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[trock]

Hey Fletcher

i just saw an ad for this gear in MIX, it said arsenal audio by API and had a pre, and a couple of eq's on the page, very retro looking.

do you have any word on this stuff? i read on GS its supposed to be lower cost API gear or a seperate company but made by them??


whats the scoop? and will you be testing and carrying?

[daniel]

nothing yet but it's a start. - www.arsenalaudio.com

[Fletcher]

I saw the same ad... a couple of the API guys are coming by next Tuesday... they said to show us something new... I'm guessing this is what they want to show us [maybe not, I'll know next Tuesday]... in the meanwhile I'm looking forward to a lovely weekend in New Orleans at "Pot Luck"... where I'm sure I'll get a preview of the "Arsenal" stuff is API is in attendance.

Peace.

[trock]

cool, can't wait to hear what you think!

[compasspnt]

Without knowing anything at all, I would hazard a guess that it will be API design with China manufacture.

Just a wild guess though.

Maybe not.

[Adam The Truck Driver]

compasspnt wrote on Wed, 04 June 2008 14:07

Without knowing anything at all, I would hazard a guess that it will be API design with China manufacture. Just a wild guess though. Maybe not.

Sounds very logical to me...maybe it won't suck...but what the hell do I know.

[retractablezing]

i'dd love to know more about this myself..

[marcel]

Adam The Truck Driver wrote on Wed, 04 June 2008 14:58

compasspnt wrote on Wed, 04 June 2008 14:07 Without knowing anything at all, I would hazard a guess that it will be API design with China manufacture. Just a wild guess though. Maybe not. Sounds very logical to me...maybe it won't suck...but what the hell do I know.

Don't hold your breath.

I would say that one of the things I have liked most about API products over the years is the quality and consistency of their manufacturing...  Not that everything made in China is junk, by any means.  But quality control seems to be an issue.

[Fletcher]

I heard the EQ yesterday... it's based on a Steve Crump [APSI... or as we used to call them APsI] design.  There were a bunch of APSI EQ's and I don't recall which one of the EQ's this was based upon but I have to say I really [REALLY] liked the sound of the thing.

APSI was a New England based company [Cambridge, MA] that built desks, some of which held modules that were compatible with API 500 style modules [along with Angus... another New England based company that was a studio and desk manufacturer].  They had quite a good / solid reputation around these parts... though they never seemed to catch on nationally.

Early in my career I used to work for a sound reinforcement company in Cambridge called "American Speaker Systems"... APSI's factory was next door so needless to say I have quite a bit of experience with APSI products [I did FOH on more than a few tours with that company... always with an APSI desk in front of me... until they built a pair of "arena rigs" and switched to Midas consoles... which was mostly done for the "client recognition" factor].

I only had about a 1/2 hour to play with it... tried it on various tracks within a rough mix [in other words I took a brief overview... it hasn't been under the microscope yet]... but so far I have really liked what little I've heard.

They didn't have a mic pre to leave behind so I wasn't able to hear the pre... and their 500 series size EQ still needs a few tweezes but they said as soon as they have more than just proto-type units they'd be sending stuff up for us to play with on a more detailed level.

I asked about the "made in China" thing and they said "no"... but I didn't really take it any farther than that [and frankly I don't really care where it's made as long as it sounds good].

Looks like the EQ will retail around $2k which from what I heard yesterday is a bargain and a half... so we'll see where it will lay sometime after "Summer NAMM" when it's "officially released".

Can't wait to hear the pre-amp and the finished 500 series module!!!

[trock]

ah thats exciting! sounds like they are not going to be considered a "lower end" brand then? just a different set of gear?

keep us posted

always exciting when something new from a major player hits the scene, especially like this

thanks!

[Fletcher]

I'm not sure if it can be considered a "lower end brand"... it'll be less expensive than API stuff... but built very well and just another flavor from what I can tell... I would consider it another brand but time will tell.

[compasspnt]

So is this really being made BY API, or is it made by APSI for the API racks?

[Fletcher]

APSI hasn't existed for well over 20 years [probably closer to 25]... where API is making the stuff I don't know [and more importantly, don't care].

[daniel]

hey fletcher,
the eq you tried, was it a rack unit or a 500 series eq?  you said $2,000 - was that a stereo unit or mono?  

i saw mention of this:
Arsenal Audio by API V14 - 500 Series Equalizer

d

[Fletcher]

I tried both... the rack mount unit was really impressive for what I could gleen in a 1/2 hour... I definitely need to live with it for much longer to make an absolute decision... but the first impression will definitely lead to further investigation.

The 500 series module I tried was a proto-type... hopefully the production unit will be better [we're talking about an impression from under 4 minutes of play time with the thing... I'm not taking much stock in my observation, neither should you].

Peace.