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Forums - Mixing & FX
Subject: high end
Pages: 1 ... 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Original Message Date: 12-Jan-02 @ 09:34 PM - high end
a buddy of mine is about to invest in a really nice studio, and I'm looking for info on various old, warm, high end consoles. Not like SSL/Gamble type prices, but definately over the $100,000 mark. I know some of the stuff below that, but I'm kinda in the dark on the really high end. I know convertors, and the digital medium fairly well, but need more info on what, where and how much, before sinking re
Message 121/144 31-May-02 @ 03:14 PM - RE: high end
there's an interesting site for tube stuff, over 4000 schematic's apparently Brett.
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I had an idea for a script once. It's basically Jaws except when the guys in the boat are going after Jaws, they look around and there's an even bigger Jaws. The guys have to team up with Jaws to get Bigger Jaws.... I call it... Big Jaws!!!
Message 122/144 31-May-02 @ 03:15 PM - RE: high end
there's a site you can buy a remade manual & schematic's
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I had an idea for a script once. It's basically Jaws except when the guys in the boat are going after Jaws, they look around and there's an even bigger Jaws. The guys have to team up with Jaws to get Bigger Jaws.... I call it... Big Jaws!!!
Message 123/144 31-May-02 @ 03:20 PM - RE: high end
"The 670 was originally built for disc cutting and has Lateral/Vertical controls to limit the movements of disc cutter heads. I've found that on stereo percussion tracks (congas and the like) you can use this setting as an almost psychoacoustic device. It seems to push the congas out about a foot to either side of the speakers. Way cool effect."
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I had an idea for a script once. It's basically Jaws except when the guys in the boat are going after Jaws, they look around and there's an even bigger Jaws. The guys have to team up with Jaws to get Bigger Jaws.... I call it... Big Jaws!!!
Message 124/144 31-May-02 @ 03:30 PM - RE: high end
interesting stuff:
While we're on the subject of mic pre's that require pads in most applications, let's look at some of the stand-alone tube units from American manufacturers. The Langevin AM-16, the Altec 458, a couple of the RCAs, and my favorite, the Western Electric (WE) units run on 300 volts of DC. They have enormous potential to sound really good and to make you damn sorry you didn't pay more attention before sticking your hand into one.
The Langevin has a very "sweet" musical tone. It doesn't seem to distort quite as much as the Altecs and WEs but is very full and large-sounding. It will give you wonderful clarity without sacrificing any of the bottom you are trying to achieve.
Western Electric preamps were used on all those classic Motown vocals. They have that absolutely wonderful buzz/distortion in the treble ranges that made you fall head over heels in love with Martha, Diana, Marvin, etc. They have a presence and authority that is unrivaled. If you're as bored with modern rock 'n' roll radio as I am, turn on the oldies station. Within an hour, you'll start to notice the different distortions on the vocal tracks. The vocals that make you sit up in your seat, and draw you into the track are most likely WEs. FYI, I've since learned this is wrong, sorry
The Altecs and RCAs I find very similar in tone; they seem to be slightly clearer versions of the Langevins. No less solid in their tone, they have the ability to make any track incredibly present and pleasing to the ear.
In solid-state land, there are innumerable great preamps. The two most common are the Neve 1272 and the API 512. Both are very solid and thick-sounding. The API is a bit clearer than the Neve, but the Neve accomplishes the "Neve" tone that nothing else can achieve. I have found that using a combination of the two makes it very easy to separate my guitars and vocal when it comes time to balance the song. If I use the Langevins on drums, Altecs on the piano, Neves on guitars, I will use APIs on vocals, or other combinations that complement the music.
COMPRESSOR/LIMITERS
The next step in my signal path is usually compression. As we are limiting (no pun intended) the scope of this article to things that are old, I will omit the half dozen or so new products that in many cases do what these do only better. Again, I'll emphasize that not all new things claiming to be as cool as old things are cool at all; some are real dogs and should be avoided like the plague. Try as many things as you can before deciding what will work best for your style of engineering.
The world leader in cost and performance is the exalted Fairchild 670. Testing for this 2-channel, 70-pound mutha was performed in Les Paul's living room. Serial numbers 1-6 were production prototypes and sound slightly better than the subsequent production models. Those subsequent production models (fetching more than $20,000 these days) must be heard to be believed! It's like adding the in-your-face fatness you have always craved with the thickest, most controlled bottom you have ever experienced, and with a high end that just shimmers and dances to your delight. When I don't have one around, I go to Georgetown Masters in Nashville to have Denny Purcell master my record. Besides being one of the finest mastering engineers on the planet, he has his "Fairchildren" (a pair of 660s, the mono version of the 670) that always make my recordings sound like I almost have a clue.
It seems that many of the West Coast engineers prefer Attack/Release constant #4. I prefer #2 and #3, faster release times than preset 4. According to the manual, numbers 5 and 6 are user presets, but you have to go inside with a schematic and soldering iron to change these. (By the way, #1 doesn't suck, it's just really fast).
The 670 was originally built for disc cutting and has Lateral/Vertical controls to limit the movements of disc cutter heads. I've found that on stereo percussion tracks (congas and the like) you can use this setting as an almost psychoacoustic device. It seems to push the congas out about a foot to either side of the speakers. Way cool effect.
The RCA BA-6A is another serious favorite. I have no idea how it accomplishes this, but anything run through it gets ten times larger than when it went in. They are also amazing mic amps--they have enough gain so you can plug a mic directly into the input and go straight to tape. They can put out as much as 95 volts at the output, so when using it on line-level sources I generally find the need to pad the input and output 20 dB each. This seems to get you closer to the optimal operating range for the unit.
These are not low-maintenance units; they require careful care and feeding. This should not be performed by anyone not intimately familiar with the unit. The folks at RCA seemed to be aware of this and incorporated a tube tester in the unit. The setup is critical, or you might find yourself spending many hours dealing with a loud hum.
The Teletronix LA-2A is perhaps the most popular (and badly copied) of all tube limiters. The original LA-2s were made in Sunnyvale, Calif., and are identifiable by their gray painted face plate. The most commonly seen models were made in North Hollywood and feature a brushed aluminum face. These later models (post-serial #383) featured a switch on the back to give you limiting as well as compression functions. In the earlier models, this was accomplished through jumpers on an octal socket. Through their evolution, they went from a T4-A opto attenuator to the T4-B. While several folks swear they can tell the difference, I cannot.
In my travels, I have run into an ITA LA-1 and and LA-1B. They seem to be rarer than hen's teeth. Ambient Recording near Stamford, Conn., has an LA-1B, and it sounds amazing. (I have one also, and I hope to convince Mark at Ambient to fix mine for me.)
While we're on the subject of hen's teeth, MCI (Music Concepts Inc.) from Jeep Harned, the same dude who manufactured consoles and tape machines in the '70s and '80s, made a tube mastering limiter that can do some very cool things for guitars. It has the ability to keep the guitar sound as big is it can be, but through some special powers it seems to possess, it makes them get out of the way of the vocals. How does it know?
Tubes have become all the rage due to the inadequacy of digital storage devices. There are numerous solid-state units that will sound better in many applications than tube units. One of the unfortunate by-products of tube units is the fact that their attack times can be measured with a calendar. Many solid-state units, especially those employing opto-attenuators, will have a similar response. Some will not.
I believe it was during the late '60s that Teletronix was purchased by Universal Audio (all hail Bill Putnam!) and the LA-3A was born. The LA-3A is for many applications a solid-state LA-2A. It does have a different tone. While the LA-2A has an airy quality to its distortion artifacts, the LA-3A has a more solid midrange. It is a tougher-sounding unit, fat as you could ever want, and it has the ability to take a sound and move it right to the front of the speakers.
Universal Audio grew to become UREI, and the LA-3A was improved to become the LA-4. The LA-4 has much clearer audio than the LA-3A, and greater function control. Now instead of having input-dependent ratios, we could select between 2:1, 4:1, 8:1, 10:1 or 20:1. We were also trusted with input and output level controls, instead of the threshold and gain make-up controls given to us on the LA-2As and 3As. This gave us the ability to tailor our compression needs, rather than being at the mercy of the designer's idea of what we needed. Unfortunately, the designer seemed to know a helluva lot more than many of the unit's users, so this was not necessarily a good thing. This was the beginning for the potential misuse of compression.
Universal Audio also built a tube compressor known as the UA 175 (175b), which with added control became the UA 176. UREI came out with a solid-state version of these and called it the 1176. The earliest models were silver-faced with a blue stripe around the meter. They featured push-button ratio selection 4:1, 8:1, 10:1, 20:1, as well as attack and release controls. These blue-stripe ones are still in favor with many well-respected engineers. Perhaps the best use I have heard lately of these units is by Ray Kennedy (Room and Board, Nashville), who recorded the Steve Earle & The Dukes' I Feel Alright album. I ran into Steve when he was playing in Boston, and he joked that they almost called the album 1176.
The original blue stripes were replaced by the black-face 1176 LN. LN allegedly stands for low noise; I think it stands for less noise. This unit has quadrupled in price in the past two years. It's a great box with a unique, very present character to the sound. It's very easy to use, and it's a no-brainer to see why the unit has soared in popularity.
Like its predecessor, it has four ratio buttons. Mixer Michael Brauer (I'm sure he's going to put a contract out on me for sharing this information) told me about pushing in all four buttons simultaneously. Wow! It's the most aggressive sound I have ever heard from any piece, any time, anywhere. It's so cool, you easily want to overuse use the effect, though I strongly caution against it. If you are brave enough to try the four-button trick, do not look at the meter without a healthy dose of Dramamine. It ain't a pretty sight. There were about four incarnations of the black face, but I'm not clear on the differences. I have found that the lower serial number models seem thicker in tone, while later serial numbers are a bit brighter and faster-sounding.
The 1178 is a stereo/dual mono version of the 1176 with single controls. It is a very useful item and has its own distinct character. I'm told that there was a black-faced version, but I have never seen one.
On the 1176 LN silver face, the bean counters made them take out the input transformer (my conjecture), and the unit never had the same rich tone. The four-button trick doesn't work as well, either. It's still better than most new limiters on the market today, but not as cool as the black face. UREI made a similar error in judgment with the LA-4, although I don't find the silver LA-4 to be as bad as the silver 1176 LN. When it comes to UREI compressor/limiters, black is beautiful!
About the same time all that was happening, a small Mass. firm called dbx was making a comp/limiter called the 160. Like the LA-3As and LA-4s, it was two rack units (RU) high, and half of the standard 19-inch rack width wide, allowing for two units to be strapped together and rack-mounted. This is one of my favorite limiters for percussive instruments. We've all had to suffer through the drummer who gets excited at the beginning of each new section of the song--you know, the genius who hits the kick drum 2 dB harder at the head of each chorus. This is my favorite box for controlling that excitement.
The dbx 160 has a tremendous amount of "grab," and when used sparingly, it can erase the dynamic range from almost anything. You have to be careful not to overuse it, but if used well, it will fix a lot of problems. The 161 is an unbalanced version of the 160, and it works equally well. It can be balanced with a transformer; doing that will net you a slightly fatter tone than the differential balancing circuit in the 160. Use a good transformer! For best results, consult a tech who really knows analog circuits.
The 162 is a stereo version of the 160, operating on one set of controls. I have found its best use is across a stereo drum bus. It's not a favorite for the 2-channel mix bus, but your results may vary.
Units that are considered vintage, or are at least rarer in the world of solid-state, are Neve compressor/limiters. The original units were approximately 5.25 inches square and were delivered in the consoles, typically the meter bridge. They were not intended to be rack-mounted, or moved for that matter. The most commonly found are the 2254/A, and 2254/E.
The 2254/A and 2254/E are almost identical, the difference being in the limiter function. The 2254/A has a fixed attack time, and the 2254/E has a selection between slow and fast attack. It you are at all handy and can read a schematic, it is not difficult to alter the attack time of the 2254/A to the slow attack time of the 2254/E (or so Burt Price in our technical department tells me). I find the slower attack time more musical. A variety of compression ratios are available on both units. The 3:1 ratio is my favorite, but experimentation may lead you to a different conclusion.
The 2254s were found in the older (dark gray) 80 Series Neve consoles. When they changed the color of the desks to a lighter gray and began to employ black plastic knobs with various shades of blue in the knob insert caps, they added an extra "3" at the beginning of the model number. So a 32254/E is the same as a 2254/E except for the paint job.
The next model in the progression was the 2264/A, most commonly found as the 32264/A. Whereas the 2254s are nearly square, the 32264/A is 1.75 inches wide by about 8 inches tall. The functional differences between them have as much to do with tonal differences as anything else.
The fastest release time on the 2254 is 400 ms on the compressor and 100 ms on the limiter. On the 32264/A, the fastest release times are 100 ms on the compressor and 50 ms on the limiter. This gives you a whole new world of possibilities. Also, the stereo link facilities are right on the module instead of being an outboard afterthought as on the 2254s. The "A" or "B" link buses accommodate tying multiple units in a console.
EQUALIZERS
While we're talking about Neve stuff (pay attention folks, the numbers are gonna fly by at a fast and furious pace), the Neve 1073 is probably the most famous of all Neve input modules. It features a wonderful mic pre, line input and an equalizer. There are two other modules that could have been ordered as alternates for the same console--the 1066 and its Cadillac sister, the 1084. The 1073 has a 3-band equalizer with a highpass filter.
The EQ points are: 12kHz shelving on the high band, six points in the mid band (7.2k, 4.8k, 3.2k, 1.6k, .7k, .36k), and four available frequencies on the low band (220, 110, 60 and 35 Hz). The 1066 has a 10kHz shelf on the high band, five available points on the mid (7k, 3.6k, 2.4k, 1.2k, .7k) and the same four on the low. It also has a highpass filter. Needless to say, the 1066 and the 1073 complement each other very nicely due to the variations in frequency points.
The 1084 has 10/12/15kHz selectable shelving frequencies on the high band, the same six points on the mid band as the 1073, and indeed the same four on the low band. It also features high- and lowpass filters, allowing you to have a bit more control over your high-frequency boost. The coolest part of the 1084 is the high "Q" switch available on the midrange band. "Q" refers to bandwidth--the higher the Q, the tighter the bandwidth. This lets you get a bit more specific with your midrange equalization.
A 1084 without a line input control, black plastic knobs/switches with light blue caps, is a 31102. This is the little fella found in the 8066, 8058, 8068, 8088, etc. consoles. (Yeah, there is a line input, but it's unbalanced and lacks control function; if you know that much this article isn't for you anyway.)
These are the primary 3-band modules of the early 80 Series desks. (I could write another thousand words on the subtle differences of the other models in this range, but I'll spare you.) They are also of the 1.75x8.75-inch frame size. The other frame size is 1.75x12 inches. The most common 3-band module in that size is the 1064. It has the same function as a 1066 (EQ points) except instead of a dual concentric frequency select/boost cut function, they are laid out on two separate switch assemblies. It is important to note that all of these models are Class-A designed throughout.
In the same frame size as the 1064 is the 1081. This is the powerhouse of Neve modules from a functional point of view. It has a 4-band equalizer that features multiple frequencies, selectable on the high and low frequencies, and a switch enabling both shelving and peak/dip use. The two midrange bands also have hi-Q functions, allowing remarkably specific equalization.
The beauty of most Neve modules is that Rupert Neve (everyone on your knees and salaam toward Texas, please) is so much smarter than the rest of us; he built modules that really couldn't be used to make things sound bad. There are generations of engineers who look like incredible geniuses because Neve wouldn't allow us the tools to screw up our audio. On the 1081 he gave us the tools, so I implore you to use the power wisely.
On a kind of technical note, the 1081 employed a Class-B output stage. There is nothing bad about the models with the "push/pull" output stages. They will not achieve the same rich, flowing low-end characteristics of their 3-band Class-A brothers but give a better low-end punch and a slightly "airier" top.
Most of the "broadcast" series modules I have heard have the same output stage. The 3115 has an equalizer comparable to that of a 1066. The 3114 has functions comparable to the 1084 (sans hi-Q switch). There are many more variations in this class; these are the two we see most often. Be very careful when purchasing broadcast series modules, because many of them have the dreaded 5534 IC chip. Basic rule of thumb: If the module runs on 15 VDC, it's a 5534 model and is to be avoided.
The equalizer in the 8078 console is called a 31105. For all intents and purposes it is the same as a 1081, except it has logic functions so you may put the entire console in mic or line input at the flick of a switch, instead of turning the switch on every individual input module. In a 40-input desk, this will save you a bunch of time. This is a good thing.
Referencing the 10 Series input modules to the 1272 mic amp for a moment, you will find the same input, same output transformer and the same B283 gain card in the 1272 as you will in the mic section of a 1073 (etc.), thus it sounds the same. On consoles like the 8014, you will actually find the 1272 used as the talkback microphone amplifier. Most of the routing modules (1883, etc.) also have the same input and output transformers and a half-filled B283 card. As Mercenary has a few hundred routing modules in stock, we started building them into mic pre's (shameless product plug).
Personally, I really don't like equalizers much. I've always felt that if you're a really good engineer, and you choose your microphones and their positions wisely, equalization is unnecessary. Granted, when you need to work too fast, they are a very handy tool and, when used sparingly, will enhance your project. Most of the modern console manufacturers seem to agree with me--otherwise their equalization sections wouldn't sound as terrible as they do.
Well, as long as we've opened up that EQ can of worms, let's spend a couple of minutes on some of the cooler old ones. Older equalizers tended to be closer to tone controls. They were regional devices.
The Trident A range module is one of the input modules that combined four-band function with wonderfully musical characteristics. Trident later came out with a single-rackspace, 3-band fully parametric, which gives unknowing users the opportunity to make something sound bad. Caution is greatly advised, grasshopper.
Trident consoles were, of course, originally built for Trident Studios in London. The owners of Trident Studios allowed their staff technical department the freedom to go off on their own and start a console company. The world is a better place because of this decision.
During the late 1960s, the folks over at Olympic Studios (also in London) had a genius named Dick Swettenham on their staff. He invented the Helios console. The original desk from their studio now lives at Keith Grant's house, and the important bits were built into his custom Raindirk console. Grant is making some of the most exciting recordings (from an audio perspective) with these modules to this day. The original modules were used on Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced? album.
Olympic console number two was also built for Olympic. It can be heard on the Rolling Stones' Let It Bleed and Beggars Banquet, and a copy of the desk was made for the Stones' mobile truck for the recording of Exile on Main Street. Folklore says that Chris Blackwell of Island Records wanted his artists to record in his studios, but they didn't want to because he didn't have one of these cool Helios desks. Chris set up Mr. Swettenham with his own company and ordered the first five units. Mercenary purchased two of the Island desks for a client a couple of years ago, but they weren't quite as cool as the original "Stones" desks, in my humble opinion. Helios modules are still available in loose form and are well worth investigating for the serious audio professional.
The kings of equalizers for equalization's sake are now made in Virginia by a firm called API. They make an outstanding mic pre and, dollar for dollar, the best-sounding console under current manufacture, in terms of form without overkill function. (The Amek, Rupert Neve-designed 9098 is, in my opinion, the best-sounding desk that does everything but wash your car.)
API's equalizer design is as cool as a Neve, with its own (different) tone. Different, yes, but neither superior nor inferior. It can be chosen as the right tool for the job. When used wisely, the 550, 550A (a 550 with four additional frequencies) or the 550B (the new 4-band version--same design principle, equally cool sounding with greater flexibility) are very powerful tools. The 560 (10-band graphic) just rules. Feel free to book Kooster McAllister's Record Plant Remote truck out of New Jersey to learn how great audio can be. His 48-input API console with 560 equalizers changed my life. The rest of my days on earth will be spent trying to re-create what I heard in that truck.
It wasn't until the '70s that a couple of guys in Maryland added a bandwidth control. These smart fellas were Burgess MacNeal (currently of Sontec) and engineer/producer George Massenburg. The box they built was called the ITI MEP-230. It featured three bands of fully parametric EQ, plus a 10kHz shelf and a selectable 50Hz/100Hz low shelf. Even though it was parametric, it still seemed that no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't make anything sound bad. They made a console model as well, called the ITI MEP-130--same function without the shelving band, and amazingly musical for a parametric.
Both Sontec and GML build wonderful units. Both seem to be functionally based on this earlier design but have cleaned the audio to a "straight wire" type of sound. The GML seems to me to have a bit more spaciousness, but the Sontec is about half the price (±3 dB). Let me add that both firms are also building mic pre's and compressors that feature the same impeccable audio standards.
Parametric EQ is, for the most part, used badly. It gives the user the ability to phase-distort a signal into complete submission. Very few in our profession should be granted a parametric license. This is one of the reasons that older EQ designs are so sought-after.
Recently, the term "British EQ" has popped up in our vocabulary. The British equalizers that I have used are all so radically different-sounding that this is, at best, an erroneous term. Let's clue the marketing departments that there is as much of a British EQ sound as there is a British compression sound, as there is a British mic placement sound... ad nauseam.
While we're on the subject of mic pre's that require pads in most applications, let's look at some of the stand-alone tube units from American manufacturers. The Langevin AM-16, the Altec 458, a couple of the RCAs, and my favorite, the Western Electric (WE) units run on 300 volts of DC. They have enormous potential to sound really good and to make you damn sorry you didn't pay more attention before sticking your hand into one.
The Langevin has a very "sweet" musical tone. It doesn't seem to distort quite as much as the Altecs and WEs but is very full and large-sounding. It will give you wonderful clarity without sacrificing any of the bottom you are trying to achieve.
Western Electric preamps were used on all those classic Motown vocals. They have that absolutely wonderful buzz/distortion in the treble ranges that made you fall head over heels in love with Martha, Diana, Marvin, etc. They have a presence and authority that is unrivaled. If you're as bored with modern rock 'n' roll radio as I am, turn on the oldies station. Within an hour, you'll start to notice the different distortions on the vocal tracks. The vocals that make you sit up in your seat, and draw you into the track are most likely WEs. FYI, I've since learned this is wrong, sorry
The Altecs and RCAs I find very similar in tone; they seem to be slightly clearer versions of the Langevins. No less solid in their tone, they have the ability to make any track incredibly present and pleasing to the ear.
In solid-state land, there are innumerable great preamps. The two most common are the Neve 1272 and the API 512. Both are very solid and thick-sounding. The API is a bit clearer than the Neve, but the Neve accomplishes the "Neve" tone that nothing else can achieve. I have found that using a combination of the two makes it very easy to separate my guitars and vocal when it comes time to balance the song. If I use the Langevins on drums, Altecs on the piano, Neves on guitars, I will use APIs on vocals, or other combinations that complement the music.
COMPRESSOR/LIMITERS
The next step in my signal path is usually compression. As we are limiting (no pun intended) the scope of this article to things that are old, I will omit the half dozen or so new products that in many cases do what these do only better. Again, I'll emphasize that not all new things claiming to be as cool as old things are cool at all; some are real dogs and should be avoided like the plague. Try as many things as you can before deciding what will work best for your style of engineering.
The world leader in cost and performance is the exalted Fairchild 670. Testing for this 2-channel, 70-pound mutha was performed in Les Paul's living room. Serial numbers 1-6 were production prototypes and sound slightly better than the subsequent production models. Those subsequent production models (fetching more than $20,000 these days) must be heard to be believed! It's like adding the in-your-face fatness you have always craved with the thickest, most controlled bottom you have ever experienced, and with a high end that just shimmers and dances to your delight. When I don't have one around, I go to Georgetown Masters in Nashville to have Denny Purcell master my record. Besides being one of the finest mastering engineers on the planet, he has his "Fairchildren" (a pair of 660s, the mono version of the 670) that always make my recordings sound like I almost have a clue.
It seems that many of the West Coast engineers prefer Attack/Release constant #4. I prefer #2 and #3, faster release times than preset 4. According to the manual, numbers 5 and 6 are user presets, but you have to go inside with a schematic and soldering iron to change these. (By the way, #1 doesn't suck, it's just really fast).
The 670 was originally built for disc cutting and has Lateral/Vertical controls to limit the movements of disc cutter heads. I've found that on stereo percussion tracks (congas and the like) you can use this setting as an almost psychoacoustic device. It seems to push the congas out about a foot to either side of the speakers. Way cool effect.
The RCA BA-6A is another serious favorite. I have no idea how it accomplishes this, but anything run through it gets ten times larger than when it went in. They are also amazing mic amps--they have enough gain so you can plug a mic directly into the input and go straight to tape. They can put out as much as 95 volts at the output, so when using it on line-level sources I generally find the need to pad the input and output 20 dB each. This seems to get you closer to the optimal operating range for the unit.
These are not low-maintenance units; they require careful care and feeding. This should not be performed by anyone not intimately familiar with the unit. The folks at RCA seemed to be aware of this and incorporated a tube tester in the unit. The setup is critical, or you might find yourself spending many hours dealing with a loud hum.
The Teletronix LA-2A is perhaps the most popular (and badly copied) of all tube limiters. The original LA-2s were made in Sunnyvale, Calif., and are identifiable by their gray painted face plate. The most commonly seen models were made in North Hollywood and feature a brushed aluminum face. These later models (post-serial #383) featured a switch on the back to give you limiting as well as compression functions. In the earlier models, this was accomplished through jumpers on an octal socket. Through their evolution, they went from a T4-A opto attenuator to the T4-B. While several folks swear they can tell the difference, I cannot.
In my travels, I have run into an ITA LA-1 and and LA-1B. They seem to be rarer than hen's teeth. Ambient Recording near Stamford, Conn., has an LA-1B, and it sounds amazing. (I have one also, and I hope to convince Mark at Ambient to fix mine for me.)
While we're on the subject of hen's teeth, MCI (Music Concepts Inc.) from Jeep Harned, the same dude who manufactured consoles and tape machines in the '70s and '80s, made a tube mastering limiter that can do some very cool things for guitars. It has the ability to keep the guitar sound as big is it can be, but through some special powers it seems to possess, it makes them get out of the way of the vocals. How does it know?
Tubes have become all the rage due to the inadequacy of digital storage devices. There are numerous solid-state units that will sound better in many applications than tube units. One of the unfortunate by-products of tube units is the fact that their attack times can be measured with a calendar. Many solid-state units, especially those employing opto-attenuators, will have a similar response. Some will not.
I believe it was during the late '60s that Teletronix was purchased by Universal Audio (all hail Bill Putnam!) and the LA-3A was born. The LA-3A is for many applications a solid-state LA-2A. It does have a different tone. While the LA-2A has an airy quality to its distortion artifacts, the LA-3A has a more solid midrange. It is a tougher-sounding unit, fat as you could ever want, and it has the ability to take a sound and move it right to the front of the speakers.
Universal Audio grew to become UREI, and the LA-3A was improved to become the LA-4. The LA-4 has much clearer audio than the LA-3A, and greater function control. Now instead of having input-dependent ratios, we could select between 2:1, 4:1, 8:1, 10:1 or 20:1. We were also trusted with input and output level controls, instead of the threshold and gain make-up controls given to us on the LA-2As and 3As. This gave us the ability to tailor our compression needs, rather than being at the mercy of the designer's idea of what we needed. Unfortunately, the designer seemed to know a helluva lot more than many of the unit's users, so this was not necessarily a good thing. This was the beginning for the potential misuse of compression.
Universal Audio also built a tube compressor known as the UA 175 (175b), which with added control became the UA 176. UREI came out with a solid-state version of these and called it the 1176. The earliest models were silver-faced with a blue stripe around the meter. They featured push-button ratio selection 4:1, 8:1, 10:1, 20:1, as well as attack and release controls. These blue-stripe ones are still in favor with many well-respected engineers. Perhaps the best use I have heard lately of these units is by Ray Kennedy (Room and Board, Nashville), who recorded the Steve Earle & The Dukes' I Feel Alright album. I ran into Steve when he was playing in Boston, and he joked that they almost called the album 1176.
The original blue stripes were replaced by the black-face 1176 LN. LN allegedly stands for low noise; I think it stands for less noise. This unit has quadrupled in price in the past two years. It's a great box with a unique, very present character to the sound. It's very easy to use, and it's a no-brainer to see why the unit has soared in popularity.
Like its predecessor, it has four ratio buttons. Mixer Michael Brauer (I'm sure he's going to put a contract out on me for sharing this information) told me about pushing in all four buttons simultaneously. Wow! It's the most aggressive sound I have ever heard from any piece, any time, anywhere. It's so cool, you easily want to overuse use the effect, though I strongly caution against it. If you are brave enough to try the four-button trick, do not look at the meter without a healthy dose of Dramamine. It ain't a pretty sight. There were about four incarnations of the black face, but I'm not clear on the differences. I have found that the lower serial number models seem thicker in tone, while later serial numbers are a bit brighter and faster-sounding.
The 1178 is a stereo/dual mono version of the 1176 with single controls. It is a very useful item and has its own distinct character. I'm told that there was a black-faced version, but I have never seen one.
On the 1176 LN silver face, the bean counters made them take out the input transformer (my conjecture), and the unit never had the same rich tone. The four-button trick doesn't work as well, either. It's still better than most new limiters on the market today, but not as cool as the black face. UREI made a similar error in judgment with the LA-4, although I don't find the silver LA-4 to be as bad as the silver 1176 LN. When it comes to UREI compressor/limiters, black is beautiful!
About the same time all that was happening, a small Mass. firm called dbx was making a comp/limiter called the 160. Like the LA-3As and LA-4s, it was two rack units (RU) high, and half of the standard 19-inch rack width wide, allowing for two units to be strapped together and rack-mounted. This is one of my favorite limiters for percussive instruments. We've all had to suffer through the drummer who gets excited at the beginning of each new section of the song--you know, the genius who hits the kick drum 2 dB harder at the head of each chorus. This is my favorite box for controlling that excitement.
The dbx 160 has a tremendous amount of "grab," and when used sparingly, it can erase the dynamic range from almost anything. You have to be careful not to overuse it, but if used well, it will fix a lot of problems. The 161 is an unbalanced version of the 160, and it works equally well. It can be balanced with a transformer; doing that will net you a slightly fatter tone than the differential balancing circuit in the 160. Use a good transformer! For best results, consult a tech who really knows analog circuits.
The 162 is a stereo version of the 160, operating on one set of controls. I have found its best use is across a stereo drum bus. It's not a favorite for the 2-channel mix bus, but your results may vary.
Units that are considered vintage, or are at least rarer in the world of solid-state, are Neve compressor/limiters. The original units were approximately 5.25 inches square and were delivered in the consoles, typically the meter bridge. They were not intended to be rack-mounted, or moved for that matter. The most commonly found are the 2254/A, and 2254/E.
The 2254/A and 2254/E are almost identical, the difference being in the limiter function. The 2254/A has a fixed attack time, and the 2254/E has a selection between slow and fast attack. It you are at all handy and can read a schematic, it is not difficult to alter the attack time of the 2254/A to the slow attack time of the 2254/E (or so Burt Price in our technical department tells me). I find the slower attack time more musical. A variety of compression ratios are available on both units. The 3:1 ratio is my favorite, but experimentation may lead you to a different conclusion.
The 2254s were found in the older (dark gray) 80 Series Neve consoles. When they changed the color of the desks to a lighter gray and began to employ black plastic knobs with various shades of blue in the knob insert caps, they added an extra "3" at the beginning of the model number. So a 32254/E is the same as a 2254/E except for the paint job.
The next model in the progression was the 2264/A, most commonly found as the 32264/A. Whereas the 2254s are nearly square, the 32264/A is 1.75 inches wide by about 8 inches tall. The functional differences between them have as much to do with tonal differences as anything else.
The fastest release time on the 2254 is 400 ms on the compressor and 100 ms on the limiter. On the 32264/A, the fastest release times are 100 ms on the compressor and 50 ms on the limiter. This gives you a whole new world of possibilities. Also, the stereo link facilities are right on the module instead of being an outboard afterthought as on the 2254s. The "A" or "B" link buses accommodate tying multiple units in a console.
EQUALIZERS
While we're talking about Neve stuff (pay attention folks, the numbers are gonna fly by at a fast and furious pace), the Neve 1073 is probably the most famous of all Neve input modules. It features a wonderful mic pre, line input and an equalizer. There are two other modules that could have been ordered as alternates for the same console--the 1066 and its Cadillac sister, the 1084. The 1073 has a 3-band equalizer with a highpass filter.
The EQ points are: 12kHz shelving on the high band, six points in the mid band (7.2k, 4.8k, 3.2k, 1.6k, .7k, .36k), and four available frequencies on the low band (220, 110, 60 and 35 Hz). The 1066 has a 10kHz shelf on the high band, five available points on the mid (7k, 3.6k, 2.4k, 1.2k, .7k) and the same four on the low. It also has a highpass filter. Needless to say, the 1066 and the 1073 complement each other very nicely due to the variations in frequency points.
The 1084 has 10/12/15kHz selectable shelving frequencies on the high band, the same six points on the mid band as the 1073, and indeed the same four on the low band. It also features high- and lowpass filters, allowing you to have a bit more control over your high-frequency boost. The coolest part of the 1084 is the high "Q" switch available on the midrange band. "Q" refers to bandwidth--the higher the Q, the tighter the bandwidth. This lets you get a bit more specific with your midrange equalization.
A 1084 without a line input control, black plastic knobs/switches with light blue caps, is a 31102. This is the little fella found in the 8066, 8058, 8068, 8088, etc. consoles. (Yeah, there is a line input, but it's unbalanced and lacks control function; if you know that much this article isn't for you anyway.)
These are the primary 3-band modules of the early 80 Series desks. (I could write another thousand words on the subtle differences of the other models in this range, but I'll spare you.) They are also of the 1.75x8.75-inch frame size. The other frame size is 1.75x12 inches. The most common 3-band module in that size is the 1064. It has the same function as a 1066 (EQ points) except instead of a dual concentric frequency select/boost cut function, they are laid out on two separate switch assemblies. It is important to note that all of these models are Class-A designed throughout.
In the same frame size as the 1064 is the 1081. This is the powerhouse of Neve modules from a functional point of view. It has a 4-band equalizer that features multiple frequencies, selectable on the high and low frequencies, and a switch enabling both shelving and peak/dip use. The two midrange bands also have hi-Q functions, allowing remarkably specific equalization.
The beauty of most Neve modules is that Rupert Neve (everyone on your knees and salaam toward Texas, please) is so much smarter than the rest of us; he built modules that really couldn't be used to make things sound bad. There are generations of engineers who look like incredible geniuses because Neve wouldn't allow us the tools to screw up our audio. On the 1081 he gave us the tools, so I implore you to use the power wisely.
On a kind of technical note, the 1081 employed a Class-B output stage. There is nothing bad about the models with the "push/pull" output stages. They will not achieve the same rich, flowing low-end characteristics of their 3-band Class-A brothers but give a better low-end punch and a slightly "airier" top.
Most of the "broadcast" series modules I have heard have the same output stage. The 3115 has an equalizer comparable to that of a 1066. The 3114 has functions comparable to the 1084 (sans hi-Q switch). There are many more variations in this class; these are the two we see most often. Be very careful when purchasing broadcast series modules, because many of them have the dreaded 5534 IC chip. Basic rule of thumb: If the module runs on 15 VDC, it's a 5534 model and is to be avoided.
The equalizer in the 8078 console is called a 31105. For all intents and purposes it is the same as a 1081, except it has logic functions so you may put the entire console in mic or line input at the flick of a switch, instead of turning the switch on every individual input module. In a 40-input desk, this will save you a bunch of time. This is a good thing.
Referencing the 10 Series input modules to the 1272 mic amp for a moment, you will find the same input, same output transformer and the same B283 gain card in the 1272 as you will in the mic section of a 1073 (etc.), thus it sounds the same. On consoles like the 8014, you will actually find the 1272 used as the talkback microphone amplifier. Most of the routing modules (1883, etc.) also have the same input and output transformers and a half-filled B283 card. As Mercenary has a few hundred routing modules in stock, we started building them into mic pre's (shameless product plug).
Personally, I really don't like equalizers much. I've always felt that if you're a really good engineer, and you choose your microphones and their positions wisely, equalization is unnecessary. Granted, when you need to work too fast, they are a very handy tool and, when used sparingly, will enhance your project. Most of the modern console manufacturers seem to agree with me--otherwise their equalization sections wouldn't sound as terrible as they do.
Well, as long as we've opened up that EQ can of worms, let's spend a couple of minutes on some of the cooler old ones. Older equalizers tended to be closer to tone controls. They were regional devices.
The Trident A range module is one of the input modules that combined four-band function with wonderfully musical characteristics. Trident later came out with a single-rackspace, 3-band fully parametric, which gives unknowing users the opportunity to make something sound bad. Caution is greatly advised, grasshopper.
Trident consoles were, of course, originally built for Trident Studios in London. The owners of Trident Studios allowed their staff technical department the freedom to go off on their own and start a console company. The world is a better place because of this decision.
During the late 1960s, the folks over at Olympic Studios (also in London) had a genius named Dick Swettenham on their staff. He invented the Helios console. The original desk from their studio now lives at Keith Grant's house, and the important bits were built into his custom Raindirk console. Grant is making some of the most exciting recordings (from an audio perspective) with these modules to this day. The original modules were used on Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced? album.
Olympic console number two was also built for Olympic. It can be heard on the Rolling Stones' Let It Bleed and Beggars Banquet, and a copy of the desk was made for the Stones' mobile truck for the recording of Exile on Main Street. Folklore says that Chris Blackwell of Island Records wanted his artists to record in his studios, but they didn't want to because he didn't have one of these cool Helios desks. Chris set up Mr. Swettenham with his own company and ordered the first five units. Mercenary purchased two of the Island desks for a client a couple of years ago, but they weren't quite as cool as the original "Stones" desks, in my humble opinion. Helios modules are still available in loose form and are well worth investigating for the serious audio professional.
The kings of equalizers for equalization's sake are now made in Virginia by a firm called API. They make an outstanding mic pre and, dollar for dollar, the best-sounding console under current manufacture, in terms of form without overkill function. (The Amek, Rupert Neve-designed 9098 is, in my opinion, the best-sounding desk that does everything but wash your car.)
API's equalizer design is as cool as a Neve, with its own (different) tone. Different, yes, but neither superior nor inferior. It can be chosen as the right tool for the job. When used wisely, the 550, 550A (a 550 with four additional frequencies) or the 550B (the new 4-band version--same design principle, equally cool sounding with greater flexibility) are very powerful tools. The 560 (10-band graphic) just rules. Feel free to book Kooster McAllister's Record Plant Remote truck out of New Jersey to learn how great audio can be. His 48-input API console with 560 equalizers changed my life. The rest of my days on earth will be spent trying to re-create what I heard in that truck.
It wasn't until the '70s that a couple of guys in Maryland added a bandwidth control. These smart fellas were Burgess MacNeal (currently of Sontec) and engineer/producer George Massenburg. The box they built was called the ITI MEP-230. It featured three bands of fully parametric EQ, plus a 10kHz shelf and a selectable 50Hz/100Hz low shelf. Even though it was parametric, it still seemed that no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't make anything sound bad. They made a console model as well, called the ITI MEP-130--same function without the shelving band, and amazingly musical for a parametric.
Both Sontec and GML build wonderful units. Both seem to be functionally based on this earlier design but have cleaned the audio to a "straight wire" type of sound. The GML seems to me to have a bit more spaciousness, but the Sontec is about half the price (±3 dB). Let me add that both firms are also building mic pre's and compressors that feature the same impeccable audio standards.
Parametric EQ is, for the most part, used badly. It gives the user the ability to phase-distort a signal into complete submission. Very few in our profession should be granted a parametric license. This is one of the reasons that older EQ designs are so sought-after.
Recently, the term "British EQ" has popped up in our vocabulary. The British equalizers that I have used are all so radically different-sounding that this is, at best, an erroneous term. Let's clue the marketing departments that there is as much of a British EQ sound as there is a British compression sound, as there is a British mic placement sound... ad nauseam.
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I had an idea for a script once. It's basically Jaws except when the guys in the boat are going after Jaws, they look around and there's an even bigger Jaws. The guys have to team up with Jaws to get Bigger Jaws.... I call it... Big Jaws!!!
Message 125/144 31-May-02 @ 03:56 PM - RE: high end
sick. who wrote this? probly an end to analog vs digital debate 
Message 126/144 31-May-02 @ 07:22 PM - RE: high end
this the meat I have been looking for. A complete unadalturated answer to what the hell everything out there is and how it is used. Very nice K.
Message 127/144 31-May-02 @ 07:53 PM - RE: high end
well, now that you have all the answers there's no reason to not make those sales calls ;)
Message 128/144 31-May-02 @ 08:48 PM - RE: high end
right, but I am reading this now. I just printed it. I can still call and read. So thanks, no more surfing for the time being. see ya!
Message 129/144 31-May-02 @ 09:47 PM - RE: high end
well it's not everything, just I thought the most interesting bit was the Tamla vocals bit
___________________________________
I had an idea for a script once. It's basically Jaws except when the guys in the boat are going after Jaws, they look around and there's an even bigger Jaws. The guys have to team up with Jaws to get Bigger Jaws.... I call it... Big Jaws!!!
Message 130/144 31-May-02 @ 10:04 PM - RE: high end
yeah, it's true, some of that R&B stuff they really blistered the vox sound
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