Upgrading Soundcraft TS12

I need help in upgrading my mixing console. I'm happy with this desk but i've heard that it can sound even better. I've replaced few op-amps (TL072) with NE5532 and it added a little bit of low end. The problem is that with this chipsets, console is consuming to much of the current and I don't want to upgrade my PSU. I've heard that some caps and resistors should be changed and fitted too to improve colaboration of new IC's.
Can any one give me a hand finding the way to do it. I have schematics and all what is needed.
Cheers

You should go with the burr brown or analog devices opamps.. Changing the electrolyths should improve the performance also.. schematic should help to the best option for the modifications..

bongolijus said:

You should go with the burr brown or analog devices opamps.. Changing the electrolyths should improve the performance also.. schematic should help to the best option for the modifications..

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One thing: BB's often consume just as much or even more current per opamp as a NE5532. F.e., an OPA2132 is spec'd at 4,8mA/channel while a NE55532 is spec'd at 4mA/channel Iq.

http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/opa2132.html
http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/ne5532.html

You COULD try the TLE2072, a "direct replacement" for 072's. Not sure if this would give you more low end, though.

http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/tle2072.html

OR you could try the OPA2107 - should be less tasking on your PSU:

http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/opa2107.html

BEWARE: pricey! Ask for free samples and try out before you go and buy stuff for your entire console!

Thank you very much for your advice. If you have any more ideas don't hazitate to bring them on this board.
I'll test those op amps and publishe the results ASAP.

Just dropping in a differently specced opamp might result in problematic behaviour. Especially when replacing FET opamps with bipolars. It's a good idea to add local decoupling caps in any case. I've modded a 200B which should be a pretty similar design, the best FET opamp replacement IMO is the AD8512. It's only availible in SMT form, so you need a Brown Dog adapter for each opamp. For the EQ the OPA2604 sounded best (uses lot's of current, too, though). In the master the LT1358 works well as fader buffer, and you can use the 8512 in place of the TL072s as well (or even better, the 8510 single version with an adapter).
Another thing to do is to replace all the electrolytic caps with low ESR type, higher values (with a few exceptions), add bypass caps to the signal carrying ones. This will improve frequency and transient response. Uprgrade/recap the PSU as well.
There's a lot of information regarding the mods/uprgrades for these consoles on gearslutz, mostly by Jim Williams, BTW.

A scientific method with notes and listening test helps at the beginning of this project. 

I find that the Line In amp seems to be more important with a 5534 / 5532 on it.  The EQ can get clinical sounding with faster chips. You might want to do only some channels that way and leave others to have the vintage sound.    I would suggest you take peoples suggestions for amps and try on one channel.  Then compare with an unmodified channel.  You also might want to improve the 2mix /monitor module first, and work back wards.    You can access the progress your making by ear and decide what you want to improve and what you want to leave alone.   

Many times the Caps  and a single line in stage improves the sound while other changes can make for a strident sound.  You have to decide if your moving forward or backward with the improvements.  Also you will use a mix of other preamps for tracking,  so you are really looking for channel to 2 mix and clean monitoring.  Be careful not to loose the lush sound when searching for detail.  I dont think you want hard detail on every channel.  My 2 cents.

fazer said:

 Be careful not to loose the lush sound when searching for detail.  I dont think you want hard detail on every channel.   My 2 cents.

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I agree, and since your doing the modding job yourself, you could take the opportunity to customize the sound of different sets of channel strips.
Some peoples ideology include wanting consistency from channel to channel in a console.

I disagree in sets of 2 - I think that having different sounding sets of channels if used with some wits can really help a mix.
Subtle..but then again, isn't 99% of mixing supposed to be subtle??  

Good luck with the Mods!

Abe

It is true that I don't whish to have that clean detalic sound cause in this case I would buy SSL 9000 My principal gool in this modification is to obtain the detail, dynamic and headroom on preamps.
Cheers for all your help.
Any ideas for EQ?
BTW all the caps in this console are the orginal ones but I have mesure each one of them and they are all in good shape. I have done the frequency test and it's very stable. Is replacing them on some more expensive ones like VISHAY 's would change anything?

You should try the new caps.  If you check them for cap value, it can measure fine but the caps can have esr and draw current creating a nonlinear sound.  Again it does not cost much to get a few good modern caps and see if it helps before replacing everything.  Your Ear will tell you.  I had a bag of 100uf caps at work.  I took some of those replacement caps home and used them in a DIY Guitar pedal and could not believe how cloudy they sounded.  I switched to some non-polars and loved the sound.  I know its a different application but it showed me that it has to sound good to my ears in a noticeable way or I don't replace them.

Hi,
I would suggest you to replace the summing stage and output mix amps with Jensen 990 and transformers.  ( or others identical DOA, but my expereince is with the 990 )
This is the very first place you have to touch.
Afterwards you can think to " upgrade" other areas.
But with this it will be night and day.  You'll open ALL your faders and it will still sound good.  Not a 9K but close... 
This is my experience on several consoles ( Trident's, but it equally applies to your TS12 ), and the owners were " killed" by the improvement of the sound of their " new" console.
Best,
Guy