OSA gear

[McPhaul]

I am curious about OSA mic pres. The info at their website of course makes their gear sound like the cats meow, but the last poster in the prior thread had API, BAE, and OSA and ended the post with "anyone want my OSA". The price point of 2 pre's and an 8 unit rack w/ power supply for $1399. sounds good, but only if the pre's are good.

Does anyone have any OSA experiances they could share.

Sorry but the thread I was directed to earlier today did not help.

Thanks
Will

[jspartz]

Well I have a pair of the MP1-L and enjoy them. The SM-7 into one of them is one of my main go-to vocal chains. I talked to Dale quite a bit before I bought them. He was great to deal with. I would love to fill out the rack (eleven slots). The power supply is setup to power two seperate racks. I have not used the other modules they offer.

Jason

[wing]

Maybe that guy just has extras? Some swear by the BAE clones, others swear by the OSA clones... really the OSA modules are truly kick ass for the price, they are totally stellar compared to a lot of other stuff out there anyway. Definitely has their own sound... maybe the guy just prefers the BAE sound? It's really all subjective and a matter of opinion. I use the OSA stuff and I think it all sounds exceptional. Definitely not crap here... and the guy that owns and runs it is really friendly and helpful as well.

[Slider]

I personally found the price not very different for the OSA's vs the API's, so I opted to get the API's since I used them in many studios and knew I liked them.
I called around and got a great deal.
I've never used the OSA's so I can't say if they're better or worse.
If you get good response from people who love OSA's then try them.
I think they have a return policy.
I bet they're pretty good if Mark Linnett and other API fans use them. Certainly usable no matter how they compare with the API's.

[cgarges]

I'd be willing to bet that if you've never had your hands on any API stuff, you'd be totally jazzed about these things. Most of the people I know who have them dig them, but I've never used the OSA stuff.

If you want API, just buy API. But there are people who say that the new API stuff doesn't sound as good as the old API stuff. I like the new API stuff better than the older Averill API stuff (made with API parts), but I think I'm in the minority. I can say without any uncertainty that Avedis' opamps sound terrific. The older API consoles that I've had my hands on have been modded beyond the point of really being true older APIs and they sounded great. I love the newer API Legacy Plus consoles as well.

If it's a good deal buy it and if you hate it, you could probably sell it without taking a loss.

If I had debated these type of semantics until I had a definitive answer from somebody before I bought my first piece of API gear,. I would still be without any API stuff because the debates are based on individual asthetics and if this thread is any indication, they'll continue for a LONG TIME.

I understand that $1300 is a lot of money, but at some point you have to just make a decision for yourself and either buy it or not. If you can check it out first, awesome. If not, that makes the decision mopre difficult, but it doesn't change the fact that you have to make the decision.

If you use the search function here and take the time to weed through the HUNDREDS of posts about API, OSA, and Averill stuff, you'll see that there were some compatibility issues with certain modules fitting securely into certain racks. If this concerns you, then don't buy the ones that are an issue. If you can deal with it, like some people have, then buy whatever's cheapest.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[I'm Painting Again]

you can hear wavs of the api 312 and osa on drums here :

http://www.goeasygo.com/

listen carefully for a while for clarity, murk in the lows and hash in the highs..

i know which i like better..

and forget "colour" or "flavour" a mic amp is a mic amp and the real value lies in the way tracks mix together in the final product..id take the high resolution of preamp x over the nasty buildup across all my tracks on preamp y..

[standup]

I am curious about OSA mic pres. Does anyone have any OSA experiances they could share.

Sorry but the thread I was directed to earlier today did not help.

Thanks
Will

I've got Averill API (the old ones, prior to the Avedis opamp, which I haven't heard). I've also got OSA here, which I got prior to them implementing their model nomenclature, so not real sure which "model".

I find them both good, with the OSA's brighter/more forward (sometimes harsher), the API's fuller/warmer.

If that helps.
Eric Agner

[Nathan Eldred]

I've also got OSA here, which I got prior to them implementing their model nomenclature, so not real sure which "model".

You should be able to tell by the type of transformer used on the input. The only transformer that isn't labeled is the custom Crimson transformer used on the "C" (aka "vintage") model. All the OSA's, because of their different input transformers, have a very different character from each other. The Lundahls sound different from the Crimson, which sounds different from the Altran. Also, with there now being two models that utlilize two models of Lundahl, the L model (1538XL) and the L3 (7903), they sound very different from each other too.

There have been multiple revisions of the OSA preamps starting from approximately 6 years ago. If basing their sound on anything but their current model productions won't be representative of what you get now in 2004. And basing the generalized sound of of OSA on one single model of OSA preamp, will only be partially consistent with the rest of the line.

Trina Shoemaker, Les Paul, & Daniel Lanois are using them. I just used them all over a full length I did with a band called 'Sudden Death'...it looks like they'll tentatively be getting a contract with Capitol Records. In front of a 2500 person "genre specific" (metal) crowd at a TAXI event two weeks ago in LA....with A&R reps from various record companies. It went down like this...A&R guys, and the bass player from White Zombie instructed the band consisting of hopeful band/TAXI members to raise their hand if they didn't like the CD being played. After 2-1/2 hours of painful listening to over 200 bands being rejected by at least 50% of the crowd...2nd to the last CD played is 'Sudden Death'. Half the crowd puts up their hands, drums come in, half of those people put their hands down (meaning they like it), vocals come in, almost everyone else puts their hands down. Guy from Capitol asks representative band member to come up front, my friend Beau (guitarist of the band) goes up, White Zombie's bassist gives him a hug and crowd gives him a standing ovation. They discussed the CD and asked him who recorded it, complimenting the music and the quality of the production. In front of 2500 people at the TAXI rally the A&R guy from Capitol says he'll be sending a contract to them. And if they do get signed, and I end up recording it, I'll be using OSA on the next one too.

API is great stuff, BAE is great stuff, OSA is great stuff. I'm grateful that it all fits in the same rack. One of the singular beautiful things about OSA is that you aren't stuck with only one sound in the modular system. Personally, I couldn't see myself having more than 4 of any one type of the same preamp. I need variety, being able to fit 11 modules of 4 different in a 3 rack space is something many enjoy exploring to good effect.

[McPhaul]

Thanks all.

For the money and the 8 vs 6 rack I think the OSAs will win the first round. I may try to add an API piece or two into the rack but I think the OSA rack and two pres will be first.

Will

[Slider]

Update.
I tried the MP1-L's against the API 512c's yesterday.
The API sounded more forward and aggresive.
We both prefered the API's when testing a pair of 414's on drums in Glyn Johns position.

Api's were brighter and sounded closer.

On kick drum we prefered the OSA which had a bit more low end than the API.
They were actually pretty close over all.
I'm posting this because it just happens we tried them out back to back yesterday.
I have API's my buddy has OSA's.
They're both cool.

-M

[kellyd]

I'm the guy that offered up my OSAs. Sorry, broke my finger Monday so I haven't posted.
I wasn't bagging on the OSA, I just prefer my 512C & 312As. That's why I'm selling them. K.

[Nathan Eldred]

If anyone is looking for the more "midrange/closer/aggressive" sound in the OSA's, the "C" (Vintage) model is the one to listen to. The L's are going to be a bit thicker in the lows, and smoother/mellow in the mids as compared to the C model of OSA. It looks like Kellyd and Slider both have "L" models, the C would be a more apples to apples comparison to the 512C or Brents 312.

[SeventhCircle]

Somebody posted this on our message board the other day. You might find it interesting.

I took my A12, which had been powered up and had the voltage tweaked but had otherwise been untested, to Michael Wagener's production workshop in Nashville, where we used it in a mic pre shootout. Michael was quite surprised (and impressed) when it sounded exactly like an early API card he has in his massive stable of pres. We ended up cutting a track with it on one of the drum tracks (I forgot which one; there were 16 mics involved!)

I also brought an N72 and a J99, which also worked well (the first time!) but we haven't used yet (just drums and bass done so far.) The J99 does sound a bit different than the Hardy M1 we compared it to, even to my relatively naive ears; I think the mids were a little lower than the M1, but after three days of intense work I can't quite keep track of it all.

(Insert off-topic plug for Michael's workshop here. By far the best money I've spent on audio yet. Well, other than my SCA pres. )

This A12 was built with the "stock" CineMag input and Profile Electronics output transformers, and had our own SC25 discrete op-amp. The A12 board will also accept Jensen, Altran, and Lundahl input transformers, and probably a few others I haven't tested yet. It's easy to swap the output transformer as well, which also has a big effect on character.

[McPhaul]

I'm the guy that offered up my OSAs. Sorry, broke my finger Monday so I haven't posted.
I wasn't bagging on the OSA, I just prefer my 512C & 312As. That's why I'm selling them. K.

What model and how much?

I might be a taker.

Thanks,
Will

[kellyd]

Actually Nathan, I have the C & the L versions.