S800 EQ - Sound and Redesign Questions

Was thinking of making some new boards based on the S800, maybe like 4-8 for extra outboard eq.

1) How do they sound? I've never heard them or the design it's based on in person. Would I happy with them sitting along side API and SSL?

2) The interactive mid bands, cool or annoying? It wouldn't be too hard to make them non-interacting.

3) I'm thinking of a general purpose board that could either be rack mounted or 500 series. Keep the basic eq curves but allow for options of line driver and receiver, maybe even change the eq points if necessary?

Any thoughts on this are appreciated.

john12ax7 said:

Was thinking of making some new boards based on the S800, maybe like 4-8 for extra outboard eq.

1) How do they sound? I've never heard them or the design it's based on in person. Would I happy with them sitting along side API and SSL?

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I can't really comment on the sound, because all these Wien-bridge based "British" EQ's sound the same to me; the differences lie in the decisions made by the designer, particularly the choices made as to the sharpness, and the frequency range indeed. I find them quite neutral, and that's what I like. If I wanted dirt, I'd use a dirtifier, not an EQ.

2) The interactive mid bands, cool or annoying?

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I don't understand the justification for the questionable arrangement. With the same number of opamps, many designers succeeded in having fully-independant mid bands. It may have been justified at one time when opamps were expensive, but the S80 was designed at a time where opamps were cheap. The problem is it certainly narrows the possibilities in terms of sharpness and range, with no counterbalancing advantage. Dumb IMO.

It wouldn't be too hard to make them non-interacting.

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I couldn't urge you more to do so...

3) Keep the basic eq curves but allow for options of line driver and receiver 

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Certainly I would do without the infamous "Tascam problem" balanced output stage and replace with either a balanced-Z or a cross-coupled topology. My preference would go to a set of THAT 1200/1600. Balanced-Z is a very good option, though.

They sound quite 'forward', hard to say more than that.

When you turn up the boost it is immediate and strong. Talking about sound....

I have to say that I have not noticed much band interaction? If I change one control I do not immediately have to go and compensate elsewhere.  Not sure where that has come up.

I have used the output stage in a lot of my projects, and while I understand that there can be issues with it, have not come across any so far. Maybe todays gear has well designed input stages?

Peter

Regarding the mid bands, in simulation they show a heavy interaction. Simply changing the frequency of one band will affect the response of the other, but perhaps in practice it's less of an issue.

Thanks for all the input.  I think I will try one with independent mid bands, and a THAT 1200 input.

For the output still undecided. Either the simplicity of impedance balanced or THAT 1646.

Interested!

Almost ready for some testing