Sta Level

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goose134
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Sta Level

Post by goose134 » Tue Apr 09, 2013 9:55 pm

A friend of mine has built a circuit modeled version of a Sta Level compressor. I do some recording with friends and let's just say we have unpredictable levels from person to person. I'd use this equipment more as a limiter than anything, which it does phenomenally well. He's willing to sell it at parts cost for $500. Worth it? It also comes with a mic pre that he built.

Apparently ART pres are not really up to the challenge of driving this thing.
I make a living as an electrician, not recording in the basement.

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A.David.MacKinnon
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Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Wed Apr 10, 2013 6:11 am

If it sounds even 50% like the real deal it's worth $500.

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Post by emrr » Thu Apr 11, 2013 8:38 am

It's probably $500 worth of parts.
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Post by jgimbel » Thu Apr 11, 2013 8:57 am

goose134 wrote:He's willing to sell it at parts cost for $500.
emrr wrote:It's probably $500 worth of parts.
I'd say so!
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Post by losthighway » Thu Apr 11, 2013 11:42 am

Yeah, something fishy must be going on. I could perhaps think of my STA level as a very soft limiter. But that doesn't really feel like it says what they do. They let a lot of motion through even when they're taking things down 20db.

Somebodies gain though if they know what to do with the parts.

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goose134
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Post by goose134 » Thu Apr 11, 2013 8:10 pm

No this is what he says it is. He's actually a very good friend who builds things like this in his spare time. I'm getting it for cost of parts in exchange for some electrical work at his house. I've never really used outboard compressors, let alone vintage ones. Looking for thoughts on the utility of such a piece.

I guess I don't really mean a limiter. I mean hammering down vocal outbursts and such. I know it can do that in spades.
I make a living as an electrician, not recording in the basement.

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Post by tonewoods » Thu Apr 11, 2013 9:31 pm

goose134 wrote:I've never really used outboard compressors, let alone vintage ones. Looking for thoughts on the utility of such a piece.

I guess I don't really mean a limiter. I mean hammering down vocal outbursts and such. I know it can do that in spades.
I use my Sta-Level more as a flavoring device than a limiter, but my my what a flavor....
I mostly use it on bass and kicks, and it imparts a smooshy glue that just kind of melts the bass into the mix in a way that other boxes don't...

YMMV...
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Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Fri Apr 12, 2013 9:19 am

tonewoods wrote: I mostly use it on bass and kicks, and it imparts a smooshy glue that just kind of melts the bass into the mix in a way that other boxes don't...

YMMV...
yep. I also use it as parallel compression on kick & snare. It's amazing.

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Post by tonewoods » Fri Apr 12, 2013 9:28 am

A.David.MacKinnon wrote:
tonewoods wrote: I mostly use it on bass and kicks, and it imparts a smooshy glue that just kind of melts the bass into the mix in a way that other boxes don't...

YMMV...
yep. I also use it as parallel compression on kick & snare. It's amazing.
Thanks for that...!
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Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Sun Apr 14, 2013 5:21 am

Using the Sta-Level for vocals this week-end. Coles ribbon into a True pre into the sta-lavel. Sounds beautiful.

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Post by Mixwell » Tue May 07, 2013 8:00 am

A.David.MacKinnon wrote:Using the Sta-Level for vocals this week-end. Coles ribbon into a True pre into the sta-lavel. Sounds beautiful.
Oh yes! Coles 4038 - Clean Pre with Drive - into a RETRO STA Level doing some lovely enveloping. Now That is ONE amazing sound!

The RETRO STA level adds some THICK lush, weight to the sound that is priceless. Phil really knocked it outta the park on that one.

It has a very amazing compression quality to it, that can be effortless and pretty "buoyant". It will level off peaks with the greatest of ease...
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A.David.MacKinnon
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Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Tue May 07, 2013 12:03 pm

Mixwell wrote:
A.David.MacKinnon wrote:Using the Sta-Level for vocals this week-end. Coles ribbon into a True pre into the sta-lavel. Sounds beautiful.
Oh yes! Coles 4038 - Clean Pre with Drive - into a RETRO STA Level doing some lovely enveloping. Now That is ONE amazing sound!

The RETRO STA level adds some THICK lush, weight to the sound that is priceless. Phil really knocked it outta the park on that one.

It has a very amazing compression quality to it, that can be effortless and pretty "buoyant". It will level off peaks with the greatest of ease...
I can't speak to the Retro reissue. We're running the original Gates version.

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losthighway
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Post by losthighway » Wed May 08, 2013 4:45 pm

I've got the Retro reissue. I love it. I haven't had an opportunity to stack an original next to it.

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Post by Marc Alan Goodman » Fri May 10, 2013 9:53 am

We finally have a retro next to our original in the studio this week, however we've been too damn busy to give them a comparative listen. I'm hoping to get a chance early next week some time, and I'll let you all know if I do.

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Post by evilaudio » Mon May 27, 2013 9:43 am

FWIW - I built a full-size DRIP clone for around $700 and never regretted it. It was fun and sounds ...amazing!
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