Is something new in preamp design possible? Albatross. Now in 51X. PORN.

[kato]

The albatross soars. It is majestic, long-living, and rare (endangered.)  I like the name.

It also mates for life but metaphorically that makes no sense for a preamp. 

 

[Neil]

It also mates for life but metaphorically that makes no sense for a preamp. 

Once you get it in your studio, it NEVER leaves...

 

[Meathands]

And for remote recording you can hang one around your neck.

 

[kato]

Once you get it in your studio, it NEVER leaves...

Good call Neil. I get it: Once it mates with your rack, it stays. Love it! I wonder if it can live up to the name. Igor, we just set big expectations for this thing  :-*

Andre - I'm looking forward to your impressions, especially on how well this can hang with the clean quiet pres, if you do a "pleasant vocal" configuration.

 

[Meathands]

The version with Neve trannies should be called "Rhyme of the Ancient Marinair"  ;D

 

[desol]

51X is the new normal. 

I recently saw the Foo Fighters documentation and spotted a pair of 51X racks in Dave Grohls garage studio, filled up with some 9k-500s
Obviously this place here ROCKS

Ya know, the more i think about this, the more it makes sense. Only one famous dude is ******* cool enough to even own something so righteous....of course, it's Dave Grohl?

 

[Igor]

seems like my take on the 10468 could work with your PCB for the carnhill with a different right angle header combination.
great to see a new design!  and glad to see further embrace of the 51x idea.  though the word albatross has mixed associations in english:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatross_(metaphor)
ed

The albatross soars. It is majestic, long-living, and rare (endangered.)  I like the name.
It also mates for life but metaphorically that makes no sense for a preamp. 

And for remote recording you can hang one around your neck.

Oh guys, you did complete metaphoric salad in my brain, I am not inherently English-speaker.

The name came next way.

After we did first proto's and they got great customer's feedback, me and my assistant

Sergey 1st:

had a professional discussion between evening beers about naming big-balled preamp.


Now, into Russian metaphoric. Balls and eggs have same word and pronounce.
To name big-balled thing, we used the name of bird with biggest eggs.
This way, the choice was Albatross.

Mating- and funny-wise, you can call Albatross "Dolphine pre", 'cause dolphins (known fact) are always happy and mating like rabbits too.

Now, my assistant's name is Sergey as well, he is the 5th person I working with for 2003-2011.
Instead of calling him Sergey 2nd, he is Ghost, like serious, weighting-every-move Linuxoid supposed to be nicknamed.

Hope my banter did same cultural salad in your brains.

Now, back to stuff.

FRONTS: if you like them aluminum, laser cut, silkscreened, we need 30 orders minimum.

All tech questions are more then welcome, BTW.

 

[kato]

The albatross is majestic, long-living, and can barely fly due to the weight of its pendulous nutsack.

Ha, now I like the name even more. Albatross = lays giant huevos. The Sergey picture cracks me up. Reminds me of Greg Stein's zany finished gear pics.

FRONTS: if you like them aluminum, laser cut, silkscreened, we need 30 orders minimum.

Yes we can. I posted my interest. Gents, can we hear 29 more?

Reminder:

If you interested in Albatross kits, post on my WM thread (and keep this thread for tech questions):

 

[gemini86]

You could call it the ball-n-chain...

 

[mylesgm]

what about the kiwi bird?  egg is o big it contributes to the fact that it cant fly at all...

 

[tommypiper]

Hi Igor!  Nice project. 

Technical questions:

Can you show a schematic?  Or at least something about the circuit?  It seems to be similar to neve, yes?

Is it switchable between transformer output and transformerless output?  Or other switchable options?

What are the relays for?

About neve iron, will 10468 work in Albatross?

What size is the aluminum silk screen front panel going to be?  Lunchbox, or full 1u / 2u rack?  (I don't do lunchboxes.)  For one channel or two?

 

[Meathands]

I'll let Igor answer the rest (I'm curious about the circuit myself), but I do have it from Igor himself that Ed's 10468 will work for the input transformer. I'll be building a couple of these next month--one with the Neve transformers and one in the "vocal" transformerless output style--and will post thoughts and possibly sound clips here.

 

[volker]

Gain stage looks like the amp Igor used in his 1176 adaption (Fet input, BJT cascode, ...). Same for the output stage, but 2N3055 instead of the BD139.

 

[SKJGProject]

updates on this one?

 

[Igor]

Added: output transformer/less relays switching circuit; some changes to pcb design; love it even more (=CHERRY).
Stay tuned......bugagagagah!!!!!!

 

[Igor]

Updates......

Please check for the switch at bottom right corner.

Now, Albatross have 2 modes of output stage: Class A,  Transformerless and Class A, DC-Coupled into Mini-LO1166 (Neve'ish).

The switching circuit between two absolutely different modes of output stage wasn't as simple as it seems, but - DONE!!!!!

INSERT connector between first and second amplification stages is added, works perfect with He-69 EQ.

Meanwhile I waiting for rev.2.5 PCB, all fixed.

Here is the picture of ver.2.4 PCB with 3 minor mistakes.

 

[deuc224]

Hey Igor, just a quick question, would there be any way to add switchable transformers for the input and output for people building this into a rack? That switch was a great idea! Even if the trannys had to be mounted off PCB, could this work?

 

[Igor]

Could. I have to see first if there is enough interest for first PCB production run.
Each prototype PCB set meanwhile costs me about $350

However, not all trannies can be easy exchanged.

After listening this pre, I understood I actually got 2 absolutely different character pre's in same case.
Gain is equal within 0.2db at both transformer and transformerless modes at any settings and load within 600 Ohm...100 kOhm..
BTW, inserting or bypassing the transformer is totally different thing.
The Albatross changes whole output stage topology (transformer runs at 100 ma DC).
In transformer mode, one output transistor used for output stage, like in classic Neve circuit, BUT in transformerless mode,
two output  transistors used. The amp stages are absolutely different then Neve BTW, all my homebrewed circuits.

 

[funkymonksf]

I'd be interested for sure. I think the red pcb is sexier than black if you plan to do a run... Great work!

 

[deuc224]

I am definately interested, im sure others will be too. Its the first original pre made in a long time.