Phantom Power Capacitors

[Mr. Moscode]

Yup... I recall back in the 80s listening to audiophools complain about how many switch contacts were in a given audio path.

They would lose their (little) minds if they realized how many switch contacts are in a typical console audio path. This is all about perspective.

[edit- my answer from back then remains unchanged. If you can hear a switch (or capacitor) in your audio path, it may be a dodgy part. /edit]

JR

"It's nice to be nice" -"Audiophools" - "It's nice to be nice" - "Little minds"- "It's nice to be nice" - I see a dichotomous pattern that's not nice. As you're a moderator who says "play nice" I ask you to set a civil example.

 

[Mr. Moscode]

Sorry I can't...

If their JFET switched design sounded better than mechanical switches those were either some pretty crappy mechanical switches or there was something else wrong with their previous design.
===

Seriously?

JR

Yeah, seriously. It brings me down to see it. Doesn't make me feel welcome to see sniping. Ad hominem attacks are of no value. To Thor's credit he ignores them.

 

[Brian Roth]

I will gingerly step into this. When I see stuff like this:

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/2023-editors-choice-best-speaker-cables-2000-5000/

...I declare BULLSH!T.

"A Phool and his money are soon soon parted".

Bri

 

[PermO]

I have trouble differentiating the "SSL Sound" from the 80's "Coke Sound"

 

[user 133392]

Thor, some of your posts are pure nonsense.
As I said earlier; read again. You misunderstand many things and get confrontational.
I'm out. Wasting my time with someone who ALWAYS want to have the last word is insane.

I cancelled my financial support of this forum due to Thor and his ilk and will likely never post here again.
I'm out too.

 

[sahib]

I cancelled my financial support of this forum due to Thor and his ilk and will likely never post here again.
I'm out too.

Please don't burn the blanket due to a flee, and re-consider your decision.

In my view he lost his credibility and that's a shame. I hope he recovers that. Perhaps by going on easy on the rice wine for a while.

 

[MicUlli]

I cancelled my financial support of this forum due to Thor and his ilk and will likely never post here again.
I'm out too.

That would be awful
Unfortunately the loudest and most "active" people are mightier than the "silent brains". This forum reflects population as a whole. To be political, look what happened in Germany or France regarding EU elections...
BR MicUlli

 

[JohnRoberts]

Thor

PS, of course it was not just "SSL Sound" that made them wildly successful , their Automation also played a huge role. But to quote a famous German conductor, next to SSL most earlier consoles were "like gaslight".

I was actually in the console business back then. SSL was successful "despite" their sound. The convenience of their full automation was compelling to users back then. Methinks you are drawing the wrong lesson from their success.

I don't take pleasure from bad mouthing a major console company. The science link is about them cleaning up their earlier designs, No doubt in response to user complaints.

JR

 

[JohnRoberts]

Yeah, seriously. It brings me down to see it. Doesn't make me feel welcome to see sniping. Ad hominem attacks are of no value. To Thor's credit he ignores them.

Of course he does, he is triggering it.

JR

 

[thor.zmt]

I cancelled my financial support of this forum due to Thor and his ilk and will likely never post here again.
I'm out too.

Ok, I promise I will never again comment on your designs.

Thor

 

[Glenn Wardle]

Having only been looking at this group for a few weeks, two things are very clear. There are without doubt some really good folks who respect the views of all members and help constructivly where they can, and there are others who are frequently dismissive and disparaging, often throwing in spiteful and patronising remarks. I'm not entirely sure what they hope to gain.
I for one am now reluctant to upload any of my schematics given how some other contributers have been treated.
It's a sad state of affairs...

 

[JohnRoberts]

Ok, I promise I will never again comment on your designs.

Thor

Wayne has already cancelled his white market support membership (I saw the paperwork).

I've known Wayne for decades, he is not a shrinking violet.

Try not to chase off any more supporters who are helping keep the lights on here.

JR

 

[kags]

I was actually in the console business back then. SSL was successful "despite" their sound. The convenience of their full automation was compelling to users back then. Methinks you are drawing the wrong lesson from their success.

I don't take pleasure from bad mouthing a major console company. The science link is about them cleaning up their earlier designs, No doubt in response to user complaints.

JR

SSL is the raeason bui studios have so many outboard preamps. We have a G+ in very good condition but sonically it’s whatever. Our two 9000Js have muuuuch better sonics. I spend a considerable amount of time cleaning switches (96 channels x 1 million switches and knobs per channel). Nothing fails, but they do get crunchy from not enough exercise.

The new SSL stuff is pristine and clean, but mostly unrepairable and tend to have short support lifespans. Hopefully SSL survives their newest incarnation!

 

[CJ]

A lot of talk, but so far no charts, graphs, scope shots, sound bytes, dissections,

I'm from the "Show Me" state,

Where's the beef?

 

[john12ax7]

SSL.

Incidentally, they are also big on "we don't do no steenkin' 'lytics in the signal path these day's and even in "days of future passed" they payed a lot of attention to the impact of these steenkin' 'lytics.

The Science Behind the SSL Sound

"In the UK, various iterations of the console were adopted by engineers at Sarm East Studios, including renowned producers Trevor Horn (Paul McCartney, Cher), Gary Langan (Queen, The Buggles), and Julian Mendelsohn (Dusty Springfield, Pet Shop Boys).

In the US, the console was embraced by the likes of Bob Clearmountain (Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones), Frank Filipetti (Kiss, Frank Zappa), as well as Chris Lord-Alge (Madonna, Green Day) and Tom Lord-Alge (U2, Oasis)."

"In 1996, Billboard magazine described the (SSL) console as the Rolls-Royce of the studio industry, reporting that it was used on 83% of number 1 hit singles produced that year."

A lot of that listed, and often the classic SSL sound, is electrolytic 4k era SSL The DC coupled superanalogue stuff was not adopted (or often liked) as much.

I used to have an X-rack loaded with 4k era black EQs and the superanalougue silver EQs. They were.... different. For sure the silver was cleaner, but not always the right choice for the material.

 

[john12ax7]

SSL is the raeason bui studios have so many outboard preamps.

I like SSL EQ and dynamics, but never understood the appeal of cloning their pres..

The new SSL stuff is pristine and clean, but mostly unrepairable and tend to have short support lifespans.

It's a shame because SMT gets a bad rap, but done right is just as repairable as through hole.

 

[abbey road d enfer]

Hey Abbey Road. You're a moderator on a DIY forum yet you feel the need to personally attack Thor and others, including me one time.

Telling someone they're wrong is not a ad hominem.

Quite frankly if you can't keep your comments civil you don't deserve the title of moderator.

Does your idea of being civil consists in agreeing with someone who's evidently wrong?

If you can't keep a civil point of view walk away from the keyboard until you can.

We may have a different notion of civility...

 

[sahib]

......If I was really smart I'd figure out "the next big thing".

Thor

May be there is no "next big thing".

And I believe there is not.

We created the best sound, best music with designs that you seem to have been putting down ( I am not picking a fight here).

We created the best art without the photoshop.

We made revolutions without the internet.

 

[sahib]

PS, enough of philosophical veers.

Here is your arrogant and dismissive attitude against any view that may not agree with yours.

If you do not want any "veers" then don't effin get into it in the first place. All the garbage that you came up with about phantom power mics being yesterdays technology or how SSL revolutionised the sound.

It was my mistake to get involved in this.

I am out too.

 

[BigPauly]

All of this over some real non sense. At the end of the day, most folks listening to the content produced by these consoles and modern electronics don’t care. Know why? Because they are listening to digitally scaled replicas of the original works on their phones. While phones sound good, they are certainly not audiophile grade.