I've bought a D&R Dayner console

hrn

New member
I've bought a used D&R Dayner 32 channels (including 2 split channels). I got it for a nice price I think, 10000 SEK...about 1200 $. What I know, it's in good shape. Do you think this is a good buy?

Hans,
www.hagen.nu
 
Recording Engineer,
I talked to a guy using it and heard so much positive opinions about it. On different forums I've read that the console is neutral sounding (in a positive way..???)...Who wants a neutral desk? Positive opinions everywhere though.

The guy I was talking to always took the sound out from his ProTools and went through the desk to get the sound better, even if it was only two channels.

Well, I have to learn about neutral sounding now.

Hans
 
I think what they mean by neutral, is that the console isn't adding much color to the sound (like an API/Neve/Helios might). This can be a good thing or bad thing depending upon what you're going for.

________________
Post indie electronic
Meriphew
www.meriphew.com
 
"Neutral" as I see it usually means not "transparent" nor greatly colored.

D&R has always seemed to have this "neutral" thing going for them. Their design-focus seems to be on feature-heavy mid-size consoles and trying to keep the signal intergrity intact as much as possible at the same time (considering it has SO many features compacted-together in a fairly small space, though it is a mid-size console), all while still keeping "budget minded". The result is "neutral", unlike something such as an SSL where signal intergrity is greatly compromised for the insane amount of features!

Is the guy coming out of ProTools for mixing? That's pretty common when you're working on a high-quality.
 
Yes, he's doing the mixes on the desk. I just can't wait to get it hooked up and try it with some hardware units. Hopefully this will bring me home again after the all digital journey.

Hans
 
Stefan Elmblad,
Well, it's easy to get it into the rack. I'll just use my cow foot ( ;) )and the fire-poker...
 
Hehe... koben ja, även kallat kiosknyckel. Försökte mest vara lustig över att du postade i "rack"-tråden. Kul med svenskar här förresten.

Ok, sorry guys... that was just some crap on Swedish, order restored.
 
D&R Console sound

Recording Engineer said:
"Neutral" as I see it usually means not "transparent" nor greatly colored.

D&R has always seemed to have this "neutral" thing going for them. Their design-focus seems to be on feature-heavy mid-size consoles and trying to keep the signal intergrity intact as much as possible at the same time (considering it has SO many features compacted-together in a fairly small space, though it is a mid-size console), all while still keeping "budget minded". The result is "neutral", unlike something such as an SSL where signal intergrity is greatly compromised for the insane amount of features!

Is the guy coming out of ProTools for mixing? That's pretty common when you're working on a high-quality.

This is the first time I have ever heard D&R consoles described as "Neutral Sounding". In the 19 years I've been with D&R, I've heard transparent many times when people describe how it sounds. D&R has the best phase spec in the industry and their design department has always put most attention into reproducing sound as close to the way your ears hear it. No color, no 2nd harmonic distortion, just what goes in is what comes out.
When you use a D&R and you want that warm fat sound, just insert your favorite limiter/compressor and over-drive the input of it.
Skunk Baxter once demoed a D&R Dayner and he tried over-driving the Dayner input and used up all 26dB of headroom and it clipped. He was used to a Trident in which he could over-drive the input and it would produce that fat 2nd harmonic distortion. If you want that sound on every track, buy the Trident. If you want most tracks clean and quiet, go for the D&R.
 
D&R Dayner

hrn said:
I've bought a used D&R Dayner 32 channels (including 2 split channels). I got it for a nice price I think, 10000 SEK...about 1200 $. What I know, it's in good shape. Do you think this is a good buy?

Hans,
www.hagen.nu

Hans,
Yep, good price. I wish I had a couple of dozen Dayners. It was out best seller. Thousands of guys & gals still use them everyday. Original design was over 20 years ago.
The main reason for this note is to remind you that all outputs on the in-line & split modules have both -10 & +4 levels out. The ring iis +4 and the tip is -10. Be careful that you don't short the +4 to ground. It will still work but will not sound good.

Paul
 
Paul,
Thanks!! Guess you've seen that the original post is quite old. Anyway, I have it up and running. The phase spec is a real good thing with this console. It's quite different from other consoles with its floating sub groups. I think it was a bit hard to learn when I was used with the standard designs..24-8-2.... Yeah, and the "odd" -10/+4 solution and the soldering points. I have the manuals so I made it....learned alot from it about keeping the ground clean by the way.

Have a look at the some pictures. I use the preamps in the Spectra Sonics for a colored 60's transformer sound, and they deliver all you want.

http://www.hig.se/~hrn/forum_samples/studio.jpg

http://www.hig.se/~hrn/spectrasonics/

Best Regards,
Hans Rosén
 
Somehow D&R still raises people head. Guess that is something from the old days. Nowadays i feel pretty happy with what they make. Got 3.5 meters of heating from them in the studio haha.
 
D&R Consoles

Downside Studio said:
Somehow D&R still raises people head. Guess that is something from the old days. Nowadays i feel pretty happy with what they make. Got 3.5 meters of heating from them in the studio haha.
I'm glad you like your D&R. I have a digital studio and love it, however, I have a D&R Octagon in my service center getting ready to be sold and my big problem is... I want it. I have a choice of selling it and getting completely out of debt or keeping it and going deeper in debt.

You must have a Cinemix or Octagon (ref. heating). Any console with that much going on inside will be warm on the top of the modules. I have a friend near Houston, TX that says his heating bill in the winter is much lower since he bought the Octagon.
 
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