1176 Input Transformer Comparison

[craigmorris74]

I recently was able to acquire a O-12 input transformer, and decided to try it out in my Hairball 1176 rev D. I typically use this unit on drums so I recorded some comparison. Never touched the knobs, just swapped the input transformers. The original was a CA-3837-1.
o-12 kick
CA-3837 kick
o-12 snare
CA-3837 snare


Hope this is interesting to those who are curious.

 

[living sounds]

Interesting. I much prefer the 0-12.

 

[craigmorris74]

Interesting. I much prefer the 0-12.

Curious what difference you hear.

 

[living sounds]

Curious what difference you hear.

Sounds less ringy, punchy-dry in a good way.

 

[iprovlek]

Man that O-12 have a sound, much better than CA-3837-1....just my subjective opinion!
Rocks on both, but especially on kick...

 

[FarisElek]

Only listening on my beyerdyanmics, but I don't hear a difference. Maybe if I went over to the studio and listened on my monitors I would, but they're at very least indistinguishable to everyone not listening on good monitors lol.

 

[thomasdf]

I'm with my monitors and can't hear a difference... Maybe on the kick drum track a tiny bit more low mid on the o-12 but the difference is very subtile. Maybe on acoustic material, especially guitar or vocals, where the compressor breathes a little more a difference might be more obvious... but in that very situation, honestly ... Tomato / Tomato


I was curious so I took out my headphones. I hear a difference in the low mids, the o-12 sounds a bit more rounded, a little beefier. But nothing an EQ can't fix I guess ?

 

[craigmorris74]

When I first listened through monitors or headphones, I was certain the O-12 was punchier and more exciting in both cases. However, when I tried to identify which was which in a blind test, I failed miserably.

After analyzing the heck out of the files, I can tell the difference now with intense listening, but the difference is really, really small.

 

[thomasdf]

I came to the same conclusion, and in a real life situation where you want to get from A to B in a rec or mix session they just sound the same to me.
Since this is the input transformer it's also depending on how hard you hit the unit, maybe changing the output transformers has more impact on the sound. Then there's the impedance of the gear you put in front of it, and after it ... and then and then and then

But that's very instructive, thanks for posting this !

 

[rna]

Yeah I put O-12's in my g1176. It had Lundahl 1540's were not too shabby. However some some reason I love the sound. Bit of a shoddy install though...

 

[nielsk]

If you can get your hands on one try a UTC A-20

 

[orpheusmaximo]

I want to swap my Hairball 1176 blue stripe trafo to an UTC A-20.
Any pointers?
Attached some details of the schematic.

I'm worried that I will mess it up.
Is it: De-solder original, solder extension wires to A-20?

My questions:
Is there a maximum length for these wires?
Connect A-20 pins 1-6 in to 1176 1-5 and A-20 pins 7-12 out to 1176 6-8 right?

P.S: Going more"out there" with the idea, could I connect a pot to the internal
A-20 connectors and "dial-in" an impedance? Is that even necessary, if all I'm
looking for is sounding ( so to speak ) "fat & vintage"? Isn't going the full 600
the way to go, then? Thanks.


Thanks.