500 Series - How did you get started?

antilog · Post by **antilog** » Fri Dec 25, 2009 7:28 pm

I've been wanting to enter the 500 series market, and am wondering how others got started - buying a lunchbox and an API pre, or a fully loaded luncbox, esed, new, etc. I see Free Lunchbox deals when you buy 4 500 units, but am considering just starting with a lunchbox and a single pre. I am curious to hear any advice and input!

As some background, my current pres are A&H ZED R16, PreSonus FireStudio Project, (2) JoeMeek 3Q's and a 6Q. I am considering buying one or two pres.

sir hills · Post by **sir hills** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 8:13 am

I started with a Purple Audio Sweet Ten & 2 512c's & built from there. I did quite a bit of research & the Sweet Ten seemed like the best option for me to build for the future. I do a lot of remote work & don't have space for a console at my home studio. I like (the thought) that I could fill it with 10 pres for tracking, take it home, trade out a few pres for eq's & dynamics, put in the Moiyn 8x2 mix module & use it as a mixer/summing box. I do not have the Moiyn module (yet) but the rack & Purple modules I have are a very solid build & have had no issues since day 1. I was enticed by the free rack deals but am happy I chose the Sweet Ten...I would have quickly grown out of the 6 spacer. A search here turns up good experiences with the Brent Averill boxes, API also makes a 10 spacer, Atlas Pro Audio...so on...

Judging by your current pres, maybe a pair of pres with color, or a pre paired with an eq or compressor could be a cool tracking chain to build from. I'm a drummer so the 512c's were at the top of my list & now that I have them I'll keep 'em forever. Sound great on most anything. Also, most high-end audio dealers would be willing to send you demo modules so you can try stuff out for the cost of shipping.

The 500 format is a great way to get in to various outboard & build as funds permit/necessity calls. That's what sold me.

snatchman · Post by **snatchman** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 11:11 am

I bought the rack/power supply first. It was almost 4/5 months later before I could afford my first pre..!..

..After the first pre, things seemed to become a little easier getting them..( trade a piece of gear here,sell a piece there...

.) Good luck

antilog · Post by **antilog** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 11:23 am

Thanks for the info. I hadn't considered the 10 space rack until now, and it makes sense. I am looking at the Radial Workhorse 5000, looks bling. First pre I'm looking at either

- shadow hills mono
- chandler germanium (if i can find one)
- api 512c
- GR MP500NVg

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 12:12 pm

I bought a six-space Averill and pair of API 560Bs first, but only because I had just enough money to buy that stuff and I had a mix session coming up. I bought a pair of 512C preamps soon after. Maybe a year or two after that, I bought a pair of vintage 550As.

A little while later, when I took over at Old House, I traded the 6-space for an 11-space and put some of the studio's modules in the bigger rack. (The studio had three Averill-racked 312s and three 550Bs.) About two years agao, I bought a pair of Buzz Elixers. If you do the math, that's a handul of modules not in the rack. Stuff switches out from time-to-time, but the 560Bs (even though I love them) aren't curerently in the rack because I have four Sphere 900 graphics in another box down below them.

I love all the modules I have and use them all frequently (except the 560Bs, which don't get used simply because I've got the Spheres and not enough room in the rack).

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 12:14 pm

PS-- If I were buying from the ground up, I'd probably get a Purple Audio rack, since they seem incredibly over-engineered and I have gotten seevral reports from people with very discerning ears that they sound superior to most other 500-series racks. These are people I tend to believe on such matters.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

losthighway · Post by **losthighway** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 3:32 pm

I started with a 6 space API and one 512c. I loved it. Eventually I made enough money for a Great River 500mpnv. Then I got a second 512c. Soon I am getting another GR and then the 6 space will be full cause the Great Rivers take up 2 spaces. I find being able to go back and forth between those to sonic flavors to be very nice.

When I first looked into it I thought about getting a ten space because I knew how I am slowly and steadily filling my space with gear, but the 10 space costs more than twice as much as the 6 space. Sure it's nice to have things in a rack but the idea of having 12 500 series spaces and change to spare compared to the 10 seems more appealing. Maybe I need to see what kind of a deal those Purple's are.

In the mean time how does a lunchbox or rack sound better? Cleaner signal?

sir hills · Post by **sir hills** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 6:26 pm

The Purple has a better power supply & is magnetically shielded. Probably better wiring, connectors & general build. I used a loaner 6B (from Mercenary) while waiting for Andrew to finish new stock of Sweet Tens last year. I haven't heard any others but the Purple does sound better than the 6B. Yes, more clear (lower noise) & just seems to push all the modules better...

digitaldrummer · Post by **digitaldrummer** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 6:40 pm

I started out with a used 6B Lunchbox and 3 of the Old School Audio pres - these are really underrated. If you like the API sound these are really close for a lot less $$$. I still have 4 different OSA pres. Oh yeah, did I mention I quickly outgrew the lunchbox because I sold off a bunch of the channels of Yamaha PM1000 I had (but yes I still kept some of those too) and bought more 500 series stuff... I eventually got the API 500 10-slot rack and at one point even overflowed that. I'm currently at an even 10 modules although I would love to get another lunchbox and stuff it with compressors and EQs.

something to consider on the lunchbox vs. rack is if you ever travel to other studio and may want to take your pres with you - the lunch box is much easier to carry around (the 10 slot has a separate power supply)

Mike

snatchman · Post by **snatchman** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 7:03 pm

digitaldrummer wrote:I started out with a used 6B Lunchbox and 3 of the Old School Audio pres - these are really underrated. If you like the API sound these are really close for a lot less $$$. I still have 4 different OSA pres. Oh yeah, did I mention I quickly outgrew the lunchbox because I sold off a bunch of the channels of Yamaha PM1000 I had (but yes I still kept some of those too) and bought more 500 series stuff... I eventually got the API 500 10-slot rack and at one point even overflowed that. I'm currently at an even 10 modules although I would love to get another lunchbox and stuff it with compressors and EQs.

something to consider on the lunchbox vs. rack is if you ever travel to other studio and may want to take your pres with you - the lunch box is much easier to carry around(the 10 slot has a separate pwoer supply)

Mike

Ditto on the OSA pres..!. I like them very much..Have a nice natural sound, especially the high end. Not " convoluted sounding" as some others I've heard/had..I'd like to get a dedicated rack for EQs/compressors as well..The OSA power supply will drive two racks.. Maybe I'll pick up one of the BA racks as I hear they are compatiable to the OSA PSU...

jgimbel · Post by **jgimbel** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 6:40 pm

Hey I have a really stupid question that's only related to some of the things people have said on here, saying about using certain pre's for mixing. I can only do ITB mixing in my setup hence my lack of experience, but when you're mixing, you run tracks through pre's again? Wouldn't having them go through the pre when recorded, then another pre make them too loud, twice amplified? This would make me think maybe for mixing you'd run it through another pre just for a color, not for increasing volume, but I was under the impression that pre's mostly impart noticeable color when being used to increase the gain, not left at 0/all the way down. I know people will mix through analog boards but I always thought maybe this was just for the mixing itself and that the inputs were left down/neutral.

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 11:29 pm

digitaldrummer wrote:something to consider on the lunchbox vs. rack is if you ever travel to other studio and may want to take your pres with you - the lunch box is much easier to carry around (the 10 slot has a separate power supply)

Yeah, but then you have to find some kind of box that you feel comfortable carrying your lunchbox in. With a ten or eleven-space unit, you can throw it in a rack, wrap up the PSU, and stuff it in the back of the rack for easy travel. That's what I do with mine all the time and it's MUCH easier for me now then when I had to deal with carrying around the six-space lunchbox was.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

CedarSound · Post by **CedarSound** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 8:54 am

I started with a api 6 spacer and one 512C.
Later, I added an Avedis MA5. Then, a year later, another 512C.

That's what's great about the lunchbox, imo, you can add as you can afford it.

jspartz · Post by **jspartz** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 11:58 am

I stumbled into a situation where I found a good deal on an OSA 11 space rack and two older OSA modules. I agree that the OSA pre's are a great place to start. They sound really good and often are a little easier on the pocket book (used). I have the two mutants from OSA then I added the Shadow Hills mono gama. Next I did two of the Eisen original DIY500 kits to make a couple API clones. That is where I am at. Good luck to you!

joninc · Post by **joninc** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 2:18 pm

i got a brent averill 6 space used and bought 2 vintage 550bs from a friend. then a 560 and a chandler germ. then a 512. i liked the germ a lot more than the 512 (too boring - don't shoot me!) so i sold the 512 and get another germ and another 560.

i loooove chandler stuff. i have a tg2 as well and would love a tg1 or some more germ gear.... or the red devils...

Message Board

500 Series - How did you get started?

500 Series - How did you get started?

Who is online