R/E/P Community
R/E/P => Mastering Dynamics => Topic started by: SafeandSoundMastering on April 13, 2011, 04:33:02 AM
-
So my new "XXXXXX" clone eq is here and it sounds very good. It's not going to change my
mastering quality as I have already good analogue eq but it is another option, you do not always need such 3d eq IMO. I need to spend more time with it to understand it's depths. (I reckon 3 months) Switched in it's entirety, individual band bypass, full bypass, gain trim I/O +-6dB.
Oh... and it's red.
I am very happy to own it.
(http://www.masteringmastering.co.uk/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/AnalogueMasteringEQforweb.jpg.w300h225.jpg)
-
The analogue EQ denier is now the analogue EQ owner. So it sounds better than your plug-ins? :P
Anyway congrats on the build it's a nice project.
-
Denier? Isn't that a rating for women's tights?
;)
-
Not better, different.
I have denied analogue being better, not different.
Better in some instances yes.
Analogue vs Digital never forgoes... knowing what to do.
-
So what type of design is it? Passive filters? Is it (un)balanced i/o? IO transformers? Anything special going on with the output drivers?
details.... we're hungry for details.
Maarten
-
So what type of design is it? Passive filters? Is it (un)balanced i/o? IO transformers? Anything special going on with the output drivers?
details.... we're hungry for details.
Maarten
I'm just guessing here:
http://repforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/topic,1217.msg6347.html#msg6347 (http://repforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/topic,1217.msg6347.html#msg6347)
-
Yes I will not say too much.
-
Yes I will not say too much.
I don't understand. Why would you start a thread about your new eq and then not give much info about it?
-
I don't understand. Why would you start a thread about your new eq and then not give much info about it?
Because he's no. 1 in the UK.
-
I don't understand. Why would you start a thread about your new eq and then not give much info about it?
He's said too much already! ;D
-
Pretty sure this is just that Igor Sontec MEP-250 style clone. At least that is what I gather from following threads here and on Gear Slutz. All the super secret info can be found here:
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/mastering-forum/529777-my-first-analogue-eq.html
Judging by the looks and the unique faceplate marking method I'm thinking it is the same EQ, made by the same guy in the UK. Probably a pretty cool sounding EQ and all but has obvious differences from a real Sontec (different op amps for one and the Igor schematic is quite a bit different than a real Sontec according to Burgess). I'll speak for myself here but I personally would not want any piece of gear in my studio that is marked via a label maker. To each their own though. I love my legitimate, Burgess made, Sontec MEP-250EX.
-
I'll speak for myself here but I personally would not want any piece of gear in my studio that is marked via a label maker.
dunno - I'd take one of Jaako's diy boxes or some of the gear made by Doug Sax's brother at the Mastering Lab - face plate markings via label maker and all - in a heart beat.
Best regards,
Steve Berson
-
dunno - I'd take one of Jaako's diy boxes or some of the gear made by Doug Sax's brother at the Mastering Lab - face plate markings via label maker and all - in a heart beat.
Best regards,
Steve Berson
Cool. I'd rather just spend a bit extra and get some engraved faceplate marks instead of glued on label maker labels. I like my equipment to last a long time and lord knows those label maker labels could easily become "unglued" on a hot/humid day a few years from now. I guess for me it is just worth the extra cost for things to look a bit nicer and potentially last longer (engraved labels do not "peel off"). Audio quality over aesthetics of course, but I'd rather save up and get it done right as opposed to using a label maker if I was going the DIY or custom order route. To each their own though.
-
I give up engaging in b*llshit these days, better things to do ;)
I'll leave it at that.
If you must know I enquired about silk screening but I wanted the EQ in the shortest possible time scale and like the way the labels look, comes down to the right colour choices.
-
Sorry to derail, but recently the (perhaps silk screened?) markers on my Thermionic Culture Pullet have started to rub off, after two years almost daily use. This is not a huge problem, as I use my ears more than the markers when I tune it in, but obviously it's not ideal, and I'd expect a professional piece of equipment to last longer than this. It's getting worse, so I'll contact TC support about it, but any ideas how, where, who or who much it might cost to get an engraved panel done?
-
In Japan? no idea I am afraid, not even in the UK.
That is a shame it's things like that that get right up your nose when you have paid top dollar for kit.
PS Dymo (non crimp) labeller labels last 5 years +, you get to know these things when you have worked in audio professionally for many years. (though you tend not to mention them too often otherwise you end up with a "How do you label your files?" threads) ... where is that yawn smily?
-
gregg, you're coming back to europe right? schaeffer in germany would become an option then, they are used a lot in the eu diy community. here's some info: http://www.nrgrecording.de/html/schaeffer.html#information
-
Thanks for the info guys. Still waiting to hear back from Thermionic Culture support.
Yes, will be in Europe very soon! Have to admit I am a little miffed that a professional tool would start to flake out like this... Why don't they engrave instead of silk screen print as standard?
-
... Why don't they engrave instead of silk screen print as standard?
Cost.
:-\
-
Or at least do a quality silk screen job?
Nonsense really.
-
Well, TC (actually Unity Audio, who I guess are there UK distributor/support people) replied, they said the silk screening coming off hasn't been a problem in the past, and they can supply me with a new front panel for £35 plus delivery. I think I'm more inclined to just wait and get my own engraved front pane done...
-
although i agree that is bad customer service from TC and they should provide you with a new panel at no cost at all, engraving one yourself will cost a lot more than 35 quid.
-
Well, TC (actually Unity Audio, who I guess are there UK distributor/support people) replied, they said the silk screening coming off hasn't been a problem in the past, and they can supply me with a new front panel for £35 plus delivery. I think I'm more inclined to just wait and get my own engraved front pane done...
I was thinking it could have been a bad batch or something since a lot of companies silk screen and it seems like it is never really a problem that you hear much about.
Consider also if you go the engraving route that the piece might be out of commission for a week or so.
-
I guess they'd rather save a few dollars (guaranteeing some folks will never buy their products) than simply repairing the piece, thus ensuring good will.
Their choice, but I find their response absurd.
-
Yes I will not say too much.
Or is it that you dont know much about it?
-
Whatever M-tone, whatever. ::)
-
Whatever M-tone, whatever. ::)
Ok, so you do know something about it? Is it built to igor´s specs or did you play around with different caps, opamps etc?
-
I am keen to know as I have been thinking of getting one of the IGOR build's until I can afford a real one...but a fully built igor one based on the 250 I can get a new 250 from ITI for almost the same cost.... minus stepped controls.
-
Paying someone to build you the Igor box shows a distinct lack of initiative IMO. There is a lot of support. It's not a particularly difficult build. It will take a long time and be frustrating if it's your first build but it will be worth it. I think it's appropriate as a first build if you use the pots in the kit. You can make the gain range +/- 6dB or less which would make the pots usable. Figuring out values for and soldering rotary switches is more work and a little trickier.
If you just want to get to work then buy a commercial unit.
-
good idea - didnt realise it was an easy build, figured an eq would be a difficult build for a first time.. I just bought his passive m/s board to try my hands at DIY'ing
-
I am keen to know as I have been thinking of getting one of the IGOR build's until I can afford a real one...but a fully built igor one based on the 250 I can get a new 250 from ITI for almost the same cost.... minus stepped controls.
It's very loosely based on the 250, the circuit is different and sound will change depending on the op-amps you decide to use in the EQ section and summing stage.
Everyone says it sounds great. It doesn't cost anywhere near a real Sontec to DIY.
-
Paying someone to build you the Igor box shows a distinct lack of initiative IMO.
Sorry M-Tone I misread what your tone was. ;)
Well that depends on how you wish to spend your time. Initiative can be applied to many areas and time is short.
It sounds good and I specced I/O stepped gain trims which are pretty much essential IMO, I may swap opamps later on and put discretes in the output but it sounds good to my ear I have a lot of self modded equipment which has my fave opamps in already. I might put audio transformers on the output stages. I am pretty sure this would have been an easy build electronically (de-soldering dual layer PCB dip14 opamps at 1 hour each springs to mind :P) but there is no way I would have got the metal work and finish/attention to detail as spot on as it's builder. It's quality. Self builds can so easily look like p** and I am no metal worker. It is built with creme de la creme components, Panasonic, Vishay, Styroflex, Wima, C0G/NP0 ceramics etc. etc. The L/R channel matching is insanely accurate.
cheers
-
Sorry M-Tone I misread what your tone was. ;)
No problem mate, and its okay, you can say it.... Mastertone
-
Well that depends on how you wish to spend your time. Initiative can be applied to many areas and time is short.
Absolutely. You didn't get to be SafeandSound Mastering UK's No.1 Online mastering studio with just talk.
-
Hey Gold I don't rise to others bitterness these days, I just have too much on.
-
Hey Gold I don't rise to others bitterness these days, I just have too much on.
That's good news. I feel the same way. I'm going out to play some T ball.
-
Go for it. :)
Scratches head.....whatever "T ball" is.
-
its like cricket but with less dibbly dobblys
pip pip cheerio
-
Hmm.. I have never been into sports other than a quick kick around with a football with my twin Nephews and that pretty sums up all sporting activity for me. I am still aching today.
-
Hmm.. I have never been into sports other than a quick kick around with a football with my twin Nephews and that pretty sums up all sporting activity for me. I am still aching today.
More about the EQ please?
-
We also never heard about the exact mods you did to the TC eq and how it is to match sides in the workflow
-
I tend not to divulge my mods. (The Tc is not the only EQ I have modded either to exceptional results) Too many other ME's take the mick on so many levels, well guess what unless people who have mutual respect and get in contact who have genuine interest I keep schtum.Trust me, I know the score.
I use polarity inverted white noise as per a tip I got from Cellotron (he uses it for his non stepped Sontec EQ).
Whats to say? It's an EQ and it sounds ace.
-
Looks like we might be EQ buddies, bar a HPF? :P
-
I tend not to divulge my mods. (The Tc is not the only EQ I have modded either to exceptional results) Too many other ME's take the mick on so many levels, well guess what unless people who have mutual respect and get in contact who have genuine interest I keep schtum.Trust me, I know the score.
One of these days you're gonna' screw up and talk too much....and I'll be waiting with my soldering iron and stock model.
Just wait and see......
-
;D :o 8)
-
Looks like we might be EQ buddies, bar a HPF? :P
Ahh it's just some stepped gain on the far left hand side.
Well I know exactly how these sound, as I own the prototype, it may not be a Sontec, and to be honest, I havn't owned a Sontec MEP250, but it's very very good and worth every penny I spent on it. ;D
-
They are excellent Joe, nothing short of excellent.
Yes I wanted stepped I/O gains as well.
Does what it's meant to do and very well across the spectrum, something a LOT of "named" equalizers I have heard fail miserably to do.
As I say I do not think it's a game play changer but it is a very nice unit.
Only my TC 2240 modded has a silkier high end, and I have another EQ which I use as a compressor/tone box, lol.
It all works. ;)
-
They are excellent Joe, nothing short of excellent.
Yes I wanted stepped I/O gains as well.
Does what it's meant to do and very well across the spectrum, something a LOT of "named" equalizers I have heard fail miserably to do.
As I say I do not think it's a game play changer but it is a very nice unit.
Only my TC 2240 modded has a silkier high end, and I have another EQ which I use as a compressor/tone box, lol.
It all works. ;)
I ran some tests on it against the Flux Epure II I was demoing last week during some downtime, what I noticed is that although the analogue EQ doesn't SOUND coloured as such, as in it's not obviously gain AND harmonic distortion making it sound more bassy, for example, I used a whole dB and a half LESS of boost on the analogue EQ against the Epure, to match the same subjective "amount of bass". And on top of that, the analogue EQ has downwards extension, and by that, what I mean is not only did it add bass where I asked it to, the shelf seemed to be active a lot lower and was bringing out elements of the mix I just couldn't tease up with a digital EQ.
It's funny because not only does it have this effect, but also you can get carried away and keep pushing the gain on each band, as it gets "nicer" sounding the more gain you put in, as if the headroom is designed to close up in a pleasing way that doesn't just sound like your hitting a transformer too hard.
Versatile.
-
This is why the "byass all bands" button is so important. (on every bit of kit)