Troubleshooting and Fixing a Quantum Board

fazeka · Post by **fazeka** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 2:24 pm

inverseroom wrote: Yeah, there are definitely reconfigurable molex connectors on the back of each card. There's nothing in the manual I have, though, to indicate what's on each of the pins. I could trace it and figure it out, but I'm not going to bother just now.

Not sure, but I thought page 15 of the pdf (page 13 in the manual) details the pinout (for the 16 channel version; I'm sure it's possible to interpolate for your board).

inverseroom wrote: What's a 3140 by the way? IC? Or potted opamp or something?

The 3140 is an IC, used on the line in, I believe. Mine are in metal "can" packages, though they were also available in DIP-8. Now that I think about it, I don't believe your board has 3140s anyway because it's newer by a few years and that's when they started using 5532s and/or 5534s throughout more of the board.

inverseroom wrote: And BTW what do the start buttons do? I can't get them to have any effect at all.

Fader starts are a broadcast feature. I think fader starts are used to trigger an external machine when the fader is brought up, but I'm not 100% as I never worked in broadcast. They may or may not have been disabled for your board without knowing its track record.

inverseroom · Post by **inverseroom** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 3:22 pm

fazeka wrote:
inverseroom wrote: Yeah, there are definitely reconfigurable molex connectors on the back of each card. There's nothing in the manual I have, though, to indicate what's on each of the pins. I could trace it and figure it out, but I'm not going to bother just now.
Not sure, but I thought page 15 of the pdf (page 13 in the manual) details the pinout (for the 16 channel version; I'm sure it's possible to interpolate for your board).

Ah yes...those connectors. I am thinking of the row of pins on the end of each card...where the line and mic inputs and direct outs come from. I know how to add direct outs if I want them...that would come in handy someday.

And yeah, there are 5534's on the inputs of this board, after the transformer...sounds clean enough.

fazeka · Post by **fazeka** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 4:54 pm

Just an FYI - Mark Linett used to own one like mine:

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/high-end ... es-14.html

"I owned one of these ages ago. Limited but incredible sounding for rock."

inverseroom · Post by **inverseroom** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 5:02 pm

fazeka wrote:Just an FYI - Mark Linett used to own one like mine:

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/high-end ... es-14.html

"I owned one of these ages ago. Limited but incredible sounding for rock."

Sweet!

Hey fazeka--do you know where the hell to get those fader caps? I can't find ANYTHING with a 6mm slot in them...let alone anything as cool as the ones on your board. All the fader caps on this board are ad-hoc replacements.

fazeka · Post by **fazeka** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 6:04 pm

I don't know, I was lucky and got 99% of the knobs on this board (couple of knob cap tops are missing).

I think the later "blackface" Quantums ('80 and on) stopped using the fader caps like my earlier "blond" board, at least the ones in all the pictures I've seen of them.

The guys over at prodigy-pro.com might know...

europa78 · Post by **europa78** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 7:53 pm

I have James Brown's QA-1010. Purchased several years ago. It was pulled out of his studio and sold to me through a broker. It's fantastic, everyone loves it and ends up asking a million question about the company, etc. Best $4000 I ever spent. Jensen input transformer, inductor-based EQ and all that James Brown Mojo floatin' around...

http://www.myspace.com/brightstreetrecording lotta new gear, need new pictures... this is from 3 years ago.

fazeka · Post by **fazeka** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 1:24 pm

Sweet!

Looks modular too.

Not too much info on QAL. It would be good to know the real differences between the QA boards and the QM boards.

Based on appearance, the QA boards appear to be made for the recording studio, whereas the QM boards initially may have started out as broadcast boards and then over the years (it seems) the QM line evolved into broadcast boards and recording boards? Then the QA series came about?

Anyone have any history on Quantum Audio Labs besides Vince Poulos:

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/high-end ... ences.html

I tried contacting Steve Firlotte (worked as an engineer at one time) about a year ago. Last contact info I had (front cover of the aforementioned scanned manual) was a phone number from 1990 with the number being out of service...

I tried calling him at his new place, Inward Connections, but to no avail.

Don Sciarrotta and Howard Steele were the founders of Quantum, anyone know if they are still around?

Or even Craig Lindley (ex-electronic design engineer)?

inverseroom · Post by **inverseroom** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 1:34 pm

OK, after finally recapping the power supply, I am unilaterally pulling out of this project and declaring victory. All channels are working, all busses are working, and it's installed on my desk and hooked up to all my drum mics. Big thanks to all involved especially littlesongs...a fun project and a great deal.

Bueford Wilson · Post by **Bueford Wilson** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 9:43 am

Hi everyone. I recieved a Quantum Audio Labs Series 22 Console from a friend who didn't even want it. Me being the gear packrat that I am couldn't pass it up. However, I have limited knowledge on it. I believe it to be a production console, used for tv or radio duties maybe. Forgive me for my eagerness to post this sans pictures, but I will put some pics up asap. I'm just curious if I should be selling it or if it is worth hanging on to. It looks in style, very similar to the pics posted by littlesongs but has more channels. Any advice would be helpful. I can't wait to get home from work so I can try plugging into the heavy bastard and take some photos.

inverseroom · Post by **inverseroom** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 2:28 pm

One just like mine/littlesongs' just sold on ebay for $450...untested and covered with dust. If you can get it working, free is a superb value.

Bueford Wilson · Post by **Bueford Wilson** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 2:32 pm

No kidding. Thanks for the info. I checked it out the other night and did find that it has a cable missing going from the audio connections on the back of the board and the rackmount power/preamp unit. I'm just not sure where to search for that cable. I'm taking pictures tonight and posting either tonight or tomorrow so as not to be so vague i guess.

Bueford Wilson · Post by **Bueford Wilson** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:56 pm

Ok, had to use my camera phone to make it happen tonight, but here are a few pics of my Quantum board as promised. One cable is missing as one is needed for audio, the other for power. Like I said before, I don't know much about it nor if the cable is one that can be found easily or at all. Let me know what you think. Thank the lawd for this thread!

<P>

fazeka · Post by **fazeka** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:40 am

Day-um:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0206632877

"People have compared these to the Neve broadcast consoles."

inverseroom · Post by **inverseroom** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 5:41 am

Yeah, that's pretty silly, for an as-is auction.

trodden · Post by **trodden** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:31 pm

europa78 wrote:I have James Brown's QA-1010. Purchased several years ago. It was pulled out of his studio and sold to me through a broker. It's fantastic, everyone loves it and ends up asking a million question about the company, etc. Best $4000 I ever spent. Jensen input transformer, inductor-based EQ and all that James Brown Mojo floatin' around...

http://www.myspace.com/brightstreetrecording lotta new gear, need new pictures... this is from 3 years ago.

ahhhhh.. I think i've worked on a similar console in a studio in Tacoma, WA. yes... yes i believe so...

Message Board

Troubleshooting and Fixing a Quantum Board

James Brown

Quantum Audio Labs Series 22 Console

Quantum Audio Labs board

Re: James Brown

Who is online