[19lexicon78]

i don't think it's a headphone amp, so i put it in here.

i have alot of xlr sources.
anybody knowledge of the emt,abe,acousta,studer,ssc, neve console?
what are the differences and which power amp suits perfect with each console?

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 19lexicon78 /img/forum/go_quote.gif i don't think it's a headphone amp, so i put it in here. i have alot of xlr sources. anybody knowledge of the emt,abe,acousta,studer,ssc, neve console? what are the differences and which power amp suits perfect with each console?

way to big a topic to cover in one post! there are entire forums dedicated to this. Broadly speaking the ones to look for all discrete, so the individual channels are modular. The older ones are valve based the more modern ones transistor. The older ones are more sought after because they have 'that' sound.
There are plenty of companies out there pulling these apart and mounting a few channels in a rack for usage in more modern digital mastering studios.
Anything worth having like this will be really expensive if it's in good order and if it isn't it'll cost a fortune to get someone who knows what they are doing to strip it down and service it.
There will always be bargains but the trend towards valves started long before it did in domstic audio so the best stuff has long gone by now. If you want something affordable then a smaller desk like you would find in every video post production outfit back in the day should be available for under 1000 Euro in good enough condition. Something like an 8 channel Soundcraft Series 200, Allen and Heath would be domestically acceptable enough etc...

Power-amp wise in the UK anyway a Quad 606 / 909 would be the favourite.

 

[19lexicon78]

i'm looking for a 10 channel one.
neve 5442 is too expensive
thinking about abe/acousta/emt = 1000-2000 range
love the looks of a siemens c4
i have a studer a68 power amp. will quad be a better choice?
speakers, perhaps harbeth or geithain.

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 19lexicon78 /img/forum/go_quote.gif i'm looking for a 10 channel one. neve 5442 is too expensive thinking about abe/acousta/emt = 1000-2000 range love the looks of a siemens c4 i have a studer a68 power amp. will quad be a better choice? speakers, perhaps harbeth or geithain.

These kind of desks are way more expensive in the UK because there are fewer of them I guess and there are so many homegrown competitors. Also the BBC used to build a lot of their own stuff going this far back...

I always wanted a Neumann PEV...

The Acousta is similar to a Studer 169 I think which I've seen years ago in ORF in Austria. The Studer would be a good one if you can run to that and would match your amp as well.

Apart form Quad, Crown were also another favourite. I'm sure the Studer is every bit as good but again you don't see that many in the UK.

Speakers wise I'd also look for Tandberg maybe? they used to make some nice monitors. As did Ferrograph back in the '60s. The most common ones in UK in Broadcast used to be BBC LS3/5as or LS5s made under license by firms like Keith Monks, Rogers, Goodmans, Kef, Audiomaster etc.. and later I think Harbeth, so they would be sort of the inheritors of that kind of design ethos. Spendor BC1 / 2 were another one, often with Quads mounted on the back. All these, especially the smaller ones sound lovely with FM radio as that's what they were designed for monitoring. Sadly in the recent BBC renovations they are all being replaced by Dynaudios which nobody likes very much.

The most common ones in Soho post houses seem to be PMC. If you want a vintage version of those, get hold of some IMF Electronics which are really impressive if you have the space. I find the treble is far more accurate with vinyl.

 

[19lexicon78]

UK consoles are very expensive, eg EMI
Neumann is a rare find
yes, acousta is the same
emt seems to have a higher quality than studer/acousta.
didn't know tandberg made good ones. which type are best?
imf have many models

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 19lexicon78 /img/forum/go_quote.gif UK consoles are very expensive, eg EMI Neumann is a rare find yes, acousta is the same emt seems to have a higher quality than studer/acousta. didn't know tandberg made good ones. which type are best? imf have many models

you can often find good old broadcast mixers here Stirling Broadcast Frame Page - LARGEST STOCK OF USED/EX-DEMO/END OF LINE BROADCAST EQUIPMENT IN EUROPE ! as well as tape machines etc. They are also still making the LS3/5a.
The older Soundcraft mixers like this Soundcraft SAC2000 from before they were taken over by Harman are the ones to have obviously.

There is a list on Tandberg speakers here. From the 1210 onwards they are worth checking. Much more sensitive than the BBC style mini monitors though.
Tandberg-høyttalere

I have a pair of IMF compact IIs which are really good and all the other stuff they made like the TLS 50 / 80 were amazing. Strangley not universally highly regarded in the UK in their day but rated in Japanese broadcasting by people like NHK / Nipon Columbia. http://www.imf-electronics.com/Home/imf/imf-people

 

[19lexicon78]

the soundcraft has the looks, has it also emt quality?
tandberg a small or the large 5020 one?
IMF would be the tls 80 mk2

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 19lexicon78 /img/forum/go_quote.gif the soundcraft has the looks, has it also emt quality? tandberg a small or the large 5020 one? IMF would be the tls 80 mk2

does anything have EMT quality

Nagra maybe...

The older Soundcrafts are very well made and the sound is perhaps a bit more British...


the bigger monitors are nicer if you have the space to do them justice for sure.

 

[19lexicon78]

emt quality,
an EMI or neve will do..
i'll be looking for this model soundcraft, but it's a rare one.
at the moment, i don't have any space.
also thinking about the sony ss-al5
but speakers are another topic