Spectrasonics 610 (and clone info)

[Brian Roth]

Just a reminder folks, Spectra Sonics is still around. They still make *and service* these cards, limiters, etc.

I think the current company is now:

https://www.spectra1964.com/products
They have a Utah address (the original company was based in Ogden).

I'm guessing an original trademark registration was lost since there is a Spectrasonics selling software plugins.

Bri

 

[Rob Flinn]

I think the current company is now:

https://www.spectra1964.com/products
They have a Utah address (the original company was based in Ogden).

I'm guessing an original trademark registration was lost since there is a Spectrasonics selling software plugins.

Bri

I have a client who has a pair of these boxes & they are indeed faithful reproductions of the original units as far as I can tell having taken a peak inside one.

 

[Rob Flinn]

Got it!!! ..... THANKS!!! Now.....would you happen to have any mechanical detail drawings or specifications of the dimensions of the PCB, the location of the edge-fingers or any manner of mechanical dimension details? That would certainly help out immensely!!!

No sorry I don't. I'm not really sure why one would want a bunch of sepearate boards when everything could be put on one board, thus saving the headache of hooking them all up.

 

[Rob Flinn]

Just a reminder folks, Spectra Sonics is still around. They still make *and service* these cards, limiters, etc.

In the same way the UA make 1176, LA2a, La3a, & Neve make 1081, 33609 etc etc ?? Never seems to stop anyone cloning/ripping them off.

 

[Brian Roth]

I think the current company is now:

https://www.spectra1964.com/products
They have a Utah address (the original company was based in Ogden).

I'm guessing an original trademark registration was lost since there is a Spectrasonics selling software plugins.

Bri

IIRC, the current Spectra 64 is operated by his son (?). Anyway:

https://www.spectra1964.com/post/william-g-dilley-our-founder
Bill Dilley indeed had some connection to the current company.

Bri

 

[mjrippe]

In the same way the UA make 1176, LA2a, La3a, & Neve make 1081, 33609 etc etc ?? Never seems to stop anyone cloning/ripping them off.

Hi Rob, that was not my point. Simply that these cards are still available so there is not a *need* to clone them.

 

[Rob Flinn]

Hi Rob, that was not my point. Simply that these cards are still available so there is not a *need* to clone them.

Gotcha.

 

[tommia]

Ok, and where can we buy those cards?
But the thing is that I would prefer to understand how this all works rather than having an exact copy.

 

[hodad]

IIRC, the current Spectra 64 is operated by his son (?). Anyway:

Former employee (I want to say his name is Bill Cheney? I spoke to him at length some years back. Nice and helpful guy.) Spectra Sonics was also an avionics manufacturer. I believe they basically sold off the pro audio end to him--so he had all the old spares, as well as plenty of experience with the products. I don't know if he's still the one operating the business or not--as I said, it was a while ago.

*******I don't know if I read this thread back in the day, but I was a little surprised to see Fred Forssell trashing the A67J transformer. I've only done measurements with them in circuit (console channels), but even with all the other variables involved, I've never noticed anything that would indicate it's a subpar input transformer.

 

[MidnightArrakis]

No sorry I don't. I'm not really sure why one would want a bunch of sepearate boards when everything could be put on one board, thus saving the headache of hooking them all up.

[not really sure why one would want a bunch of separate boards when everything could be put on one board] -- It would depend upon an end-users ultimate end-result desire. If someone wants to use a bunch of separate cards in a card-cage assembly like the original, then they would require "a bunch of separate boards". However, someone like myself may want to build an 8-Channel mic-pre in a 1U rack-chassis and that could all be done by designing a single large PCB. Someone else may want to have some manner of "Spectra-Sonics Combo" unit with a mic-pre/EQ/Limiter configuration and that could also all be done with a single PCB. In other words, it all comes down to what someone wishes to have with what is available.

Since there does seem to be a certain group of people who want individual boards, I am more than willing to create "New/Old" circuit boards, but my doing so becomes impossible to do without my having any detailed mechanical dimensions. So.....that leaves me to my own desires and that is to design an 8-Channel unit in a 1U rack-chassis with all 8-Channels on a single PCB. While I have also read in some other threads that the original PCBs may be sensitive to some EMI/RFI issues and that some other people have modified the original PCBs with some extra filtering capacitors and such, I haven't found any specific information as to what those EMI/RFI modifications exactly are. Does anyone here have any information and/or links that detail this issue? ANYONE???

[saving the headache of hooking them all up] -- With my being well aware of this specific "headache" and viewing the photos that the members of this forum have taken of the equipment that they have built with >> ALL << of the wiring involved, the type of equipment that I design has basically -- very little, if any -- wiring to -- NO WIRING -- whatsoever!!! As an example, I once designed a "12-Input RGBHV Video X 8-Output CAT5 Video" in a 3U rack-chassis that had -- NO -- wiring on the insides!!! All of the different PCBs were interconnected to one another through carefully placed connectors throughout the inside of the chassis. My perspective on the "Electronics Packaging" of electronic equipment is to put everything possible onto a PCB and interconnect everything together using carefully placed connectors. I don't like "wiring" anymore than you or anyone else does!!!

/

 

[tommia]

If we try to act like a forum where we like to share our knowledge and efforts, maybe we can proceed. Anybody interested?

 

[mjrippe]

Ok, and where can we buy those cards?
But the thing is that I would prefer to understand how this all works rather than having an exact copy.

https://www.spectra1964.comYou may have to contact them to purchase individual cards.

 

[tommia]

@ mjrippe: Email sent

 

[musika]

Long ago I was interested in putting together a Spectrasonics 610, so I bought a 601 card and some parts, but never was able to acquire the other cards, so I put it all into storage. I could do the measurements of the 601 pcb card, but I do not have a micrometer so it wouldn't be precise.

 

[tommia]

@musika : were you able to let it function, or is it an abundant project?

 

[MidnightArrakis]

@musika : were you able to let it function, or is it an abundant project?

[or is it an abundant project?] -- Did you mean to write ..... abandoned?

abundant -- adjective

• present in great quantity; more than adequate;
• over-sufficient: an abundant supply of water.
• well-supplied with something; abounding: a river abundant in salmon.
• richly-supplied, as with resources: an abundant land.

abandoned -- adjective

• forsaken or deserted: an abandoned building; an abandoned kitten.
• unrestrained or uncontrolled; uninhibited: She danced with abandoned enthusiasm.
• utterly lacking in moral restraints; shameless; wicked: an abandoned and dissolute ruler.
• discarded, rejected.

Hope this helps you the next time!!!

/

 

[tommia]

Pffffffff als uw nederlands zo goed is als al mijn andere talen, ....

 

[MidnightArrakis]

Pffffffff als uw nederlands zo goed als al mijn andere talen, ....

You don't have to get all bent out-of-shape over my comment!!! I was simply having a little bit of fun while also trying to help you out at the same time. People just seem to be so sensitive about stuff on this forum.

als uw nederlands zo goed als al mijn andere talen = if your Dutch is as good as all my other languages

I am currently working on redesigning a series of the Spectra-Sonics PCBs which is how I came across your message in the first place. I apologize for "getting your knickers all twisted"!!!

/

 

[musika]

@tommia, I am taking another look at this old project. I may just see if I can get the 601 card up and running without the meter.

 

[musika]

@ mjrippe - I have tried many times to purchase the 603 meter card from Spectra Sonics... no reply from them.

Here are a few photos of my SS 601 cards with an updated schematic ( including transistors and markings ) that was posted earlier in the Tech Docs. I will post this one to the TD forum once my changes for the transistors can be confirmed.