Any better options besides Electrolytics for signal paths in a Neve?

[777funk]

I always have heard electrolytics are not good in terms of audio but Neve used them and I see ceramics also in other high end gear.

I guess I'm coming from guitar amps... but in that realm most say film and silver mica should be used instead of the former.

Are things different in pro audio/recording than in the amp world? Was this not true to begin with?

 

[pucho812]

no we try and eliminate electrolytics in the signal path as well but more often then not, it's really hard to do

 

[ruffrecords]

There is nothing wrong with electrolytics as coupling capacitors in the signal path provided they are the right value. Check out Douglas Self's excellent recent book on small signal amplification for chapter and verse.

Cheers

Ian

 

[RuudNL]

Geoff Tanner (Ex Neve) once said: "don't remove the tants from the circuits and replace them by other (aluminium) capacitors. They are part of the Neve sound. Those tants aren't there without a reason."

Personally I never had probems with electrolytics in the signal path. Even after 30 years equipment is working fine.
I think this discussion will go on forever, especially when you are dealing with phreakz...
(With PH and a Z, they are the worst!)

 

[ruffrecords]

Geoff Tanner (Ex Neve) once said: "don't remove the tants from the circuits and replace them by other (aluminium) capacitors. They are part of the Neve sound. Those tants aren't there without a reason."X

Rupert said they were used because they were the most compact form of high value capacitance available at the time.

Cheers

Ian

 

[RuudNL]

True! But Tanner suggests they also 'change' the sound:

"Personally, I love tantalum capacitors, especially as timing or input coupling. They only suck at power supply decoupling like on the 54 consoles. I recall David Rees telling me, years back, that if he saw a bunch of tantalums on a pcb it showed him that the designer had spared no expense at creating the design of the pcb. Also, when I used to work on repairing Neve modules and some looney had replaced the tants with radial electrolytics... you could hear the difference and it wasn't for the better."

 

[ruffrecords]

True! But Tanner suggests they also 'change' the sound:

I am sure he does but Rupert's designs were intended to be transparent and a lot of time was spent in the R&D dept. trying to ensure they were just that. Neve's of that era were purchased because of their performance and reliability, not for any supposed sound.

Cheers

Ian