight up degrade the tone of a device. There's also a lot of bazaars with knock off parts that find their way into some cheap gear, unfortunately. A lot of those sub-par parts can simply be avoided by ordering on Mouser/Digikey. You are on much more solid footing that way. I went to school hard on this the first few years before the company started in 2015-2016. I had zero money for parts so tried every cheap component known to man back then. I wouldn't want anyone to experience a device like that! And yes, there are overseas factories that OEM equipment for multiple brands(you can usually spot this by looking at the overall case design, particularly the back panel). We have never partaken in any of that as a company.
I also learned back at the beginning, that carbon composition resistors, which were used extensively in old tube and early solid state devices do NOT like the modern board production assembly. They can get super out of tolerance. In an older circuit like the 1176 rev A, it becomes an unusable noise pile and you're better off throwing out the whole main pcb, which can become costly on multiple fronts. It's best to just do the work and hand stuff them. That realization is one of the reasons we stuff our boards. Also I believe we are one of a handful of manufacturers who use that type of vintage-era resistor. It's a personal favorite and they are becoming more scarce. The core material for them currently originates in Japan. I was told they are winding down production on them. Just like with NOS tubes, we will ride them out as long as possible. We embrace parts like this with wider tolerances like they did back in the day. We're not afraid to have each unit sound a little different from the other coming off the line. Cause when you get that piece, it's your unit, unique to you alone. I think that's super cool.
Some of my personal favorite vintage parts were made in other places Germany like Tele tubes. A lot of the vintage parts we sourced for the MK-609 originally came from the UK like the original diodes. We found the same exact power bulb and iconic (in my mind at least) locking power toggle switch which actually originated in Japan. That darn locking toggle switch costs more than an audio transformer in qty but for us it's such an important part of the metal knob experience to me.
There's a lot of great parts being made everywhere. My point about US manufacturing was, no matter where it was made, if its obsolete its more readily available here as we made and imported a lot of those parts back then which is great if you're trying to nail the core essence of vintage unit. Get the same parts they used. One of my favorite units we make is based on the old RCA BA-6A and we're using opening NOS tube boxes from the 1940's and 50's every day. One of them had a late 30's military date code. To be the first person ever to open up those old tube boxes and use them in a new device feels special. It is a good time to be alive indeed.
~Chris
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Post by ragan on Nov 9, 2024 9:28:36 GMT -6
I do want to say there's validity to modern parts not originating in the US. As a manufacturer we do use A LOT of vintage US parts, but even some of the later solid state gear we aim to nail used parts that were a mix to some degree. The good ones do have factories that carry a lineage to the original factories where machines and methods were transferred. You can't just chuck any cap or resistor in there cause there are some that are straight up crappy, and by crappy, I mean, they will fail in a device sooner or will straight up degrade the tone of a device. There's also a lot of bazaars with knock off parts that find their way into some cheap gear, unfortunately. A lot of those sub-par parts can simply be avoided by ordering on Mouser/Digikey. You are on much more solid footing that way. I went to school hard on this the first few years before the company started in 2015-2016. I had zero money for parts so tried every cheap component known to man back then. I wouldn't want anyone to experience a device like that! And yes, there are overseas factories that OEM equipment for multiple brands(you can usually spot this by looking at the overall case design, particularly the back panel). We have never partaken in any of that as a company. I also learned back at the beginning, that carbon composition resistors, which were used extensively in old tube and early solid state devices do NOT like the modern board production assembly. They can get super out of tolerance. In an older circuit like the 1176 rev A, it becomes an unusable noise pile and you're better off throwing out the whole main pcb, which can become costly on multiple fronts. It's best to just do the work and hand stuff them. That realization is one of the reasons we stuff our boards. Also I believe we are one of a handful of manufacturers who use that type of vintage-era resistor. It's a personal favorite and they are becoming more scarce. The core material for them currently originates in Japan. I was told they are winding down production on them. Just like with NOS tubes, we will ride them out as long as possible. We embrace parts like this with wider tolerances like they did back in the day. We're not afraid to have each unit sound a little different from the other coming off the line. Cause when you get that piece, it's your unit, unique to you alone. I think that's super cool. Some of my personal favorite vintage parts were made in other places Germany like Tele tubes. A lot of the vintage parts we sourced for the MK-609 originally came from the UK like the original diodes. We found the same exact power bulb and iconic (in my mind at least) locking power toggle switch which actually originated in Japan. That darn locking toggle switch costs more than an audio transformer in qty but for us it's such an important part of the metal knob experience to me. There's a lot of great parts being made everywhere. My point about US manufacturing was, no matter where it was made, if its obsolete its more readily available here as we made and imported a lot of those parts back then which is great if you're trying to nail the core essence of vintage unit. Get the same parts they used. One of my favorite units we make is based on the old RCA BA-6A and we're using opening NOS tube boxes from the 1940's and 50's every day. One of them had a late 30's military date code. To be the first person ever to open up those old tube boxes and use them in a new device feels special. It is a good time to be alive indeed. ~Chris Love hearing the reverence you have for process and user experience. Super cool. I only have one AS piece (SSL comp, which I love), but there will be more in my future |
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Post by drbill on Nov 9, 2024 9:49:29 GMT -6
It is a good time to be alive indeed. ~Chris It is indeed!!! Chris audioscapeinfo - you are a one of a kind dude. Long live AudioScape!!!! |
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Post by chessparov on Nov 9, 2024 11:17:20 GMT -6
I’m thinking a spoof Comedy YouTube video is in order! “Audioscape from New York” Or… “Audioscape” from L.A” (Either way Chris wears the Eye Patch  ) Plot? Clandestine forces led by a certain (Evil) Mister “Yu Lee”, diabolically try to replace internal parts with highly radioactive Chineseum parts. I know it could get “glowing reviews”. (Best Paulie/Sopranos Voices) “Get it Tony?” “Glowing?”  Hurry. Limited Engagement! Chris P.S. I could do a small “bit part”. AS secret/incognito undercover Agent “Lo Kee”. |
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