Topic: Greetings... my new mic preamp.

[boojum]

My only question:  how does it sound?  I would hope to hell it is a clean, neutral pre-amp.  The other bells and whistles are nice, but it just has to sound good.

Cheers

[fivefishdiy]

Is that a Jensen transformer on the bottom pic to the left?

Close... it's a Cinemag. Same "DNA" though


My only question:  how does it sound?  I would hope to hell it is a clean, neutral pre-amp.  The other bells and whistles are nice, but it just has to sound good.

I'd like to say it is very clean and sounds great. But don't take my word for it. Here are some customer comments:
http://fivefishstudios.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=46

And some mention in MIX magazine....

MIX Magazine, May 2008

I got some free publicity in MIX magazine in last month's May 2008 issue. The article is  a review/shootout between a Peluso and vintage Telefunken microphones by Barry Rudolph, LA Engineer and MIX gear reviewer. He chose my preamp to test both these expensive microphones. i.e. Peluso 47SE mic ($1966)

Here's the link to the mic article... http://mixonline.com/gear/reviews/audio_peluso_se_tube

Another MIX mag gear review of IK Multimedia ARC software ... http://www.barryrudolph.com/mix/arc.html
SC-1 mic pre used too. 

I tried both my RTZ Audio microphone pre-amp with transformers and my hand-built Five Fish Studios SC-1 direct-coupled unit. Apparently both were flat enough--I could discern no difference in the results with either pre-amp.

The RTZ is an awesome preamp... costs $1595. I feel good that my lowly SC-1 pre could hold up on it's own.

[fivefishdiy]

Today, I worked on the case.   This is my current case for the prototype. This will NOT be the case used for the "Tapers Edition" preamp. Instead, it will be wider to accomodate 2 channels and 4 full-size XLR jacks, but shorter in height.

For now, I just want to get this prototype in a case.


The case is extruded aluminum with PCB guiderails. It has good shielding characteristics. In addition, I add some support bolts to the PCB. I want to make sure the PCB is securely fastened to the case.

I laid out the parts and dimensions, and used it to generate the necessary Gcode files for my CNC machine. Went down to the garage and start miling. In a minute or two, it's done.



Test fit... and all the holes align perfectly. 



Attach the nuts, looks good.


Start mounting the VU meter, attaching the XLR jacks, and knobs.

Rear view of the XLR jacks... perfect holes.


And it's done. Single channel prototype.


I'll play with this for a few days, just to make sure everything is alright. Then, I'll loan this single-channel pre to you guys. If I get good feedback from this, I'll proceed forward and make the 2-ch version with all the doodads (i.e. features) you guys requested.

[muj]

i think a lot of people would be happy if they had the lundahl LL7903 on he input

[ero3030]

2 channel here we come!!   ed  edit: is there a name u r considering?

[bluegrass_brad]

That looks sweet!

[fivefishdiy]

is there a name u r considering?

Right now, I'm just calling it my "SC-1 Tapers Edition" preamp.... to distinguish it from my SC-1 kit, and my SC-1 Solo. (SC are the initials of a recording related website where this preamp was originally conceived back in Feb 2007 - StudioCentral).

Maybe it should be called "TS-1 Tapers Edition" since it will be born here...

Any suggestions?

[datbrad]

One suggestion. Most tapers have their gear in Portabrace style cases, or camera cases where the recorder/pre is sitting down in the bag on it's tail or back end. The Sound Devices Mixers such as the MixPre and 302 have nothing on the tail or back end as far as connectors. All connectors are side accessable, so there is no gravity strain on the connectors such as the Grace and Apogee units face. When you build a 2 channel version, you would really get great response if you have the input/output connectors on the ends, but the control surfaces on the side facing out. Again, take a look at the Sound Devices and Grace units to see the form factor I am speaking of. Great work otherwise !!!

+T

[bluegrass_brad]

is there a name u r considering?

Right now, I'm just calling it my "SC-1 Tapers Edition" preamp.... to distinguish it from my SC-1 kit, and my SC-1 Solo. (SC are the initials of a recording related website where this preamp was originally conceived back in Feb 2007 - StudioCentral).

Maybe it should be called "TS-1 Tapers Edition" since it will be born here...

Any suggestions?

Why not simply the SC-2 Stereo Pre-amp?

[OOK]

Some possible names:

SC-2
TSP-2 , Tapers Section Pre
The Little Black Box
Genesis 2,  You know a new begining in dirrection for your preamps.
TAPT-2,   stands for "Tapers Are Professional Too"


Peace OOK

[IowaClint]

Any idea of what the price point will be? 
~Clint

[balou2]

Are you suggesting we call it Clint?    I kind prefer "The Pickle Weasel"

Damn...that thing looks like a Jenny Craig'd 148!  If it sounds that good, we're all in for it!  Have you even THOUGHT about what you might charge per unit?

[Colin Liston]

Very cool news.  Good job!

[fivefishdiy]

Thanks for the messages and replies.  (Weird... somehow, the forum stopped sending me email notifications... I'm not getting them anymore. )

DATBRAD
Thanks for that tip. I've been looking at similar kind of cases made of aluminum with swing out handles, but it cost $100+! And that's without any machining yet, or silkscreen/engraving.  I think I may have thought of a McGyver solution using a stock part item with some extra machining work, but I'lll need a few more days to think about it... and "sacrifice" a $50 case for this experiment.


OOK
TSP-2 , Tapers Section Pre .... hmmm... TP-2? (T.P. .... might sound crappy), TS-2 

I think I like the sound of "TS-2" ... TS-2 Tapers Preamp

IowaClint
Price point?  Nothing definite yet.  Too early to say.

But here's some thoughts... I sell my 2 channels of pre, plus PSU, plus Power Transformer for $275... but it's in DIY KIT form.  I sell a ready-made 2-ch unit for $650. But it's housed in a 1u rack case with 110/220V PSU.  So in this case, you'll get a ready-made 2-ch unit without the transformer and without a rack case... but still using some sort of portacase, but with other features added also.  So whatever the final selling price, It's probably going to be somewhere in between.

Thanks all!

[BobbyHurley]

Integral (to case) metering is a must, 5 led at a minimum as those of us running 16 bits need to run HOT! The more fine grained the metering , the better.
Joe

Agreed if I can get a pair of solid coaxes out > a nice pair of system cables, we should be in busisness. Now what I can't fiure iut iszzzzzzzzComcast @ HDMI and I acan't connect threstereo. to the CD/Widesceen
ertc