Altec Lansing 1678C- usable as pres without mod?

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jeddypoo
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Altec Lansing 1678C- usable as pres without mod?

Post by jeddypoo » Wed Mar 16, 2016 11:33 pm

Okay so I've got a line on a wicked cheap Altec Lansing 1678C. Appears to have direct outs on each channel but I know people mod these channels to make them "truly independent"- my question is, if I don't do the mod/s, is this thing still usable as a rack of pres? Especially for drums? Is it lacking enough gain per channel or some such?

Thanks in advance, feel like this thing is so cheap and the pres on these have a good enough rep that I should just get it, but I really don't want to be messing with mods right now.
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A.David.MacKinnon
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Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Thu Mar 17, 2016 9:06 am

I don't know that particular model but I like most of the altec stuff I've come across. Lots of the mixer (without line outs) have pretty low channel output when modded for directs. Lots of the overall gain came from the master section.

The one you've got here looks like it might be just fine as 8 pres though. The data sheet says it's got 94db of gain and line outputs will be nominally -10db to a maximum of +24db.

I'd say go for it. If it doesn't do what you want you can always sell it again.

http://www.vintagealtecinfo.com/PNGs/16 ... ge%204.png

jeddypoo
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Altec Lansing 1678C- usable as pres without mod?

Post by jeddypoo » Thu Mar 17, 2016 12:22 pm

ah, thank you very much, definitely helpful.
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emrr
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Post by emrr » Thu Apr 07, 2016 9:09 am

Sine these are designed for voice level work, it's likely they will overload very easily without an input pad.
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jeddypoo
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yup

Post by jeddypoo » Thu Apr 07, 2016 11:34 am

They did indeed! However a few Hosa input pad transformers (switchable -10 to -40db) took care of that and I can indeed confirm that these are really nice sounding pres!
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Post by Spark » Sun Jun 12, 2016 10:26 pm

If you havent, you should read this thread. They are cool pres when its all said and done.

http://messageboard.tapeop.com/viewtopi ... c&&start=0

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Post by jeddypoo » Mon Jun 13, 2016 2:26 pm

Thanks! Yeah I have it working fine with dB pads at the inputs but it'd be nice to have it so that phantom power worked properly and the pots actually did something. That said, I'm getting a lot of drum tracking use out of it and it sounds really nice
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