New Chandler Channel Strip

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Hi Winston,
Just out of curiosity, do you know what the EMI limiter ultilize in the dynamic control section eg. rectified diode feedback? feedforward? or RMS detector? and does it use monolithic VCA or is it discrete VCA circuit?

Very curious about the unit and what generates such a reputation..... mind to elaborate how it sounds to you?

schematic would be lovely if that's not too much to ask.............
:green: :thumb:

Thanks!
:guinness:
 
Hey Wins,
Thanks for the quick response!!! :grin:

Its no biggie about the schemo, I am mainly just curious about what makes this unit and all the other EMI pieces holding such a rep. As a small time amature DIYer I don't get to encounter with all these vintage ol'$kool studio pieces, just know that they have some sort of reputation due to the fact that a lot of records were cut on these gears.

Would love to hear your personal opinion about how these unit sounds, if you don't mind educating new comers such as myself. You know words like phat or edgy and so forth..... I know it doens't mean anything in the EE world, sorry about cutting into the cheese but that seems to describe how a piece of gear sound..........

May be even some technical details about what generates their sound characteristics? or may be drop some hints into a block diagram, I would be intersted to build something based on that. Not interested in cloning but learning about how to achive THAT sound and what causes it. Distortion? Harmonic contents? Alteration of requency response? Love to hook one up to a spectrum analyzer...............
Really appreciate your thoughts, since that's probably the closest I'll get to one ever....... :sad:

Thanks again!!! :thumb:

:guinness:
 
learner-

the only thing that makes these things desirable is the fact that they are rare and if you ever wanted to use one, you basically had to book time at EMI to use them, this stuff was never packaged in a retail form. Folks, thats it. Then some schmo comes along and takes that reputation and puts a $4k price tag on it (replete with 20 cent plastic lorlin switches in the box that advertises "elma switches") just because its rare and a novelty. This is no $4k box. Its the same reason helios is so expensive, its rare and the right people used it in the past. Does helios REALLY SOUND soooo much better? It obviously sounds good, but on this level all this stuff is really on par with everything else and anyone who tells you differently has bought the hype. It has to cost chandler more to make the 2254 which is less than half the price and its every bit as cool as a tg limiter. Its a very nice sounding box, but you know, so are lots and lots and lots of other boxes. The hoopla is more abou the fact that pink floyd recorded on a TG (but didnt use the mic pres...) rather than how insanely good the box sounds. If you know the sound of diode limiters, thats what it sounds like, amplified by a cool sounding line amp pushing your bit of sound through a carnhill transformer. Not a big stretch to imagine what it sounds like.

Its really a shame the box is so much money. Not because its "too expensive" it would be nice if it was just constructed to reflect the price, thats all. I wouldnt DARE take one of these on the road.

dave
 
Do they really advertise "Elma switches" and just use Lorlins? That's a bit sketchy, but I'm sure Wade went through a lot of trouble (before the official EMI deal) to source practically non-existant documents (even trying to BUY rare documents from people is tough), and spent quite a bit of money tinkering with the designs. So I could understand a slightly higher than "average" price for something like this. But false advertising is in bad taste. :sad:

As far as the Helios hype. I really never understood what was so special--THEY'RE NOT!!! IMHO :shock:
 
they used to advertise elmas in their literature but its not false advertising, just misleading- the gain switch is an elma. The function switches are lorlins. If you are cutting corners that much just cut the ******* corner and put a pot in place of the elma...

Its my understanding that the chandler was back engineered, no schems were purchased and if you remember way back in the beginning he had to change the front panel graphics to remove the emi logo from them. My memory might be crap, but I sorta remembering that happening which suggests to me that some english dude was none to happy... It seems like this is the limiter that came from the vinyl mastering lathes, I understand there was a *different* limiter in the console...

higher than average price is fine. make it cost $6k if people will pay for it. just build the damn thing well. The chasis sucks. The switches suck. Its not roadworthy at all. The freaking cable from the external power supply to the unit is just electric drill twisted hook up wire, its not multipair in a molded shield or anything like that, just wire twisted in a bundle hooked up to a connector. Its cheap corner cutting ******** for a TON of money. I have one, I love it, but the quality just ******* irks me every time I touch it, thats a lousy relationship to have with a piece of gear you use every day and its the only such relationship I have with anything in my studio. Bad taste to leave in the mouth after paying the money...

Oh, should also mention when I got it I didnt think it was new... Doesnt ship with documentation of any sort, came in a plain brown box... He's lucky the box sounds really good, its a shame he's getting away with treating his customers like this.

dave
 
interesting. They must have repackaged it with an EMI faceplate or something, in the pictures Ive seen of TG's Ive never seen a u273b sitting in there.

I've had bunches of 273's, they dont really sound anything at all like the chandler box. If you guys know Todd Rundgren A wizard a True Star, the drums on International Feel sound very diode limiter to me and I can make that sound with my TG. The piano on never never land also sounds really TG to me too. Considering that record was done in the states, its doubtful thats is a TG on there, but thats the idea of it at least.

dave
 
Dear Ethan,


I do so hate to cross horns . . . I accept that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I am eternally grateful that we all get our results by differing means/gear/techniques. I have in my posession Neve, Audix, Pye, Decca, API, Teletronix, Urei, Neumann, Audio + Design, Tab, Siemens, MCI, NTP, Eckmiller, SSL, to name but a few. By far the best overall Mic pre's in my toolbox/By far the best overall eq's (Active or Passive)IMP(roffesional)Opinion are my beloved HELIOS's - So There! My clients all agree, to a Man(or Woman!) All styles of music. Most sybilence-free vocals EVERY TIME! Fattest bottom end, cleanest highs. Smoothest, most "musical" mid-range (Yeach!-can't believe I said that!) I have many differing types/ configurations, and they ALL rock - I DO accept that it's each to his own - blah blah blah!

If you have any "overated" Helioses in your posession, I would be delighted to relieve you of them!

- By the way, when did you last actually USE any Helioses? I use mine everyday . . .


BTW On a serious note, I reallydon't mean to be flipant, there is a serious note to my missive. - Praise the Lord we all like DIFFERENT things! Imagine a world where all music sounded the same . . . . I'm certain you ADORE somethings that I would NEVER USE in a million years!

All the best, and PLEASE, keep the fur flying!

Andy P
 
We had a pair of Chandler Pre-amps in the last studio i worked at. When ever you moved an inch in your (producers) chair, a huge static "click" entailed. now I have LOADS of mic pre's, and none of them did this, . . . and I personally did the wiring, so I KNOW that there was nothing wrong, rendered them un-usable - unless you kept ABSOLUTELY still . . . . They gave us new ones, and they were fine for, oh, at least 24hrs, then - "CLICK CLICK CLICK! apart from this, They did sound good, tho'. Please someone, post a schemo . . .

Andy P
 
Look, there´s one of those consoles next to me:

http://www.tgmixers.co.uk/Website%20Pictures/Brazilmk3.html
http://arstudios.com.br/

I´m going to call them and see if I can make a visit. Maybe I can get schems from their tech. Who knows?
 
I have been lucky enough to have used the TG console(Dark Side of the Moon, apparently) at 2KHz studios on several occasions - Ah! The Joy! So Fking easy! I will try and see if they will be forthcoming with any schemo's - Wish me luck!


Andy P
 
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