J
jeronimo
New member
Have anyone tried those things? I think the model is 302... dual pre amp...
Anyone?
Anyone?
Slackmaster2K
Gone
I have an un-modded SX202 which for a while was often talked about on R.A.P. I saw scott dorsey and others mentioning them from time to time as a decent cheap preamp (better than the 302)....although they sound much better when the opamps are replaced (~ a $30 mod if you can do it yourself).
Personally I think the SX202 sounds like shit. It's so clean it's painful. Just not...nice. Probably has a use or two though.
Slackmaster 2000
Personally I think the SX202 sounds like shit. It's so clean it's painful. Just not...nice. Probably has a use or two though.
Slackmaster 2000
R
Recording Engineer
Moderator
Slack,
You gotta send it to Jim Williams ay Audio Upgrades! 300 bones and you got yourself a VERY slick dual ch. pre, for a total of what? $400? That's $200 a ch.! Only Studio Projects got that beat!
I just got an Aphex 622 gate back from there. WOW! Talk about the most speedy and unobtrusive!!! And no signal degradation is the biggest plus!!!
You gotta send it to Jim Williams ay Audio Upgrades! 300 bones and you got yourself a VERY slick dual ch. pre, for a total of what? $400? That's $200 a ch.! Only Studio Projects got that beat!
I just got an Aphex 622 gate back from there. WOW! Talk about the most speedy and unobtrusive!!! And no signal degradation is the biggest plus!!!
C
chessrock
Banned
Hey RE,
Do you have any experience with the Audio Upgrades High speed mod? I am very curious. Jim Williams seems like a pretty sharp and respected guy. Not to mention a riot to rap with on the phone.
My only concern is that Jim has a particular taste in his sound preferences (ultra-fast and accurate to the nth degree) . . . and that taste might not be for everyone.
Slack, I'm ashamed you've had an sx202 for so long and haven't even bothered to swap those crappy opamps for some 2132's. If you want to unload that sx202 for a fair price, email me: snailinajar@yahoo.com.
Do you have any experience with the Audio Upgrades High speed mod? I am very curious. Jim Williams seems like a pretty sharp and respected guy. Not to mention a riot to rap with on the phone.
My only concern is that Jim has a particular taste in his sound preferences (ultra-fast and accurate to the nth degree) . . . and that taste might not be for everyone.
Slack, I'm ashamed you've had an sx202 for so long and haven't even bothered to swap those crappy opamps for some 2132's. If you want to unload that sx202 for a fair price, email me: snailinajar@yahoo.com.
Slackmaster2K
Gone
You know why I haven't swapped the opamps yet? Because people kept changing their minds on which freakin opamps to use in there. 
I'll do my bi-yearly google search soon and see what the new concensus is.
RE, that's a possibility, but that audio upgrades thing is a completely new preamp isn't it?...I'd feel silly using the 202 for its shell....even though I feel silly for having it and not using it. Haha.
Slackmaster 2000
I'll do my bi-yearly google search soon and see what the new concensus is.RE, that's a possibility, but that audio upgrades thing is a completely new preamp isn't it?...I'd feel silly using the 202 for its shell....even though I feel silly for having it and not using it. Haha.
Slackmaster 2000
C
chessrock
Banned
R
Recording Engineer
Moderator
chessrock,
Can't say I've had any experience with the high speed mod. I have the 3D Audio Pre CD and I have to say I really didn't like the Audio Upgrades pre in comparison to most the others in its price range. BUT, that means I have NO experience with that pre or the high speed mod! I'd LOVE to find-out though...
I admit I certainly wouldn't hesitate one bit to try their high speed mod if I had TAC console or something that'll fit the high speed pre card.
Tell you the truth, if I had a used module console, pretty darn much anything I would be able to afford, the first thing I'd do would be to have Jim Williams at Audio Upgrades mod the Master Section and at least a pair of input modules.
Hell, it amazes me that people will spend $6-12k on a 12-20 year old or more analog console that sounds like shit because the caps need replacing, and they don't think twice about it! Only thing they know is everyone says it's a great console and it was $25k or up to $50k or so in some instances.
I know there's nothing new in that price range, but I'm hard-pressed to figure-out why these people aren't choosing to pick-up these old, badly in need of a recap, consoles and at least have a recap figured into their budget. And if you really want to go all out, I know you can easily buy a console and get the entire console moded for around $12k for so! We're talking a top-notch console for $12k!!!
Check-out this interview with Jim that never made it to Tape-Op... I don't know why not, but it if not anything else, this should have!!! The interview with Brent and Wes are VERY cool too!!!:
http://www.tapeop.com/magazine/bonus/smallbusinesses.html
Slack, nah, I wouldn't call this tiny preamp card a completely new preamp in that sense. I mean check-out the card:
http://www.audioupgrades.com/BabyPre.gif
Now, I do know the end result makes it a new preamp... I don't question that at all...
And you know, it certainly is worth using the SX202 simply for the shell even if that was the case, as you pay a premium for to have something racked...
Can't say I've had any experience with the high speed mod. I have the 3D Audio Pre CD and I have to say I really didn't like the Audio Upgrades pre in comparison to most the others in its price range. BUT, that means I have NO experience with that pre or the high speed mod! I'd LOVE to find-out though...
I admit I certainly wouldn't hesitate one bit to try their high speed mod if I had TAC console or something that'll fit the high speed pre card.
Tell you the truth, if I had a used module console, pretty darn much anything I would be able to afford, the first thing I'd do would be to have Jim Williams at Audio Upgrades mod the Master Section and at least a pair of input modules.
Hell, it amazes me that people will spend $6-12k on a 12-20 year old or more analog console that sounds like shit because the caps need replacing, and they don't think twice about it! Only thing they know is everyone says it's a great console and it was $25k or up to $50k or so in some instances.
I know there's nothing new in that price range, but I'm hard-pressed to figure-out why these people aren't choosing to pick-up these old, badly in need of a recap, consoles and at least have a recap figured into their budget. And if you really want to go all out, I know you can easily buy a console and get the entire console moded for around $12k for so! We're talking a top-notch console for $12k!!!
Check-out this interview with Jim that never made it to Tape-Op... I don't know why not, but it if not anything else, this should have!!! The interview with Brent and Wes are VERY cool too!!!:
http://www.tapeop.com/magazine/bonus/smallbusinesses.html
Slack, nah, I wouldn't call this tiny preamp card a completely new preamp in that sense. I mean check-out the card:
http://www.audioupgrades.com/BabyPre.gif
Now, I do know the end result makes it a new preamp... I don't question that at all...
And you know, it certainly is worth using the SX202 simply for the shell even if that was the case, as you pay a premium for to have something racked...
R
Recording Engineer
Moderator
And next week, they'll be saying: "You're still using that nasty 2132 chip? Huh! Anything with that chip sounds like shit!"
I've learned enough to know it's NOT the chip, it's how it is used/applied in the application... I'll even give the benefit of the doubt by saying the chip is FAR less critical than how it is used/applied in the application.
Here's a hint: Inverting or non-inverting, how much feedback is applied, and the power supply makes a a night 'n day difference to a chip.
It's funny how the same guys who highly praises Trident gear are the same guys telling you the TLO chips are outright trash! Put that one together...
And even if you are right about nearly all the existing electronics being replaced in the SX202 (though I doubt it considering how tiny that high speed pre card is, even with that small of a case in mind), you paid how much for a power supply and case? What, up to 100 buck, if even that? That's a VERY good price if I've ever seen one!
Please note, I'm not saying the $300 Audio Upgrades mod is a good one or bad one; or worth the $300 or not. I'm openly saying I've NOT a clue! I'm ALSO openly saying I feel it's worth trying it and I certainly would; as what I know about Jim, his work, and his philosolphy in design of audio electronics tells to! And to me, the excuse of what r.a.p. says is a lousy one FOR ME and I gave my reasons why.
Just my thoughts on it... Take it or leave it.
I've learned enough to know it's NOT the chip, it's how it is used/applied in the application... I'll even give the benefit of the doubt by saying the chip is FAR less critical than how it is used/applied in the application.
Here's a hint: Inverting or non-inverting, how much feedback is applied, and the power supply makes a a night 'n day difference to a chip.
It's funny how the same guys who highly praises Trident gear are the same guys telling you the TLO chips are outright trash! Put that one together...
And even if you are right about nearly all the existing electronics being replaced in the SX202 (though I doubt it considering how tiny that high speed pre card is, even with that small of a case in mind), you paid how much for a power supply and case? What, up to 100 buck, if even that? That's a VERY good price if I've ever seen one!
Please note, I'm not saying the $300 Audio Upgrades mod is a good one or bad one; or worth the $300 or not. I'm openly saying I've NOT a clue! I'm ALSO openly saying I feel it's worth trying it and I certainly would; as what I know about Jim, his work, and his philosolphy in design of audio electronics tells to! And to me, the excuse of what r.a.p. says is a lousy one FOR ME and I gave my reasons why.
Just my thoughts on it... Take it or leave it.
Slackmaster2K
Gone
I think that RAP kind of over did it with the SX202...people just got carried away. Every time somebody would ask the question, "what is a good super cheap preamp", people like dorsey would recommend the SX202 as being usable (among others like opamp labs, etc). What people like me might not have realized is that it's probably pretty hard to recommend a "good" $50/channel preamp.
Then the burr brown mod came along and people started flipping and saying that it sounded like a $600 preamp....but then no that mod didn't sound so great anymore, it was some other opamp. Then what's-his-name comes out with the SX202 mod FAQ which details about 20 mods for the SX202, some which are easy, some which aren't. (I have a copy of this that RE sent me a long time ago if anybody wants it) What I gather from this is that most of the components used in the SX202 are cheapo.
Basically, I know from experience that hype sounds like crap. I also know that I'm not impressed with the SX202 in general. Maybe it would work well for voice-overs...and I know that it's a common preamp in live rigs. And hey, at $50 a channel that's pretty damn cheap. And the phantom power is better than the Audio Buddy's!
Some day I might invest time and money into replacing the opamps, and I realize it will change the sound considerably. Do I believe that it will suddenly sound like a $600 preamp? Nothing else like this has ever come true....
The reason the SX202 is so elusive and why I drooled over it for months was that a) it's dirt cheap, b) it's very hard to find, c) people on RAP made comments like "it sounds as good as more expensive preamps."
Slackmaster 2000
Then the burr brown mod came along and people started flipping and saying that it sounded like a $600 preamp....but then no that mod didn't sound so great anymore, it was some other opamp. Then what's-his-name comes out with the SX202 mod FAQ which details about 20 mods for the SX202, some which are easy, some which aren't. (I have a copy of this that RE sent me a long time ago if anybody wants it) What I gather from this is that most of the components used in the SX202 are cheapo.
Basically, I know from experience that hype sounds like crap. I also know that I'm not impressed with the SX202 in general. Maybe it would work well for voice-overs...and I know that it's a common preamp in live rigs. And hey, at $50 a channel that's pretty damn cheap. And the phantom power is better than the Audio Buddy's!
Some day I might invest time and money into replacing the opamps, and I realize it will change the sound considerably. Do I believe that it will suddenly sound like a $600 preamp? Nothing else like this has ever come true....
The reason the SX202 is so elusive and why I drooled over it for months was that a) it's dirt cheap, b) it's very hard to find, c) people on RAP made comments like "it sounds as good as more expensive preamps."
Slackmaster 2000