Large Format Console Conundrum

[soapfoot]

Our SSL has an Atomic power supply, and it was a major upgrade in pretty much every way. Smaller, cooler, a little bit quieter*, and the desk seemed to sound and function better after the switch (though we have nothing empirical to prove that latter point).

*Not so quiet that you'd want it in the room with the desk. The fan is still plenty loud, and we had it first in a machine room (when we were tracking with this desk) and now in a server rack outside the mix room.

 

[audiosway]

Our SSL has an Atomic power supply, and it was a major upgrade in pretty much every way. Smaller, cooler, a little bit quieter*, and the desk seemed to sound and function better after the switch (though we have nothing empirical to prove that latter point).

*Not so quiet that you'd want it in the room with the desk. The fan is still plenty loud, and we had it first in a machine room (when we were tracking with this desk) and now in a server rack outside the mix room.

That's good to know. I have an air conditioned closet to the side of the studio I may use as a "server room" for stuff like that.

 

[soapfoot]

Yeah, you definitely dont want it in there when you’re trying to work.

I love the old passively-cooled Neve supplies…. No fans, just giant extruded heat sinks on the front. We have them in both control rooms and they don’t make a peep

 

[Matt Syson]

A switchmode supply design cannot be 'better' than an original linear supply that is working properly and to original specifications. which is to say if swapping to a new supply improves the 'sound' then you should have fixed the original supply. Dealing with fan noise is a different matter of course. Having a switcher supply that has Power Factor Correction is 'best' for the environment of course as there is less wasted heat (power). Mains consumption from a desk I was working on recently dropped from 600 watts to around 320Watts when using a switcher.

 

[vintagetools]

The switches in the vintage german modules still work after 50 years. Sometimes the sitral stuff comes in with problematic rotary switches (V276) but most of the ELMA or ebe switches have a very good quality. Totally different to the SSL and Neve V Series stuff. We had those and I agree the switches and pots are a problem. They die and you can´t find replacement parts. The other plus is that the vintage german modules nearly all have in and output transformers. Thanks to that you can build signal flow chain just as you want. I built my desk as a modular system. Without the bridging lemo connectors you don´t have a working desk, but I always keep the red colored ones in the bay to start with. This way I´m totally flexible to use any eq or dynamic module in any channel AND I can keep the signal chain very short. I wanted to make a video about this desk, but I never found the time... The vintage danner cassette stuff is really great to build a desk from. It´s gonna be hard to find the right amount of the same aux, pan, routing cassettes so. In the past when those desks were thrown out at the broadcast studios, those cassettes went into the trash and only preamps, faders, eq´s, dynamics and some meters survived...

If you look for a great console and don´t want to build one, I suggest to try the STUDER 900 series with the a-version channels. Not the b-version and not the 963...

 

[living sounds]

Yeah, you definitely dont want it in there when you’re trying to work.

I love the old passively-cooled Neve supplies…. No fans, just giant extruded heat sinks on the front. We have them in both control rooms and they don’t make a peep

Same thing with my ADT console. Passive regulated supplies + per-channel regulation for the audio power lines. The PSU needs some space in the rack to ventilate but it works. The desk itself gets warm but definitely not hot. It's as capable as an SSL (minus Total Recall) but uses 5534 only where they are needed and otherwise mostly the less demanding 4558 type.

 

[audiosway]

Thanks guys for all of the advice. I met with Bruce "the desk doctor" Millet today. He was up here from LA making the rounds. Really cool guy. Had a great conversation about what I'm looking for. I'll be getting the financing arrangement in order and looking for an SSL 4000 board.

I couldn't recommend Bruce more if you need maintenance done in the US. Well...and you fine folks too. Great community I'm glad to be a part of.