Speck/Demeter/JHardy/GR/ADesign/API

  • Thread starter Thread starter JTC111
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pohaku said:
I was just trying to temper what appeared to be "irrational exuberance" on the part of the OP on discovering the 500 format.:D
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Ouch!

But here's another way to look at it...
If I take advantage of that deal at VintageKing.com, I can buy two channels of API 512c at $676 each and two channels of the Great River at $750 each coming to a total of $2852. As a dual channel rack unit, it would cost me $2150 for the Great River alone, so for an extra $700, I'm getting the API pres and I still have two slots open for anything else I might want down the road. That's not a bad deal.
 
JTC111 said:
Ouch!

But here's another way to look at it...
If I take advantage of that deal at VintageKing.com, I can buy two channels of API 512c at $676 each and two channels of the Great River at $750 each coming to a total of $2852. As a dual channel rack unit, it would cost me $2150 for the Great River alone, so for an extra $700, I'm getting the API pres and I still have two slots open for anything else I might want down the road. That's not a bad deal.
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I looked at 500 series when I was shopping for Great River. It is a good deal.

Came across this preamp reference awhile back, thought you might be interested.

http://www.thelisteningsessions.com/micpregraph.htm
 
JTC111 said:
Ouch!

But here's another way to look at it...
If I take advantage of that deal at VintageKing.com, I can buy two channels of API 512c at $676 each and two channels of the Great River at $750 each coming to a total of $2852. As a dual channel rack unit, it would cost me $2150 for the Great River alone, so for an extra $700, I'm getting the API pres and I still have two slots open for anything else I might want down the road. That's not a bad deal.
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Actually, each of those GR pres takes 2 slots. So you wouldn't have any empty slots. But you are getting the API pres for cheap:D I'd check and make sure that the free lunchbox deal works for all 500 series modules and not just API. (Don't mind me, I'm a lawyer and I'm paid to be paranoid.)

The main thing is that you are costing it out with alternatives. This subject has come up from time to time on various sites as people rushed into buying 500 series modules without stopping to think about what they were getting into. Sounds like a deal to me if you can get a free lunchbox and pairs of each pre.
 
pohaku said:
Actually, each of those GR pres takes 2 slots. So you wouldn't have any empty slots. But you are getting the API pres for cheap:D I'd check and make sure that the free lunchbox deal works for all 500 series modules and not just API. (Don't mind me, I'm a lawyer and I'm paid to be paranoid.)

The main thing is that you are costing it out with alternatives. This subject has come up from time to time on various sites as people rushed into buying 500 series modules without stopping to think about what they were getting into. Sounds like a deal to me if you can get a free lunchbox and pairs of each pre.
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Without the free lunchbox it's not nearly as attractive but that's not to say I don't see some downside to it. The lunchbox isn't rack mountable and that's a bit of an issue for me because surface space is at a premium in my studio. If I decide to go that way, I wonder if VKing would work something out for me with the 10-space rack. I guess it can't hurt to ask.

As for the compatibilty of 500 series modules, there are some companies that have worked it out with API and are fully compatible, and there are some who haven't and aren't. The eight companies I listed are definitely on board and all but two have the product on the market now.

For me, however, it's a fairly exciting option because when I checked out the mp3 files at the Listening Sessions website, the one pre that blew me away was the API 528. I've since been told that the 512 is going to give me that sound. I've emailed someone at API and put the question to him more generically to see if they're making that claim too (I asked him to point me to the product that would give me that sound). If API points me to the 512, then the 500 series jumps to the top of the list.

Another plus... there's a Chandler Germanium available for the 500 series. So many choices...I feel like Charlie searching for the Golden Ticket.
 
JTC111 said:
Another plus... there's a Chandler Germanium available for the 500 series. So many choices...I feel like Charlie searching for the Golden Ticket.
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Check on that Chandler Germanium. Apparently it's not API lunch box compatible. Sounds like it would work with the rack though and an external power supply. There was a thread on the GS board about that.

From the Chandler website:


GERMANIUM 500

Germanium 500 Preamp/DI is compatible with third-party racks, but for lowest noise and best possible performance, we recommend using the Chandler PSU-500 to replace the external power supply issued with your third-party rack. Germanium 500 will not work with racks with internal power supplies, or the API Lunchbox.
 
pohaku said:
So, tell me more. I'm considering that unit as well. Anything you can compare it to? Does it sing and dance?
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only things i can compare it to are the gyraf 1176 i used to have and software emulations of 1176's. the action is nicely aggressive and colored as you would expect. it apparently shares a lot with the mc77 design-- same input attenuator and transformer (iirc), but different power supply (obviously) and output transformer. the mc77 has a much more substantial transformer and runs class a as opposed to ab for the action (again iirc). i messed around with it on some vocals to catch the peaks w/ only a little gain reduction before running the signal into the limiter section of my langevin dvc and it sounded awesome. i started playing with it w/o the dvc using the "dr.pepper" settings and it sounded great too.
 
Check at Atlas Pro Audio as well. I belive that their 500 series deal allows you to mix and match brands. You probably could pay the difference and move to an OSA 11 space rack. I mentioned it in my last post in the other thread. The 11 space is rack mountable and the power supply I got with it rocks, but its big ugly and not rackmountable:D
 
if you plan on getting any purple modules, then they kind of make it interesting for you to check out the purple sweet ten rack as it adds an extra output on some/all slots for things like stereo linking or other added functionality.
the jlm lunchbox seems to have some interesting features too when combined with some of their modules.
 
xstatic said:
Check at Atlas Pro Audio as well. I belive that their 500 series deal allows you to mix and match brands. You probably could pay the difference and move to an OSA 11 space rack. I mentioned it in my last post in the other thread. The 11 space is rack mountable and the power supply I got with it rocks, but its big ugly and not rackmountable:D
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The OSA rack can't be bought separately anymore. Apparently, you have to bundle it...

"Atlas Price: $799.00 NOTE that OSA racks are no longer sold seperately. Discounted bundles are given for bundling OSA racks with OSA, Buzz Audio, or Purple Audio preamps. Call for pricing and details."
 
If you are really interested in an OSA rack, drop me a line. I got mine seperately even though you weren't supposed to;)
 
iirc the germanium is not recommended for use with any rack with a built-in power supply.
 
Many racks have external power supplies, e.g, Brent Averill, OSA, API rack (not lunchbox).
 
kojdogg said:
vocals and acoustic guitar
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That's pretty much what I'll be using it for too. I have 4 acoustic guitars.. a 2004 Taylor XXX-RS which might be the sweetest sounding guitar I've ever played, a 2002 Taylor 814ce LTD, a Martin D-16 which I mainly keep in DADGAD now, and a 1966 Gibson B-25. I also have a couple of mountain dulcimers... one made by Edsel Martin and another made by a local luthier, Scott MacDonald.

I only just picked up the Kiwi in a trade. I gave away an Avalon M5 for it. I was looking to sell the M5 but then someone offered the Kiwi. I figured even if I don't like the Kiwi for myself, I can sell it for more than I could've gotten for the M5.

My studio in non-operational right now because I did a full reorganization of it this past week. Now I'm waiting on some audio snakes I ordered from redco because I'm not going back to that mess of audio cables that were all over the floor for the past couple of years. The cables should be here next week.

Then once my tax refund get here in two weeks, I'll be ready to buy the mic pres. And it just occured to me that once I get the new pres, I'll probably never use the Focusrite TwinTrak again, so I'll sell that.

I'm pretty psyched just thinking about these changes!!! :D
 
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