Got a free Soundcraft Spirit Studio 24-8-2.. a few Q's

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Crocoduck5000
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Post by Crocoduck5000 » Mon Dec 07, 2009 12:05 pm

chuckfurok wrote:I have the 16 channel version and I recently did some mixing on it, my first OTB mix I tried on it (been using the preamps for years). The mixes came out awesome! I kept thinking I needed to sell the board but now I am going to keep it for a long time, hopefully do some mods. I really wish I had the 24 channel version for more effects returns. I have a 002 with Digimax FS so I can get 16 channels out.
The Digimax looks tempting...would you say it's transparent enough if you use the preamps of the Soundcraft? (good converters?)

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Post by chuckfurok » Mon Dec 07, 2009 1:46 pm

it's pretty transparent, I use the inserts to bypass the preamps, which yields a bit lower level but works just fine. Though I definitely prefer the sound of the convertors in my BLA modded 002 to the Digimax.

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Post by @?,*???&? » Mon Dec 07, 2009 4:56 pm

Re-cap, re-cap, re-cap with Nichicons.

I had a Soundcraft Spirit Folio I re-capped and the veritable blanket of dullness was lifted.

Just do a single channel and listen to the difference. Pretty shocking.

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Crocoduck5000
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Post by Crocoduck5000 » Tue Dec 08, 2009 9:27 am

@?,*???&? wrote:Re-cap, re-cap, re-cap with Nichicons.

I had a Soundcraft Spirit Folio I re-capped and the veritable blanket of dullness was lifted.

Just do a single channel and listen to the difference. Pretty shocking.
I'm cheap so at this point dullness is relative! :D Plus I get a lot of good comments on my mixes with my Mackie alone so I don't want to take a financial plunge into something that I only use for my own band at this point...

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Post by calaverasgrandes » Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:25 am

I am sure recapping would be great, but that model looks like it doesnt have channel strips that can be pulled and recapped individually. Most I would hope for are 4-8 channel "buckets" but you might not be able to run the console minus a section. I totally empathize with the "re-capmay be nice but this is kicking A right now".
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Post by LowG » Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:39 am

Why not get an Echo Audiofire interface?

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Crocoduck5000
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Post by Crocoduck5000 » Tue Dec 08, 2009 12:22 pm

calaverasgrandes wrote:I am sure recapping would be great, but that model looks like it doesnt have channel strips that can be pulled and recapped individually. Most I would hope for are 4-8 channel "buckets" but you might not be able to run the console minus a section. I totally empathize with the "re-capmay be nice but this is kicking A right now".
The channel strips are individual actually. If you open up the back they all slide out and you can replace them one by one. I'm still a cheap date though!

As for that Echo Audiofire...I'm looking at the 12 in/out version and possibly just syncing two of those together...

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Post by Brian Kramer » Thu Dec 10, 2009 3:18 pm

chuckfurok wrote:I have the 16 channel version and I recently did some mixing on it, my first OTB mix I tried on it (been using the preamps for years). The mixes came out awesome! I kept thinking I needed to sell the board but now I am going to keep it for a long time, hopefully do some mods. I really wish I had the 24 channel version for more effects returns. I have a 002 with Digimax FS so I can get 16 channels out.
I have a Spirit Studio 24x8x2 and after having it on sale for a while and not being able to get what I know it's worth, I've decided to try to breath new life into it. I've used it for years and love the the sounds that I've gotten from it. I only started trolling the boards yesterday. I loved using this as a summing box, the mixes are thick and full.

I came up with power supply upgrades (the stock CPS 150 is apparently barely adequate), a schematic for the input and EQ section and suggestions for replacing the caps with Low ESR Panasonic FM series or MIT Multicaps. IC upgrades are suggested using Burr-Brown and Analog Devices (no specifics though), and using Roderstein resistors.

I've heard Jim Williams has done some some things and know that he endorses modding the Soundcraft Deltas. He mentions replacing the CPS-150 altogether with two separate power supplies, one for the +-17 and another for the 48V phantom. Replacing chips may require a more hefty power supply anyway.

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Post by Crocoduck5000 » Fri Dec 11, 2009 9:58 am

Brian Kramer wrote:
I have a Spirit Studio 24x8x2 and after having it on sale for a while and not being able to get what I know it's worth, I've decided to try to breath new life into it. I've used it for years and love the the sounds that I've gotten from it. I only started trolling the boards yesterday. I loved using this as a summing box, the mixes are thick and full.

I came up with power supply upgrades (the stock CPS 150 is apparently barely adequate), a schematic for the input and EQ section and suggestions for replacing the caps with Low ESR Panasonic FM series or MIT Multicaps. IC upgrades are suggested using Burr-Brown and Analog Devices (no specifics though), and using Roderstein resistors.

I've heard Jim Williams has done some some things and know that he endorses modding the Soundcraft Deltas. He mentions replacing the CPS-150 altogether with two separate power supplies, one for the +-17 and another for the 48V phantom. Replacing chips may require a more hefty power supply anyway.
Hopefully I won't have to deal with this. I did use this board a lot when I was assisting the engineer who gave it to me years ago (I was 18 I think). It was used like crazy and he told me he never had any issues with the power supply. Then again he never had more than say 8 mics going at once...

I guess I'll just lug this 100 pound source of preamps until I get myself two Echo Audiofire 12s!

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Post by dman » Sat Dec 12, 2009 4:16 am

Brian Kramer wrote:
chuckfurok wrote:
I came up with power supply upgrades (the stock CPS 150 is apparently barely adequate), a schematic for the input and EQ section and suggestions for replacing the caps with Low ESR Panasonic FM series or MIT Multicaps. IC upgrades are suggested using Burr-Brown and Analog Devices (no specifics though), and using Roderstein resistors.

I've heard Jim Williams has done some some things and know that he endorses modding the Soundcraft Deltas. He mentions replacing the CPS-150 altogether with two separate power supplies, one for the +-17 and another for the 48V phantom. Replacing chips may require a more hefty power supply anyway.
I just replaced my Delta's CPS 150 with the Power-one that Jim recommends and what a difference. Noise went way down and the sound is clearer on the highs and tighter in the lows. According to Jim Williams the Cps-150 is really only adequate for 8 channels. My cps 150 was crippled and needed to be fixed so I decided just to replace it. Years ago I owned a 24 channel spirit and had to get the psu serviced a few times, it sucked

I also just sent my master section to him for modding and can't wait to hear it.

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Post by @?,*???&? » Sun Dec 13, 2009 6:39 pm

calaverasgrandes wrote:I am sure recapping would be great, but that model looks like it doesnt have channel strips that can be pulled and recapped individually.
You don't have to pull individual channels, just take the thing apart and only re-cap one channel on the main board along with the power section. You will definitely hear a difference with better slew and transient clarity.

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Post by roygbiv » Sun Dec 13, 2009 10:25 pm

Hmm, I have a Soundcraft Spirit Pro Tracker (basically, 8 channels of Pre-amp, with a miniscule mixer but no eq, etc.).

i wonder if re-capping that would also help? it's been been pretty great so far. Has a built in power supply, maybe I should look into taking it out.
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Post by chuckfurok » Mon Dec 14, 2009 10:10 am

dman wrote:
Brian Kramer wrote:
chuckfurok wrote:
I came up with power supply upgrades (the stock CPS 150 is apparently barely adequate), a schematic for the input and EQ section and suggestions for replacing the caps with Low ESR Panasonic FM series or MIT Multicaps. IC upgrades are suggested using Burr-Brown and Analog Devices (no specifics though), and using Roderstein resistors.

I've heard Jim Williams has done some some things and know that he endorses modding the Soundcraft Deltas. He mentions replacing the CPS-150 altogether with two separate power supplies, one for the +-17 and another for the 48V phantom. Replacing chips may require a more hefty power supply anyway.
I just replaced my Delta's CPS 150 with the Power-one that Jim recommends and what a difference. Noise went way down and the sound is clearer on the highs and tighter in the lows. According to Jim Williams the Cps-150 is really only adequate for 8 channels. My cps 150 was crippled and needed to be fixed so I decided just to replace it. Years ago I owned a 24 channel spirit and had to get the psu serviced a few times, it sucked

I also just sent my master section to him for modding and can't wait to hear it.
Was that easy to do, replacing the power supply? Did you get this one: http://parts.digikey.com/1/parts/136837 ... -5-ag.html ? It doesn't supply the 48v right? COuld I still use the old power supply for that? Confused about all this business.

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Post by sleep over jack » Mon Dec 14, 2009 4:38 pm

Going forward, just use the Soundcraft as preamps. Trying to use it as the lynch pin of a OTB mixing setup is going to lead you down a road of $$$, and as soon as you're used to it you're just going to want to upgrade to a different board.

Unless your mixing skills are good enough to effectively utilize a "secret weapon", you're better off working ITB, like how you're comfortable.

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Post by dman » Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:31 pm

chuckfurok wrote:
dman wrote:
Brian Kramer wrote:
chuckfurok wrote:
I came up with power supply upgrades (the stock CPS 150 is apparently barely adequate), a schematic for the input and EQ section and suggestions for replacing the caps with Low ESR Panasonic FM series or MIT Multicaps. IC upgrades are suggested using Burr-Brown and Analog Devices (no specifics though), and using Roderstein resistors.

I've heard Jim Williams has done some some things and know that he endorses modding the Soundcraft Deltas. He mentions replacing the CPS-150 altogether with two separate power supplies, one for the +-17 and another for the 48V phantom. Replacing chips may require a more hefty power supply anyway.
I just replaced my Delta's CPS 150 with the Power-one that Jim recommends and what a difference. Noise went way down and the sound is clearer on the highs and tighter in the lows. According to Jim Williams the Cps-150 is really only adequate for 8 channels. My cps 150 was crippled and needed to be fixed so I decided just to replace it. Years ago I owned a 24 channel spirit and had to get the psu serviced a few times, it sucked

I also just sent my master section to him for modding and can't wait to hear it.
Was that easy to do, replacing the power supply? Did you get this one: http://parts.digikey.com/1/parts/136837 ... -5-ag.html ? It doesn't supply the 48v right? COuld I still use the old power supply for that? Confused about all this business.
Yes that's the one this is the +48 supply

179-2315-ND 53.12000 53.12 T
LINEAR SUPPLY 48V/.5A OUTPUT

A tech friend of mine put it together but I know it wasn't that big of a deal. He tapped into the existing harness in the mixer so the old psu connector is is still hooked up and usable if need be.

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