In my personal experience with Sontecs I've had a bunch of things go wrong. Nothing that couldn't be fixed, but enough to be a problem if you don't have access to a local tech. That's another thing that makes Sontec a bit of a religion to me. Source of great joy, but it makes you bleed & suffer too...
Another thought may be to compare the price of the 430 you're looking to buy with a Knif Soma... If the Soma is a fair amount cheaper it may be worth considering that instead. But try before you buy..
Maybe Dave Mc Nair could chime in as he has compared Sontec and Soma side by side.about the Etip Family first .... Gears after Ben it's the wise way.i'm finishing a big studio upgrade before being maried soon !
I did recently have a Soma in my room for a few weeks. It's a really great eq. Very musical. Cleaner than you would expect an all tube L/C circuit. It has a very precise feel to it. The top end is like buttah. The M/S mode is killer. The only thing I would have wanted was one more band. I used it on a few projects, but usually defaulted to the Sontec in my desk. I also recently bought a very clean 4 channel 430B and have been comparing to the modded 430B that I have been using. The modded one is a hair cleaner and very slightly punchier, but the stock is just so musical. There is a very subtle glue factor to it. So far the stock 430B/NSEQ-2FF is the magic combo. I think I like the totally stock 430B better, but I have been known to change my mind... One thing I am certain of is I like the 430 better than the 432's I've used, not that a 432 is bad! I would probably opt for a Soma over a 432 and deal with one less band.Dave
Hey Dave - did the 482 ever appeal to you? It seems like you've tried a lot of different Sontecs but never commented on that one. I've always been slightly confused about the model numbers. Wouldn't the 4 channel you bought be a 434? What is the difference between a 432 and a 430? Do the letters ("B", "C", "D" - was there ever an "A"?) just designate the generation?
And what's with all these 4 channel units flying around anyway? I'm in the market if anyone is letting them go.
Thanks Andrew - kick-ass post! One of those posts I copy & paste into a .txt doc for safe keeping. I didn't know that the DUO had never been released. I wonder if it might be slightly maddening to have to choose between the ITI/Sontec sounds everyday. Too many choices - I might fiddle around too much. I catch myself using Weiss gear like that sometimes. My eye is on the 4 channel unit or the 482. I'd probably try to order an extra faceplate for the 482 - I heard they "sink" pretty quick.