OSA 500 series mic preamps - thoughts or opinions?

tomhampton · Post by **tomhampton** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 9:54 am

I did a forum search, and dug back to the first of the year and didn't really see much that would shed any light on this, so I thought I'd just come out and ask:

With the proliferation of boutique 500 series gear, has the OSA stuff lost its mojo? Did it ever really have any mojo in the first place? I've heard some pros speak highly of them, but the prices they're going for nowadays on the used market tells a different story.

Anybody willing to testify on their behalf, or likewise talk me out of buying one if it comes my way?

^^^^(ultimate gesture of trust in the community here...asking you to pass judgement before i write a check)^^^^^

Thanks, everybody.

Nick Sevilla · Post by **Nick Sevilla** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 11:04 am

Tonelux.

DougK · Post by **DougK** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 5:52 pm

The osa "big daddy" pres I had were every bit as good as the shadow hills or api's I had next to them... in their own way, big and warm.

snatchman · Post by **snatchman** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 10:27 am

DougK wrote:The osa "big daddy" pres I had were every bit as good as the shadow hills or api's I had next to them... in their own way, big and warm.

+1 here..I think they are very good sounding pres...A little effy on the build quality but holds it's own sonically..

tomhampton · Post by **tomhampton** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 11:37 am

well, the build quality issue you point out might answer my question. i've never heard anyone say anything bad about them from a sonic standpoint, but i've certainly noticed that while even the FiveFish and the CAPI "DIY" pres tend to sell in the $350-400 range on eBay when they show up there, the OSA's seem to go for about the same (or sometimes less) than those do...and certainly nowhere near the 500-750 range of some of the others (true/shadow hills/purple/etc).

me being me, i figured there had to be a reason for that....

DougK · Post by **DougK** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 12:23 pm

Weren't osa available as a kit as well as built?
Of the three I used, one had a faulty 1/4" input.
The build looked and felt as robust as the api's (but not the shadow hills).

snatchman · Post by **snatchman** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 1:14 am

tomhampton wrote:well, the build quality issue you point out might answer my question. i've never heard anyone say anything bad about them from a sonic standpoint, but i've certainly noticed that while even the FiveFish and the CAPI "DIY" pres tend to sell in the $350-400 range on eBay when they show up there, the OSA's seem to go for about the same (or sometimes less) than those do...and certainly nowhere near the 500-750 range of some of the others (true/shadow hills/purple/etc).

me being me, i figured there had to be a reason for that....

I don't think ( could be wrong) the OSA were DIY...I think the difference in build quality is that when the OSA was first introduced, it was a long time ago..I don't think OSA did much altering from that time till present..Technology, tools/etc. has improved so much from the time the OSA was introduced that the newer pres mentioned probably have better tolerences,engraving,robotics,etc. is cheaper/faster..OSA being a small operation at the time, was probably more of an "one off" and not really meaning to be a full blown operation as most of today..Not affiliated with OSA ,but just thinking out loud and like the pre's..!

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 10:14 pm

I have an eleven-space OSA 500-series rack that's been perfectly great for me for the past nine or ten years.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

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OSA 500 series mic preamps - thoughts or opinions?

OSA 500 series mic preamps - thoughts or opinions?

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