Siegfried Meier
Well-known member
Hey guys,
So I just built up a pair of the GAR2520's but decided to compare them to my older SMT 2520's made by Burdij.
Here's what I did:
1. Recorded a DI guitar track into Pro Tools, clean with Avalon U5.
2. Reamped that signal through a JD7 into a Rickenbacker TR75 amp.
3. Recorded a pass of clean guitar through an API 312 clone with the SMT installed installed (mic was Peluso R14, direct into preamp, no snake)
4. Recorded a pass of dirty guitar by inserting a DS-1 pedal - still with SMT 2520 installed
5. Did 3 and 4 again with the GAR2520 installed
When I had them all in Pro Tools, I listened back and forth and had a hard time hearing any difference, so I decided to flip one out of phase and sum the 2 dirty's together, and the 2 cleans together. I was quite surprised when I discovered that they nearly cancelled out. There was clearly some lower level stuff present as these are analog passes, as well as multiple passes through an amp that sounds a bit different each time. But I truly thought that I would be able to hear a much bigger difference.
What exactly is the difference, sonically, in opamps, that I should be hearing? And, of course, perhaps both of these circuits are just very well made, and SMT components are not nearly as bad as we've been told they are?
Food for thought.
Thanks!
Sig
So I just built up a pair of the GAR2520's but decided to compare them to my older SMT 2520's made by Burdij.
Here's what I did:
1. Recorded a DI guitar track into Pro Tools, clean with Avalon U5.
2. Reamped that signal through a JD7 into a Rickenbacker TR75 amp.
3. Recorded a pass of clean guitar through an API 312 clone with the SMT installed installed (mic was Peluso R14, direct into preamp, no snake)
4. Recorded a pass of dirty guitar by inserting a DS-1 pedal - still with SMT 2520 installed
5. Did 3 and 4 again with the GAR2520 installed
When I had them all in Pro Tools, I listened back and forth and had a hard time hearing any difference, so I decided to flip one out of phase and sum the 2 dirty's together, and the 2 cleans together. I was quite surprised when I discovered that they nearly cancelled out. There was clearly some lower level stuff present as these are analog passes, as well as multiple passes through an amp that sounds a bit different each time. But I truly thought that I would be able to hear a much bigger difference.
What exactly is the difference, sonically, in opamps, that I should be hearing? And, of course, perhaps both of these circuits are just very well made, and SMT components are not nearly as bad as we've been told they are?
Food for thought.
Thanks!
Sig