Some more Rob Squire Magic - Trimax A55

[heathen]

How's my babies going Rob??

Heh, I smell a barbie and gear test day coming on.

[Ben M]

I would like to propose something but not sure of the general consensus.

I've been engineering for the past 20 odd years, however, one of the things that annoys me is my lack of electronics theory/pracitcal. Our craft used to involve a whole lot more than what it does these days (lab coats being one) including the ability to maintain/build/tweak our tools that we use in the studio. In days of old studios created their own sound by what the engineer's and tech's of the studio were building or in need of (like Abbey Road etc...). This individual approach to sonics and the necessity for a studio tool that does something that nothing else on the market can do intrigues me more and more as I learn and develop my craft.

Rob, have you ever considered running some audio electronics workshops or are you currently?

I'm not interested in TAFE courses or gaining any certificates etc.. it wouldn't be directly dealing with the field I'm most interested in (audio electronics) and ofcourse time is an issue as well. But a couple of weekend workshops would set me straight with some simple projects and give me an idea if I'm patient enough for it.

Mostly I want to DIY with confidence and pickup some of the principals of building and modding military grade audio units whether pre's, comps or something that makes an individually tailored sound I'm after (like a cranking distortion/comp box with heaps of attitude), you get the picture.

Anyway, what do people think?

Rob, any suggestions to these types of workshops?


cheers

[rob]

Ben...interesting thought...maybe I could become the next Tom Misner...with a chain of audio electronics schools scattered across the globe!

the idea of disseminating technical information, is in part, the reason I write the On The Bench articles for Audio Technology mag. Indeed in the next issue, due out any day soon i'd expect I talk about DIY audio electronics.

The area of electronics is vast and even in the realm of pro audio electronics there are lot of pidgeon holes that people park themselves as suits their abilities and interests. I know of great design engineers who couldn't fault find a dolphin torch. I know repair techs who have an amazing knack of finding and fixing the most complex faults but have no interest in designing anything. There are guys who know everything to know about tube amps, but very little about logic circuits.

It is probably reasonable to say that i've found a bit of a niche with what I do and happily it gives me a chance to refurbish some wonderfully designed and constructed equipment, drill holes and cut big slots in chunks of metal, layout front panels, and design and build new devices. But to bottle this and teach it...whew. I do what I do as result of having started out when I was about 10 years old and having never stopped. For the last 40 years and continuing today i spend a good slab of my day learning new things. For me this is the key...each day, find out something I didn't know before the day started.

there are heaps of resources out there...magazines, books, forums, web sites...just make a start and don't stop

[Ben M]

Fair call Rob. And nicely said.

I train Certificate II and III in Music technical production from my studio and some days it's the most rewarding thing I can do, but others I just want to kill them. Passing on technical info is not the easiest thing to do especially in a few weekend workshops or a magazine article.
Ultimately I want to spend the next phase learning more about what's in the box and how it's best put together than simply using the parameter controls on the outside. I love it when I fix something that wasn't working and I don't mind getting the soldering iron out so I guess those are a good guide that I will enjoy the process.

Looks like it's back to Prodigy Pro. :-)

[Text_Edifice]

Hey Angus,

I also got a couple of these racked by Rob. Tracked with them earlier in the week - similar experiences with needing to peg the gain up esp. with dynamic mics / softer sources.

So far have used them on a male hip hop vocal, acoustic guitar and bass (DI).

My impression is that these are a nice, clear pre - much less affected than other tube gear I've used. Not a 'character' piece (a good thing) but still 'nicens up' what I've put into it.

Despite flat measurements I have found myself reaching to pull out 2-3dB of 150-250Hz-ish on everything I've used them on so far - but this could well be a function of the room I was tracking in (treated by not ideal).

Noise is present but no worse than my Langevin AM16s or the other bits and pieces of older gear I have in my rack.

Bought a pair of these off Myles (thanks again) on the basis that it's always better to have a pair of something than a single channel and looking forward to trying these on drum overhead duties.

Rob's patience and commitment to getting these racked was really admirable as this wasn't an easy job - thanks again.

[Kurt]

You could always run a pre-pre-amp. Didn't Rode release a mic booster jobbie a while ago?

[mylesgm]

and that mic booster was crap! Tested it out in store thinking that it would be excellent for ribbon mics and it was no good there. Then I thought lets try it out dynamics cause thats what it was designed for, failed again. Was always hissy, and though it boosted the gain the noise floor was terrible. The mixers mic inputs were better by far...

Glad to hear that the trimax's are out and about and working again. I love old aussie gear! For those interested I think I have a couple still left.

Myles

[Kurt]

Well that sucks!

and that mic booster was crap! Tested it out in store thinking that it would be excellent for ribbon mics and it was no good there. Then I thought lets try it out dynamics cause thats what it was designed for, failed again. Was always hissy, and though it boosted the gain the noise floor was terrible. The mixers mic inputs were better by far...

Glad to hear that the trimax's are out and about and working again. I love old aussie gear! For those interested I think I have a couple still left.

Myles

[heathen]

Got a chance to test out the Telefunken V676b's on a classical guitar today, they sound bloody excellent, quite clean but they have a very nice smooth vibe to them. Great in the bottom end and mids,almost too much bottom end which I like, with the filter set to 50hz it was perfect though.

Tracked it straight in with no eq (well except 50hz filter) or comp and was very impressed.

[EvLoutonian]

Update - I have been using the Trimax and I love it.
Especially on Acc Gtr and Acc Piano.
Thumbs up Rob - you da man !!!

Is the 55 model similar to the 63?
40dB gain.. etc
Sound quality..

[EvLoutonian]

Looks cool Heathen.
My next project with Rob is a 4 Ch Neve Mic Pre using vintage BA183 Amp cards and new Carnhill trannies.

Did you get this done yet, Angus?
I had a similar project in mind.. Was talking to Rob (via email) about it today...
hmmmm

[EvLoutonian]

I want one.. (or two) ..

[Chris H]

Looks cool Heathen.
My next project with Rob is a 4 Ch Neve Mic Pre using vintage BA183 Amp cards and new Carnhill trannies.

Did you get this done yet, Angus?
I had a similar project in mind.. Was talking to Rob (via email) about it today...
hmmmm

Sure did - got 3 x 4 Ch units built.
Copped an absolute hammering here for asking $5000 for a 4 Ch unit. (the thread is around here somewhere - please don't resurrect it)
No one said s**t when Mick sold similar 2 Ch units for the same money from his website.

The price advertised on Mixmasters is not always the price obtained on sale...........
.........And T rock is not mixmaster's brokerage with their percentage added.

[Mac]

Hey Angus,
did you or Myles ever have a look for the transformer numbers from this unit. They arent noted on the schematic.

I only ask because I have picked up a few trimax transformers lately, and have two different tube pre designs on the bench which I am trialing transformers for at the moment.


cheers,

[mylesgm]

I do have the part numbers and relevant details for the transformers both input and output and a few other trimax transformers as well. I even have a scan of an old trimax catalogue. What do you need to know?
M

[mylesgm]

and I thought 5000 for a 2 channel unit was absurd, that no-one would buy and furthermore no comment was necessary for all of the same reasons that were in that thread. No offence Angus, but there is a thread on this website with someone offering 8 channels of original neve mic pre's (ie actually original neve amps with neve tx's and neve pcbs etc) selling for 5,800 or so. My original neve modules with marinair tx's cost me less than 300 each for 4 on ebay! (plus racking of course).

my thoughts....