CEI preamps - what have i just got myself? (DIY)

[mfdu]

ok. so after swearing i'd never touch ebay again, i just picked up a 2m high server rack (mmmm rack space), and . . .

two mono 1/4" CEI tape decks with mic preamps.

obviously i want to grab, refresh and use the preamps.

anyone got ANY clue about CEI and their products? how about schlematics?

cop ya later.

chris.

an aside - $100 each for rack ears for my 1/4" and 1/2" tape decks? bugger that - $30 for 2M of 3mm 50x50 angle steel, and a couple of quality hours with my drill and hacksaw, and there's a set of ghetto rack ears that'd hold a Hummer in place!!!

[Chris H]

Hi Chris. Those CEI tape decks look to me like the solid state version of the Byer/Rola tape recorders. The Transport , tape head, motor section looks identical to the Rola's and i have seen the solid state Rola's before and if my memory is correct they looked identical to those CEI units you have just purchased.

[mfdu]

ok. thanks for that, chris h.

what is your memory of the sound of the solidstate rola's?

well, i missed out on the recent rola, but got two of these CEI units.

i don't care about the tape mechanism.

soon as i get these units i'll open them up and see what i've got to work with. you say solid state - i'm just looking forward to seeing how they sound.

i guess the first thing to do will be to replace the power caps in the pre's.

anything else i should check out? do you have any info/schemo's on the solid state Rola preamp units?


chris
(mfdu)

[Chris H]

Can't help you on both counts. I have never heard them and don't have schematics. My guess is they will be well built transformer ballanced discreeetc. As to how they sound, plug them in and run a mix through them. A lot of gear built for the ABC had a hot output of +8. I use 10 dB or 20dB in line atenuators on the outputs of my Byers so i can drive them hard enough.

[mfdu]

thanks for the tip on the output levels.

i pick them up early sat'day morning. i guess i'll be firing one up straight away - i hope the power caps don't explode, but at least i've got two to work with.

mmm transformer balanced descrete. mmmm.

will report on them as soon as i can.

chris
(mfdu)