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Dear god help me.. I have been bitten by the 500 Series bug! |
bastille
Common Wiggler
Joined: 23 Aug 2010
Last Visit: 25 Jun 2012
Posts: 162
Location: WashDC
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 Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:01 pm Post subject: |
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Kind of an old post, but...
500 is great for those of us with more limited space to work in. I've got an API rack in my control room and I've considered starting a second one, though upgrading the console will probably take priority.
I really love the Shadow Hills stuff. I've got a pair of GAMAs and an Optograph, and if I can make the space, would love to have a Vandergraph as well. The preamps remind me of a triangle formed between Quad 8, API, and Seimens V276. I have an Avedis MA5 and A-Designs P1 as well, both of which are awesome and on two different ends of the spectrum, but I may sell/trade for 2 more GAMAs because I'm trying to simplify a little. |
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Arturo00
Maximum bass on all frequencies!
Joined: 29 May 2010
Last Visit: 23 May 2013
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Location: Ottawa
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| Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 11:42 am Post subject: |
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I got bit about 2.5 years ago. Got a stacked lunchbox with API including 2 original API 525 compressors from the 70s, and then bought a second lunchbox with an A-Design P-1 and an EM-Silver about a year later.
Fell out of pres shortly after the second purchase when I was bit by the synth bug. I haven't looked back since...
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citizen mori
Buchlidian Berk
Joined: 06 Sep 2008
Last Visit: 31 Oct 2011
Posts: 628
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| Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 12:57 pm Post subject: |
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| i've a few... i quite love my avedis e27 eqs and the chandler little devil comps! |
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bastille
Common Wiggler
Joined: 23 Aug 2010
Last Visit: 25 Jun 2012
Posts: 162
Location: WashDC
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| Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 10:30 pm Post subject: |
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| Arturo00 wrote: | I got bit about 2.5 years ago. Got a stacked lunchbox with API including 2 original API 525 compressors from the 70s, and then bought a second lunchbox with an A-Design P-1 and an EM-Silver about a year later.
Fell out of pres shortly after the second purchase when I was bit by the synth bug. I haven't looked back since...
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Sage amps, nice! I've got one of their mics, love the thing. What's the big blue thing near the bottom of the rack? |
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Monobass
thonk.co.uk
Joined: 29 May 2009
Last Visit: 23 May 2013
Posts: 6521
Location: Brighton, UK
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| Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2010 11:07 am Post subject: |
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| bastille wrote: | | I really love the Shadow Hills stuff. I've got a pair of GAMAs and an Optograph, and if I can make the space, would love to have a Vandergraph as well. |
hey bastille.. I'd love to hear an Optograph demo if you could find the time! Can this thing be pushed into spongy but brutal LA2A levelling territory?
I'm currently drooling about the idea of a 500 series 2-bus.... Dual Optographs, Elysia xpressor 500 and a pair of Great River Harrison EQs maybe... |
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Monobass
thonk.co.uk
Joined: 29 May 2009
Last Visit: 23 May 2013
Posts: 6521
Location: Brighton, UK
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| Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2010 12:18 pm Post subject: |
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| I wonder about the chandler little devil EQs too but I'm not sure if they are a bit too heavy for the master buss.... |
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Norman_Phay
tehpwnzriated
Joined: 13 Nov 2008
Last Visit: 23 May 2013
Posts: 1370
Location: Hearst Castle, circa 1926.
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| Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2010 12:55 pm Post subject: |
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I purposely avoided getting into studio sub-rack shit, it looks like a bottomless pit, even worse than modular synth gear. I occasionally look at that tonelux mini-rack setup, which I don't think ias actuaslly 500-compatible, and it looks so nice, probably fortunate that it's expensive enough that i can't/won't get a start on it.
I would like to get a few decent pres to record my ac gt with, but there is too much choice out there, it's almost as bad as boutique pedals. |
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bastille
Common Wiggler
Joined: 23 Aug 2010
Last Visit: 25 Jun 2012
Posts: 162
Location: WashDC
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| Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2010 7:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Monobass wrote: | | bastille wrote: | | I really love the Shadow Hills stuff. I've got a pair of GAMAs and an Optograph, and if I can make the space, would love to have a Vandergraph as well. |
hey bastille.. I'd love to hear an Optograph demo if you could find the time! Can this thing be pushed into spongy but brutal LA2A levelling territory?
I'm currently drooling about the idea of a 500 series 2-bus.... Dual Optographs, Elysia xpressor 500 and a pair of Great River Harrison EQs maybe... |
I don't own an LA2 and have only used them once so can't compare. The Opto bites a little harder than I expected it to, sometimes the attack sounds bad at more than very mild compression. Other times it works amazingly well - I sort of like this; it lets you know quickly if it's right or not. I love the Opto, but for master bus I'd without hesitation suggest the Vandergraph over it within the 500 range 2bus processing. I'm hoping to get one myself. The Elysia stuff is awesome; haven't seen this 500 thing. The Mpressor is very cool, but for the price it's getting into 33114/609 territory and I'd rather have those. Mpressor can do things nothing else can, but it just didn't grab me beyond the "woah! this can do WHAT?" - I guess I'm just not at that stage yet.
You should check out the API 527. It's pretty incredible, too.
"I wonder about the chandler little devil EQs too but I'm not sure if they are a bit too heavy for the master buss...."
They sound AWESOME. But, BUT, they totally mess with your gain staging (serious boost) and aren't totally even unit to unit in my experience. Better suited to individual tracks. |
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01010110
Common Wiggler
Joined: 01 Mar 2010
Last Visit: 02 May 2013
Posts: 59
Location: Stockholm
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| Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 9:58 am Post subject: |
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| bastille wrote: | | The preamps remind me of a triangle formed between Quad 8, API, and Seimens V276. |
I've used a Mono GAMA for some time now and really like it a lot! But, a couple of months ago I bought an API 3124+ and noticed that the GAMA in Nickel-mode sounded VERY much like the API. Almost identical. Nickel is the setting I preferred in about 4 cases out of 5, so now I'm thinking about replacing the GAMA with something else. Leaning towards an Avedis MA5 or that big Great River preamp for some nice Neveish-flavour in 500-format.. but the gearslut in me want one of each.. including the GAMA. .. but some kind of trade could be interesting.. |
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D/A A/D
glorious dissonance
Joined: 12 May 2008
Last Visit: 23 May 2013
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Location: Halifax, NS, Canada
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Arturo00
Maximum bass on all frequencies!
Joined: 29 May 2010
Last Visit: 23 May 2013
Posts: 1639
Location: Ottawa
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| Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 1:08 am Post subject: |
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| bastille wrote: | | Arturo00 wrote: | I got bit about 2.5 years ago. Got a stacked lunchbox with API including 2 original API 525 compressors from the 70s, and then bought a second lunchbox with an A-Design P-1 and an EM-Silver about a year later.
Fell out of pres shortly after the second purchase when I was bit by the synth bug. I haven't looked back since...
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Sage amps, nice! I've got one of their mics, love the thing. What's the big blue thing near the bottom of the rack? |
Woah, saw this a bit late.
Yeah, Sage is made locally. Haven't really spent much time with them cos they were always somehow not working.
The blue thing at the bottom is a "Pandora LM-402". A very obscure limiter that's sorta setup like and 1176.
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bastille
Common Wiggler
Joined: 23 Aug 2010
Last Visit: 25 Jun 2012
Posts: 162
Location: WashDC
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| Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 1:16 am Post subject: |
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| 01010110 wrote: |
I've used a Mono GAMA for some time now and really like it a lot! But, a couple of months ago I bought an API 3124+ and noticed that the GAMA in Nickel-mode sounded VERY much like the API. Almost identical. Nickel is the setting I preferred in about 4 cases out of 5, so now I'm thinking about replacing the GAMA with something else. Leaning towards an Avedis MA5 or that big Great River preamp for some nice Neveish-flavour in 500-format.. but the gearslut in me want one of each.. including the GAMA. .. but some kind of trade could be interesting.. |
Yea, I'm usually in Nickel with mine as well. That Steel setting is nice to have, though, when something needs extra weight and dirt. I've got an MA5, had a Great River 2ch unit for a while. I prefer the GAMA to both, but all three are very good. |
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bastille
Common Wiggler
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Last Visit: 25 Jun 2012
Posts: 162
Location: WashDC
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| Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 1:19 am Post subject: |
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| Arturo00 wrote: |
The blue thing at the bottom is a "Pandora LM-402". A very obscure limiter that's sorta setup like and 1176. |
Neat. Never seen one before. Shame about the Sage amps. They've sounded fantastic every time I've heard them.
I've never used a 525, but have always been curious. Recently tried the 527 and loved it; was farther away from my 2500 than I expected. What do you like the 525s for? |
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Arturo00
Maximum bass on all frequencies!
Joined: 29 May 2010
Last Visit: 23 May 2013
Posts: 1639
Location: Ottawa
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| Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2010 3:10 pm Post subject: |
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| bastille wrote: | | Arturo00 wrote: |
The blue thing at the bottom is a "Pandora LM-402". A very obscure limiter that's sorta setup like and 1176. |
Neat. Never seen one before. Shame about the Sage amps. They've sounded fantastic every time I've heard them.
I've never used a 525, but have always been curious. Recently tried the 527 and loved it; was farther away from my 2500 than I expected. What do you like the 525s for? |
I like the 525s on bass and vocals mainly. I can't use them on guitars on account of their extremely fast (and set) attack time. I get wicked crackles when they're hit too hard. Though maybe it's something about my particular units. They are 30+ years old after all...
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parasitk
I Play Loco Gigs
Joined: 15 May 2008
Last Visit: 23 May 2013
Posts: 4760
Location: Valley Village, CA
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| Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2010 3:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Arturo00 wrote: | | bastille wrote: | | I've never used a 525, but have always been curious. Recently tried the 527 and loved it; was farther away from my 2500 than I expected. What do you like the 525s for? |
I like the 525s on bass and vocals mainly. I can't use them on guitars on account of their extremely fast (and set) attack time. I get wicked crackles when they're hit too hard. Though maybe it's something about my particular units. They are 30+ years old after all... |
The 525 is a great vocal compressor. I use it a lot on bass and mono-synth lines too (mostly again, bass type sounds).
It also works great on drum room mics, but you need to tread very carefully unless you want a big sucking sound (generally I don't).
Finally, toss it into "OFF" mode and enjoy the sound of the circuitry with no compression (very, very nice).
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I, Parasite | Synth fuckery on Soundcloud
| dkcg wrote: | | But in the end, it felt like I was playing WiiSoundMasterJedi. |
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Arturo00
Maximum bass on all frequencies!
Joined: 29 May 2010
Last Visit: 23 May 2013
Posts: 1639
Location: Ottawa
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| Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 4:25 pm Post subject: |
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Hey Parasitk, do you experience the crackle with yours? do you have the classic vintage ones or do you have the reissues? I have the classics and I get really bad crackling when I hit it too hard with certain signals (with fast attack).
At first I thought it was a gain staging issue, but after running a few tests, i can't be certain anymore.
I know the 525's have two 2520 Opamps in them, so maybe it's one of those. Unfortunately they're soldered in, so I can't swap them like I did for my 550 when it's opamp died (API replaced it no questions asked).
I've had these things for years, but use them so rarely that I haven't bothered to get it checked out. 
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parasitk
I Play Loco Gigs
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Last Visit: 23 May 2013
Posts: 4760
Location: Valley Village, CA
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| Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 4:31 pm Post subject: |
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I have a reissue. I've never had crackling, just the fast-attack sucking sound on a big transient. More on drums than anything. At some point I'd like a second one. I'm not sure how much different the reissue sounds, but I really love it.
I recently built (I mentioned this somewhere else in the forum) a pair of Eisen 312 clones (EAC312v) using clone input and output transformers and op amps. Sounds really great. They're based off the old 70's API 312 preamps. http://www.eisenaudio.com/products/eac312v/
I love that old API sound. 
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I, Parasite | Synth fuckery on Soundcloud
| dkcg wrote: | | But in the end, it felt like I was playing WiiSoundMasterJedi. |
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Tweekhead
Common Wiggler
Joined: 24 Oct 2010
Last Visit: 23 May 2013
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| Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 10:16 am Post subject: |
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I got into the 500 series gear a while back myself. I love it, use it everyday, but you can build the stuff way cheaper than buying it. For example, the Neve 1073LB is retailing for $995. You could build a clone for half of that.
www.thedonclassics.com/nv73diy.html
http://www.soundskulptor.com/uk/mp573.html
Then there is the classic API 312 mic pres, API 512C, $760, and Brent Avrill clones sell for $760, but you could build one "with the DOA" for $260 a channel from http://classicapi.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=22_47_55
The guys over at www.prodigy-pro.com/diy are really very, very cool, and the API pres are very easy to build. The only thing I highly recommend is a decent DMM, and a decent soldering station. I have a Hakko 936, "costs maybe $90.
Check out "The Lab" for great info, and then "The White Market" for fantastic DIY stuff. |
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JohnLRice
Howl at the Moon
Joined: 09 Aug 2008
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Location: Western WA USA
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essex sound lab
wiggler of the spheres
Joined: 21 May 2009
Last Visit: 23 May 2013
Posts: 2568
Location: Lenox, Mass
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| Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 12:06 pm Post subject: |
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Oh my.
And unrealistic as this shot may be, it makes for some nice porn...
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