R/E/P Community

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5   Go Down

Author Topic: Taking delivery of our New (old) SSL today!  (Read 19913 times)

ssltech

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4780
Re: Taking delivery of our New (old) SSL today!
« Reply #30 on: January 13, 2011, 08:55:27 PM »

Here's a tip...

On the power supply, switch off the +250V rail whenever you leave at night, if you're leaving the thing powered up.

That way, you can reduce the amount of time that the transistors are exposed to the High-Voltage DC. -Things should last longer.

There's a small toggle switch for exactly this purpose on the front of the PSU.

Keith
Logged
MDM (maxdimario) wrote on Fri, 16 November 2007 21:36

I have the feeling that I have more experience in my little finger than you do in your whole body about audio electronics..

Bill Mueller

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4502
Re: Taking delivery of our New (old) SSL today!
« Reply #31 on: January 13, 2011, 09:06:11 PM »

ssltech wrote on Thu, 13 January 2011 20:55

Here's a tip...

On the power supply, switch off the +250V rail whenever you leave at night, if you're leaving the thing powered up.

That way, you can reduce the amount of time that the transistors are exposed to the High-Voltage DC. -Things should last longer.

There's a small toggle switch for exactly this purpose on the front of the PSU.

Keith

And that way you will also know EXACTLY when you lost the meter.

9:01AM!

Bill
Logged
"Don't take it personally. But this shit is a science." J.J.Blair

“The Internet is only a means of communication,” he wrote. “It is not an amorphous extraterrestrial body with an entitlement to norms that run counter to the fundamental principles of human rights. There is nothing in the criminal or civil law which legalizes that which is otherwise illegal simply because the transaction takes place over the Internet.” Irish judge, Peter Charleton

Bill Mueller

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4502
Re: Taking delivery of our New (old) SSL today!
« Reply #32 on: January 13, 2011, 09:09:54 PM »

kats wrote on Thu, 13 January 2011 20:28

No kidding. I would have removed the modules,  but a few techs told me that SSL's were designed to ship modules in.



Tony,

I have been part of two commissionings (word?) and have not seen one shipped with modules mounted. I really think you should exercise those connectors before powering up.

Bill
Logged
"Don't take it personally. But this shit is a science." J.J.Blair

“The Internet is only a means of communication,” he wrote. “It is not an amorphous extraterrestrial body with an entitlement to norms that run counter to the fundamental principles of human rights. There is nothing in the criminal or civil law which legalizes that which is otherwise illegal simply because the transaction takes place over the Internet.” Irish judge, Peter Charleton

grantis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1407
Re: Taking delivery of our New (old) SSL today!
« Reply #33 on: January 13, 2011, 09:20:52 PM »

Bill Mueller wrote on Thu, 13 January 2011 20:09

kats wrote on Thu, 13 January 2011 20:28

No kidding. I would have removed the modules,  but a few techs told me that SSL's were designed to ship modules in.



Tony,

I have been part of two commissionings (word?) and have not seen one shipped with modules mounted. I really think you should exercise those connectors before powering up.

Bill


The only one i've been a part of (6k56 E/G+)....went like....

-power down/decommission and wheel the console with modules installed onto moving truck
-drive 4 hours to new location (below speed limit)
-back up to the dock at new location, and have team of 3 people carrying modules one by one to the new studio as per instructions from the tech hired to re-commission the desk.  he was removing them as fast as he could to keep up with all the volunteers. Smile
-wheel in the frame (without the legs), with the center section still installed.

i think the idea is that it will 'ship' with modules installed, but you are to remove them at the delivery site before moving the console.  that is my one and only experience though....
Logged
Grant Craig
Nuovo Music (Me)
Skiddco Music (Where I work)
Work History (Well, some of it anyway)

CWHumphrey

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 914
Re: Taking delivery of our New (old) SSL today!
« Reply #34 on: January 13, 2011, 10:50:51 PM »

I watched 2 G's leave Larrabee and 2 J's come in with the folks from SSL supervising.  I was also part of Frankenstein of 2 40 input E's to make an 80 input (with a full size QWERTY keyboard!).

The modules stayed in.

Go figure.

Cheers,
Logged
Carter William Humphrey

"Indeed...oh three named one!" -Terry Manning
"Or you can just have Carter do the recording, because he's Humphrey."-J.J. Blair

tekis

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 14
Re: Taking delivery of our New (old) SSL today!
« Reply #35 on: January 13, 2011, 10:58:15 PM »

Fran
Logged

Eric H.

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 557
Re: Taking delivery of our New (old) SSL today!
« Reply #36 on: January 14, 2011, 08:04:03 AM »

I knew a tech that recommended to always the voltage for the plasmas on . If I remember it right, there were 4 switches on 2 psus and one always stayed on, to protect the plasma meters of the SSL.
Logged
eric harizanos

ssltech

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4780
Re: Taking delivery of our New (old) SSL today!
« Reply #37 on: January 14, 2011, 08:12:18 AM »

Well, some folks leave the whole console on, some switch it off... the arguments persist.

While the "it doesn't break while it's off" versus the "It breaks when you switch it on" debate rages, and both people could be right, please consider this:

You can't get new tubes any more. While some stuff may fail on power up occasionally, the "burning out the tube because of being left on with an emitter-to-collector shorted MPSA42/MPSA92 shouldn't happen, if it's only powered up while there's someone to observe the meters.

Every console was always shipped from the factory with the modules IN. Every new one I unloaded and installed, I pulled the modules out inside the Pulleyn Lorry, and moved the frame thus.

SSL's policy was to ship the console AS IT PASSED FINAL TEST. Faders were moved to the 'fully-up' position and the console shipped. -That way, there was no chance of a module (which is much more vulnerable once it's removed from the frame being damaged during shipping.

Once it got to the Studio however, I'd sign for it, pull the modules and lift the frame in empty.

Keith
Logged
MDM (maxdimario) wrote on Fri, 16 November 2007 21:36

I have the feeling that I have more experience in my little finger than you do in your whole body about audio electronics..

adamhand

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3
Re: Taking delivery of our New (old) SSL today!
« Reply #38 on: January 14, 2011, 12:20:56 PM »

i tech'd on that console while it lived in Studio B at Berklee. It's quite a desk, i enjoyed working on it, get used to the two different 48v switching methods, they can get confusing. If i remember correctly the first 11(?) are the ones that you pull up on the gain knob to turn off phantom. Those first 11(?) pres are the xformer ones i believe and although they run hot, they sound great! Enjoy that desk!
Logged

adamhand

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3
Re: Taking delivery of our New (old) SSL today!
« Reply #39 on: January 14, 2011, 12:23:37 PM »

just as an afterthought, we left the 250v rail for the plasmas on all the time and i can only remember one going down. It was quite the hassle to replace though.
Logged

stevieeastend

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1297
Re: Taking delivery of our New (old) SSL today!
« Reply #40 on: January 14, 2011, 01:10:47 PM »

I moved my big console twice and always took the modules out. I cannot think of a single advantage of keeping them in but who knows.

kats

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1694
Re: Taking delivery of our New (old) SSL today!
« Reply #41 on: January 15, 2011, 09:51:03 AM »

adamhand wrote on Fri, 14 January 2011 11:20

i tech'd on that console while it lived in Studio B at Berklee. It's quite a desk, i enjoyed working on it, get used to the two different 48v switching methods, they can get confusing. If i remember correctly the first 11(?) are the ones that you pull up on the gain knob to turn off phantom. Those first 11(?) pres are the xformer ones i believe and although they run hot, they sound great! Enjoy that desk!


Hi Adam! I noticed the 48v thingie. It look likes the board originally had line in's instead of preamps on channel 12-24, and was retrofitted sometime in it's life. I'm very curious about the preamps ( which are the first 11 as you correctly remember). If all goes well today I'll be able to listen (finally). I wish you could see the board. PAD did a great job, even reupholstered it. It looks almost new. Thanks for chiming in!
Logged
Tony K.
http://empirerecording.ca

Entertainment is a bore, communication is where it's at! - Brian Jones 1967

Bill Mueller

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4502
Re: Taking delivery of our New (old) SSL today!
« Reply #42 on: January 15, 2011, 10:12:16 AM »

kats wrote on Sat, 15 January 2011 09:51

adamhand wrote on Fri, 14 January 2011 11:20

i tech'd on that console while it lived in Studio B at Berklee. It's quite a desk, i enjoyed working on it, get used to the two different 48v switching methods, they can get confusing. If i remember correctly the first 11(?) are the ones that you pull up on the gain knob to turn off phantom. Those first 11(?) pres are the xformer ones i believe and although they run hot, they sound great! Enjoy that desk!


Hi Adam! I noticed the 48v thingie. It look likes the board originally had line in's instead of preamps on channel 12-24, and was retrofitted sometime in it's life. I'm very curious about the preamps ( which are the first 11 as you correctly remember). If all goes well today I'll be able to listen (finally). I wish you could see the board. PAD did a great job, even reupholstered it. It looks almost new. Thanks for chiming in!

Tony,

The differences between the xformer and non exformer pre's is pretty significant. I had a console with 32 xformer and 16 non xformer pre's and I used the xformers for things like drums and percussion because they were hard as stone. Then I would use the non xformers for acoustic piano and stringed instruments because of the extended top end.

Of course everyone here might use them exactly opposite. Whatever works.

Bill
Logged
"Don't take it personally. But this shit is a science." J.J.Blair

“The Internet is only a means of communication,” he wrote. “It is not an amorphous extraterrestrial body with an entitlement to norms that run counter to the fundamental principles of human rights. There is nothing in the criminal or civil law which legalizes that which is otherwise illegal simply because the transaction takes place over the Internet.” Irish judge, Peter Charleton

kats

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1694
Re: Taking delivery of our New (old) SSL today!
« Reply #43 on: January 18, 2011, 10:54:10 AM »

Good news, it all works ! I start my first session with it in a couple of hours and am quite relieved. I had a chance last night to test those Jensen preamps on drums and was very happy with the results. By coincidence the drums were set up from a prior session using my Helios type 69's so I had a good reference. In comparison I had no preference  (at least on drums so far). The quality of sound was "right there".

One difference I noticed between the SSL and Neotek is  a clearer stereo image and detail on the SSL. The SSL also seems to be more aggressive. It seems that the Neotek is a little softer sounding in comparison. No real preference although I think I can hear  what the SSL does to the sound, not so much with the Neotek. It's kind of fun to use it to your advantage. I was able to dial in a sweet snare sound using only the board pres/eq/dynamics.

But my main happiness (and why I bought the board) is 'cause everything is so damn fast. You just think it and it happens. The only patch cables I used were for the cue systems. A nice change from the pasta primavera my patch bay used to look like when setting up a session.

I do love the plasma meters, I hope they hold out. They look so cool and I am now calling my assistant "Spock" Smile

Oh and a tip of the hat to Terry. My speaker stands were too short for the console and I had remembered his "PVC sewer pipe stand filled with sand" trick and they worked perfectly. I capped both ends with the matching sewer stops which conveniently had screw holes to screw into MDF bases that I bought. Some black spray paint and viola! Brilliant.
Logged
Tony K.
http://empirerecording.ca

Entertainment is a bore, communication is where it's at! - Brian Jones 1967

Bill Mueller

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4502
Re: Taking delivery of our New (old) SSL today!
« Reply #44 on: January 18, 2011, 10:59:05 AM »

kats wrote on Tue, 18 January 2011 10:54

Good news, it all works ! I start my first session with it in a couple of hours and am quite relieved. I had a chance last night to test those Jensen preamps on drums and was very happy with the results. By coincidence the drums were set up from a prior session using my Helios type 69's so I had a good reference. In comparison I had no preference  (at least on drums so far). The quality of sound was "right there".

One difference I noticed between the SSL and Neotek is  a clearer stereo image and detail on the SSL. The SSL also seems to be more aggressive. It seems that the Neotek is a little softer sounding in comparison. No real preference although I think I can hear  what the SSL does to the sound, not so much with the Neotek. It's kind of fun to use it to your advantage. I was able to dial in a sweet snare sound using only the board pres/eq/dynamics.

But my main happiness (and why I bought the board) is 'cause everything is so damn fast. You just think it and it happens. The only patch cables I used were for the cue systems. A nice change from the pasta primavera my patch bay used to look like when setting up a session.

I do love the plasma meters, I hope they hold out. They look so cool and I am now calling my assistant "Spock" Smile

Tony,

That is about a spot on description of working on your first SSL. I loved the way I could get right to work on the first 4K we installed but that many years later, I could still find new ways of accomplishing things.

Bill
Logged
"Don't take it personally. But this shit is a science." J.J.Blair

“The Internet is only a means of communication,” he wrote. “It is not an amorphous extraterrestrial body with an entitlement to norms that run counter to the fundamental principles of human rights. There is nothing in the criminal or civil law which legalizes that which is otherwise illegal simply because the transaction takes place over the Internet.” Irish judge, Peter Charleton
Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5   Go Up