Turtlerock Forum

Thought I'd share my latest DIY exploit...

Just finished up this 4-channel API style mic pre set using PCB's from Whistle Rock Audio. Transformers are the Ed Anderson vintage recreations from Classic API. Op-amps are the GAR2520 kit from the same place. Knobs from CAPI also. Used an Altronics case and had the front panel laser marked.

Altronics toroidal coupled with a JLM Audio (thanks Joe!) powerstation is taking care of the juice.

They sound really good, as you would expect with all that iron and discrete op-amps. Some friends at work and I did a thorough comparison to the preamps in our SSL Duality and to be honest it's really splitting hairs on most sound sources. I don't know if I buy in to preamps making that much difference once you get to a certain level of quality. Needless to say I won't hesitate to use them on anything! Very happy.

Enjoy.

Nick

They are beautiful mate... Just beautiful.

Thanks so much!

Wiz wrote:Nick

They are beautiful mate... Just beautiful.

Just noticed... Channels 3 and 4 are missing something

Wiz wrote:Just noticed... Channels 3 and 4 are missing something

Haha yeah I snapped the pics before I put the op-amps in those!

Tag strip is a great idea.

Gorgeous stuff Nick.

If only I had the time... oh yeah, and the skill.

taking out your time and the time it took to learn how to take your time which i am not discounting or underestimating...

whats the ballpark.. parts cost of that project delivered in the mail box

Hey Rick,

I reckon it was about $900-$1000 all said and done.

rick wrote:taking out your time and the time it took to learn how to take your time which i am not discounting or underestimating...

whats the ballpark.. parts cost of that project delivered in the mail box

They look kick ass Nick.
I almost went there recently with some groupdiy boards...but alas not much time for diy lately.

Well done mate!

Ben M wrote:but alas not much time for diy lately

Tell me about it... these took me months in the end!

Nice build. I have similar box using cinemags and jlm ba boards that is in the pic on the vox chain thread.
Mine have surprised me in their versatility. From all the usual sources to live stereo one mic recording.

Nice one Barney! got a pic?

Barney Loveland wrote:Nice build. I have similar box using cinemags and jlm ba boards that is in the pic on the vox chain thread.
Mine have surprised me in their versatility. From all the usual sources to live stereo one mic recording.

Well done Nick.
I'll bet they sound awesome.

Those 4 ch API single rack pre's that they make are amazingly average sounding - dont know what they put in them, but the only time I ever used one - was a huge disappointment.
Made me very wary of any modern API preamps.

I've only ever used those modern API 4-channel rack things on one session and didn't have time to pay too much attention... The transformers and op-amps in this one I've built are supposedly reasonably close to the vintage spec's. Dunno what that means in real life terms but what they hell they sound good to me

The Tasmanian wrote:Well done Nick.
I'll bet they sound awesome.

Those 4 ch API single rack pre's that they make are amazingly average sounding - dont know what they put in them, but the only time I ever used one - was a huge disappointment.
Made me very wary of any modern API preamps.

In the vox chain thread on page 3 I think. Its about in the middle of the rack, diyracked case.

Looks nice Nick