Ampex Schematic
- Thread starter MrLuc
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Mark Burnley
Well-known member
Hmm,
Perhaps you mean Ampex 350- it's not a mic pre standalone- it's the record and repro electronics for the 350 series tape machines, but is most often used for it's great sounding mic pre?
Lots of Ampex goodies here:
http://recordist.com/ampex/
Mark
Perhaps you mean Ampex 350- it's not a mic pre standalone- it's the record and repro electronics for the 350 series tape machines, but is most often used for it's great sounding mic pre?
Lots of Ampex goodies here:
http://recordist.com/ampex/
Mark
I thought it was a weird model number too...its a really old mic pre from I think the early 70's. Theres actually no model number on the unit, only a catagory number (30960-01). I was told by a coworker that its a 150, but I'll have to investigate this!
> its a really old mic pre from I think the early 70's.
Oh, yeah, "really old". So what am I? I lived through that era and by 1970s, tubes were dead. Ampex was using transistors in the mid-1960s. You might have been able to get a new tube-Ampex into the 1970s, but tubes were so uncool.
> Theres actually no model number on the unit, only a catagory number (30960-01).
THAT looks like an Ampex part-number. You also have to know that the -01 is a revision, leave it off and try the base part 30960.
> I was told by a coworker that its a 150, but I'll have to investigate this!
It is the record/play unit from a 350-series tape recorder, best known as the 351 (I'm not sure any 350s were ever released). Mid-1950s through mid/late 1960s. They made a gazillion of these because they were cheap: not much more than a new Chevy.
directory
schematic
Oh, yeah, "really old". So what am I? I lived through that era and by 1970s, tubes were dead. Ampex was using transistors in the mid-1960s. You might have been able to get a new tube-Ampex into the 1970s, but tubes were so uncool.
> Theres actually no model number on the unit, only a catagory number (30960-01).
THAT looks like an Ampex part-number. You also have to know that the -01 is a revision, leave it off and try the base part 30960.
> I was told by a coworker that its a 150, but I'll have to investigate this!
It is the record/play unit from a 350-series tape recorder, best known as the 351 (I'm not sure any 350s were ever released). Mid-1950s through mid/late 1960s. They made a gazillion of these because they were cheap: not much more than a new Chevy.
directory
schematic
pstamler
Well-known member
[quote author="PRR"]It is the record/play unit from a 350-series tape recorder, best known as the 351 (I'm not sure any 350s were ever released).[/quote]
Sure, plenty of them; I still have a sore back from carrying one. The 350 was the original design, with pentodes in the electronics; the 351 had essentially the same transport but was all-triode, with different heads and a different transformer between the playback head and repro electronics. The 351 was a lovely machine, but the 350 was no slouch either.
Peace,
Paul
Sure, plenty of them; I still have a sore back from carrying one. The 350 was the original design, with pentodes in the electronics; the 351 had essentially the same transport but was all-triode, with different heads and a different transformer between the playback head and repro electronics. The 351 was a lovely machine, but the 350 was no slouch either.
Peace,
Paul
Kev
Well-known member
[quote author="PRR"]> its a really old mic pre from I think the early 70's.
Oh, yeah, "really old". So what am I? [/quote]
err
:roll:
umm
really really old ... :razz:
Oh, yeah, "really old". So what am I? [/quote]
err
:roll:
umm
really really old ... :razz:
the 350 also had an external power supply while the 351 had an internal supply. Everyone has their own taste but I got a stack of 351's for nothing years ago and dont think they are very good pre's for free. For what people are paying for them now and if you have to have a tube pre I would think you'd be so much better off for instance, doing the rca kit on the k&k audio site or something like that. If you stick witht he 350/351, there is a selenium rectifier which you should change. Its also wise to install a switch for the meter, there are rare times when you can have the meter on and its a nice expensive meter that you dont want pegged the whole time. Compltely defeat the bias circuit. for the work you have to put into these to get them really up to speed its jst really bizarre to me that people bother. The whole reason they ever got popular IMO is because they were so cheap and made sense then. By todays prices there are just so many better ways to spend that money. The glassy top of those is sorta cool but gets tiring quick. If you know The Doors "LA Woman" the sound of that record always reminds me of a 351 vibe. No idea if it was mixed on one, but if I was going for that sound, Id try to find a 351 to mix on. Its a real shame that people dont use these as tape machines. The pre is pretty supid, but a rebuilt tape deck would be pretty insane. A friend of mine has a few decks and these things make so much more sense as tape decks. Duh, thats what they were designed for. Try it out and see, you may absolutely love it, it certainly has a vibe. If you are looking at putting lots of money into it, for my dollar, I would suggest there are better ways of spending it.
dave
dave
electronaut
Well-known member
Incase anyone wants them, here are the schematics for the Ampex 350. (Pentode version)
Amplifier
Power Supply
Amplifier
Power Supply
Thanks again!electronaut
Well-known member
[quote author="MrLuc"]...im only 21[/quote]
Born in 1984 !
That's insane.
Born in 1984 !
That's insane.
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