What I'm bidding on now. Opinions welcome if you've been around as long as this has.

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Sennheiser

Sennheiser

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I'm bidding on a mint condition TASCAM PE-40 four-channel, four-band, fully parametric EQ. Circa 1989-1993??

Not sure yet where I'll use it, but I'm sure it will be used.

Now Dammit! Don't be outbidding me on this.:D

Take a look... TASCAM PE-40 Parametric EQ
 
Hey man, those things rock!

Thanks for pointing it out to me. I'm going to have to start bidding! :D Can't wait to see how sweeeeeet that thing looks in my rack.
 
I'm not sure about this particular unit but it could be a good candidate for an op-amp upgrade. If it uses the standard pinout DIL single, dual and quad type op-amps then it will be upgradable... providing the P.S. can handle then extra current requirements. Could make a worthwhile improvement... especially in the hi-end. Just a word of warning some of these older state variable type active eq's do a better job of cutting than boosting.
Still if the price is right it could be a good addition! ;)
 
HEY, GODAMMIT, I warned ya. STAY AWAY FROM MY EQ!!!!

Seriously, have you had any experience with this unit???

I want a bit more control over some of my mixes, and mic placement to eliminate using an EQ is not always an option considering my room. I thought about using it during the mix-down since I can narrow in on a specific frequency to fix something that may have slipped through during tracking but is other wise OK.

What do you think?
 
pundit, THANKS. Ok, you must have been around awhile when this stuff was selling big and I was a 22 year old Airman with no money.

If the PS can handle the current, where can I find the op-amps that are compatable with the unit? TASCAM probably won't know squat about an upgrade for something this old. All I could probably do is get the schematic.

Would Mouser have something like that? You got part numbers for a source?
 
I used one maybe ten years ago during a demo. Like all fully parametrics it lets you screw around a lot but you have to be judicious in using it. Setting the Q too narrow when boosting can make the sound rather phasey and nasal. Also boosting the high frequencies with a narrow Q can cause the associated omp-amps to rapidly run out of GBW product (steam!) especially on high frequency transient sounds like cymbals. Still that's not necessarily a fault as such... just the nature of most similar para eq's. That's why faster, wider bandwith op-amps may offer some improvement if you are going to push it at the frequency extremes. I generally prefer simpler passsive style Eq's if I want say a little overall top end sheen or a little bottom end warmth.

Active for more surgical cutting... passive for subtle boosting.

Horses for courses!

YMMV! ;)
 
I would highly recommend calling Jim Williams at Audio Upgrades.

www.audioupgrades.com

Ask him if he works on them . . . better yet, ask him if he thinks it's worth working on. He'll pretty much tell it to you straight, and if he thinks he can clean it up for you, then you could wind up with a very high-caliber product when he's done with it.

At the very least, you'll get a chance to talk to a guy who has some interesting philosophies on music, audio, life in general, etc, and he'll tell you all about them. :D
 
Thanks for your reply. I understand the priciples of this type of EQ, though I have never used one. This will be a learning experience. I don't mean to use it to correct gross tracking flaws, but just to correct some problems I may have, especially something in a narrow band that my TASCAM on board console EQ cannot handle.

Nothing on either the high or low extreme. Probably mostly for the vocal or a miked guitar cab or other acoustic source.

Do you have a part number or source for those op-amps?
 
Sennheiser said:
...If the PS can handle the current, where can I find the op-amps that are compatable with the unit? TASCAM probably won't know squat about an upgrade for something this old. All I could probably do is get the schematic. Would Mouser have something like that? You got part numbers for a source?
Click to expand...

I don't know about Mouser (I live in Australia) but Tascam often provided schematics with their products. I know my long departed Teac 3440 had schematics. Basically if you take the lid off and see a bunch of 8 or 14 pin dual opamps then it is very likely they will be upgradable. By taking note of the numbers printed on the chips they could be cross referenced with a modern higher spec equivelant. The PE-40's power supply specs should be in the manual if it comes with one. Basically you need to know the maximum current rating of the power supply and then calculate the maximum load with the new opamps. Semi-conductor manufacturers will provide the current draw for their products in their spec sheets... generally available on their websites. If the new current requirments come in under the maximum rating by about 20%, then there should be no problems.
Usually if there is only a few opamps to replace then it shouldn't be a problem. If there was say a dozen or so and each drew 2-4 times the current of the originals then you definately need to ensure the supply is up to it.

Still if you get it for a bargain price, I'd go ahead and worry about the upgrades later.

Cheers.
 
I will do that. Thanks for the link Chess. It would be nice to have a diamond in the rough if I get it for a good price. I've placed my max bid and I'll just have to see what happens in the next four days, sixteen hours+.

I would probably enjoy speaking with him. Regardless if my EQ is worth up-grading.

Thanks,

Michael
 
Thanks pundit. If I win, I will check those specs on the components. If I can find them at a 20% tolerance that'll be great.

Yes, TASCAM usually includes a schematic with their products, but this one doesn't come with a manual, so I'm kind of in the dark. I'm a technician and not an engineer. Almost, but not quite.

The manual that came with my TASCAM 38-8 is great. I mean, if you have half a brain and a meter and some hand tools you can do damn near anything with what they provide in the manual.

As a side note, even in Australia , Mouser is a great electronics supply store. They were storefront and mail-order long before they were on the internet. I've been ordering from them for years.
You actually talk to a technician when the phone is answered. They don't have "order takers". Everyone you talk to there can help you with what you are after. They're a good bunch. The internet site is actually a pain in the ass to navigate if you don't have a catalog.
 
Outbid already. Someone must really want that more than me.

Had to bid six times to top my bid.
 
The RCA type connectors on the back would tend to give me pause.
It just seems that it would be more appropriate for home audio rather than pro audio, like it would be part of an old quadrophonic stereo system.
Just a thought.
 
Sennheiser said:
Outbid already. Someone must really want that more than me.

Had to bid six times to top my bid.
Click to expand...

Well, hi, virtual_yardsale! :)

You know, you don't have to bid more than once. Just decide on what your maximum is for the item and bid that, and you don't have to worry. You never pay more that one buck more than the second-highest bidder.

(And, yeah, bid late, or you'll risk driving up the price more. It's better of it looks like nobody wants it. ;) )
 
Yeah, I know how the game is played and I got in a hurry. I should have waited.

On the bright side I've already bid the max I was willing to pay, and now I don't have to wait to see how it turns out.

The guy that outbid me was outbid on another PE-40 earlier.

The units were designed to be used with the 38-8 as a pair, or the 34-4 as a single.
 
Yeah Senn, it's a great piece of pro gear from the 80's.

... Part of the family that produced the 234, MX-80, M-1B, MH-40, PE-40, as a integrated family of high quality rackmount mixer/recorder components. Also same vintage as 34B, 246 and 388, i.e., mid-80's, [86].

Senn, this PE-40 is a really great piece of "pro" gear, [no matter what anyone else says]. It's a relatively rare and hard-to-find piece, that only comes up 3 or 4 times a year on Ebay, as I recall.

I think it's really a swell unit, as I just purchased one for $77 + s/h. I have a couple rackmount 4-track systems I'm throwing together with the 234, MX-80, M-1B. MH-40 and PE-40.

Being a great piece of gear, I've recommeded the PE-40 repeatedly, if you've followed any of my posts. Also mentioned on my list of "SLEEPER GEAR" over at www.gearslutz.com from about 2 weeks ago.

I do think your intentions are good and justified, this PE-40 being a great rare piece. However, at $122+, I think your bidding war got the price bumped up just a little too high. After these items close, probably at about $150, you'll then see another PE-40 eventually come along again, hopefully within the <$100 range, which would be more reasonable.
 
I wasn't going to spend more than $120 on it.

There'll be another along soon. Thanks.
 
Gee Senn, sorry, but anyway I was thinking about the PE-40, and I was worried...

There's no Giga-, Mega-, Micro- or Nano- anywhere on this model number,... it only has one zero in the product number, not two or three, and no XL,... there's only hardware plugins, no software plugins at all,... it has no memory,.. no menus,... and all those colored knobs, way more than four, like most other modern equipment.

Maybe it's not "pro" gear afterall.

*-joke, haha-*
 
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