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Author Topic: Checkout this custom 4-channel Church-Audio CA-UGLY preamp  (Read 10333 times)

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Offline dnuggs

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Re: Checkout this custom 4-channel Church-Audio CA-UGLY preamp
« Reply #15 on: September 25, 2015, 09:04:11 AM »
I am diggin that microdot breakout cable along with the one in/out mini xlr connection.   Cool compact setup as always Lee  8) 

Offline Gutbucket

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Re: Checkout this custom 4-channel Church-Audio CA-UGLY preamp
« Reply #16 on: September 25, 2015, 02:52:11 PM »
Hey D, yeah the microdot breakout is very nicely done and super clean.   That actually may be the biggest immediate "end-result" improvement as my aging DIY microdot to mini-plug 'Y' adapters were beginning to develop intermittencies and need re-soldering again.  I'll snap a closeup of the in-line female dot terminations on it which I think Chris fashioned from panel-mount connectors when I get a chance.  Those aren't ugly at all!

weroflu, now that this is has been streamlined, I'm hoping to do some testing to determine how significant the improvement will be moving from the existing 4 channel surround array to 5 or 6 channels to see it it's worth the effort to do that regularly.  I've done a few rough tests of that but nothing conclusive or in optimal recording situations.  Those additional channels will allow me to use a rear-facing stereo pair for audience and hall ambience, instead of a single rear-facing mic (that's the 5th channel, which I would already have included if I could've done so easily).  I'm thinking the "extra" 6th channel may be useful for either a figure-8, positioned to be coincident with the omni center channel which will then from a M/S pair (using one of the new Naiant low-voltage figure 8's I have on order with Jon which should ship soon), or a single highly directional hyper/supercardioid which I can point independently of the main 5 channel baffled omni array.   A third option may be using the 5th channel for a second figure-8 coincident with the existing single rear-facing baffled omni, forming two mirrored forward and rearward facing M/S pairs.  I think that's worth a try, and should be an interesting test, but I doubt that's where I end up with this.

I'll do these tests by recording to a second DR2d which will up the available recorded channel count to 8, using one of my 2ch CA-UGLYs for the two additional mics.  Although doing that means reverting to needing to sync recordings from 2 separate recorders again, doing so will be much easier this time around since I plan to 'mult' one or two mic channels so they are sent to both recorders.  Those identical channels in the file sets will make sync'ing and aligning the filesets much easier with far greater accuracy- potentially with absolutely perfect sample-accurate sync.  Plus, by using the IR remote I can start or stop recording on both DR2ds with a single button-press as long as their IR receivers can both "see" the IR remote.
« Last Edit: September 25, 2015, 02:55:18 PM by Gutbucket »
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Offline voltronic

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Re: Checkout this custom 4-channel Church-Audio CA-UGLY preamp
« Reply #17 on: September 26, 2015, 10:53:24 PM »
^ Why such a harsh response?  This isn't one of your sales threads in Retail Space.  Don't we talk about alternative products in threads that were originally about a different product?   If he has said this in a retail space thread where you're actively selling something, I think you'd have a right to be pissed.  But that's not where we are.

That said, I think if weroflu is looking to sell a product, he should start his own sales thread and not try to market it here.
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Offline weroflu

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Re: Checkout this custom 4-channel Church-Audio CA-UGLY preamp
« Reply #18 on: September 27, 2015, 03:17:23 AM »
Guys calm down...

If you read my other thread you would have seen that I am just a diy beginner, that's it. I also explicity stated before that I wanted to make these things totally free to the community, or possibly have a group of people get into making them for the community as an open source type of deal. The design is about as basic as you can get, just a simple op amp gain circuit right out of any 8th grade electronics beginners course.
I was sort of into donating some free time into helping people here get into some diy fun stuff. The story begins and ends right there.

Trust me the last thing I want to do with my life is make preamps for money.

The only reason I even got into it in the first place was to try to repair/retrain my brain to work better after I had suffered some damage.

It was Gutbucket's thread, he didn't mind.

I would never post something like this in Chris's thread - and I haven't.

And on top of that I have said before a few times that I love his ugly preamps, they are cool as hell. Plus I have praised his microphones before too.

Not that I have to stroke Chris, because he is way out in left field on this one, but just for the record he makes great stuff.

I should also have mentioned that this 4 channel preamp looks great, I'm sure it sounds great, totally professionall all the way.

*Buy Chris's preamps they are awesome.













« Last Edit: September 27, 2015, 05:39:15 AM by weroflu »

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Re: Checkout this custom 4-channel Church-Audio CA-UGLY preamp
« Reply #19 on: September 27, 2015, 04:39:38 PM »
I think I have an issue with the blatant selling on a thread that is praising my work. Yes I have a problem with it. I have gone into threads for example from Jon at Naiant only to say things like great work. Never to steer business my way. You went way out of your way to sell a product when the op was clearly waiting for another preamp to be built by me.... Saying things like its 1/4 the size of the ugly ect ect. So don't go pretending that's not what you did lol - anyway I'm done with this conversation I said what I wanted to say. Think about starting your on thread in the retail place... Go for it! It's easy to sit back and say you can do this or that better... Great go for it after 13 years in business you can tell me what's better or not. ;) I wish you luck with your product.

Chris he clearly states he is a hobbyist and is not looking to get into selling these. He even says he does it to help promote cognitive development after having a brain injury.

Learn to read and lighten up.

He didn't post this in your sale thread and you have no right whatsoever to tell people what to discuss on an open message board.

Every couple years you have a big hissy fit meltdown.

Cool it.
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Offline Church-Audio

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Re: Checkout this custom 4-channel Church-Audio CA-UGLY preamp
« Reply #20 on: September 27, 2015, 06:48:01 PM »
I think I have an issue with the blatant selling on a thread that is praising my work. Yes I have a problem with it. I have gone into threads for example from Jon at Naiant only to say things like great work. Never to steer business my way. You went way out of your way to sell a product when the op was clearly waiting for another preamp to be built by me.... Saying things like its 1/4 the size of the ugly ect ect. So don't go pretending that's not what you did lol - anyway I'm done with this conversation I said what I wanted to say. Think about starting your on thread in the retail place... Go for it! It's easy to sit back and say you can do this or that better... Great go for it after 13 years in business you can tell me what's better or not. ;) I wish you luck with your product.

Chris he clearly states he is a hobbyist and is not looking to get into selling these. He even says he does it to help promote cognitive development after having a brain injury.

Learn to read and lighten up.

He didn't post this in your sale thread and you have no right whatsoever to tell people what to discuss on an open message board.

Every couple years you have a big hissy fit meltdown.

Cool it.

You are right.. I was wrong to post anything. Thanks for the slap I needed it. It is getting up on two years since my last hissy fit. So yeah I guess I was more than a little hard. And should have re-read everything before posting.
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Offline ero3030

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Re: Checkout this custom 4-channel Church-Audio CA-UGLY preamp
« Reply #21 on: September 28, 2015, 03:40:52 PM »
Someone buy church audio some enclosures.  Dam thing super ugly!lol
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Offline Gutbucket

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Re: Checkout this custom 4-channel Church-Audio CA-UGLY preamp
« Reply #22 on: September 28, 2015, 04:34:56 PM »
Multiple roads to Rome.  Thanks to all of you guys building this kind of stuff, which is not typical, easily-available off-the-shelf mainstream gear.  Good to have multiple options from turn-key though more involved DIY, suiting the different desires and requirements of end users.

In this case form follows function.. where small is most definitely beautiful. 
musical volition > vibrations > voltages > numeric values > voltages > vibrations> virtual teleportation time-machine experience
Better recording made easy - >>Improved PAS table<< | Made excellent- >>click here to download the Oddball Microphone Technique illustrated PDF booklet<< (note: This is a 1st draft, now several years old and in need of revision!  Stay tuned)

Offline voltronic

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Re: Checkout this custom 4-channel Church-Audio CA-UGLY preamp
« Reply #23 on: September 28, 2015, 05:41:58 PM »
Agreed that the Ugly is a cool device, but I wouldn't be as concerned with it's lack-of-prettyness as much as I would worry about all of that epoxy being mistaken for a different kind of device by security staff!
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Offline edmaddict

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Re: Checkout this custom 4-channel Church-Audio CA-UGLY preamp
« Reply #24 on: October 23, 2015, 04:35:48 PM »
Love the locking mini-xlr connectors. I've grown to hate trs connections.

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Re: Checkout this custom 4-channel Church-Audio CA-UGLY preamp
« Reply #25 on: October 24, 2015, 01:15:30 PM »
Agreed that the Ugly is a cool device, but I wouldn't be as concerned with it's lack-of-prettyness as much as I would worry about all of that epoxy being mistaken for a different kind of device by security staff!

Just dont say it's a clock made by abdul, your adoptive son.

Offline Church-Audio

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Re: Checkout this custom 4-channel Church-Audio CA-UGLY preamp
« Reply #26 on: November 23, 2015, 09:12:15 PM »
Agreed that the Ugly is a cool device, but I wouldn't be as concerned with it's lack-of-prettyness as much as I would worry about all of that epoxy being mistaken for a different kind of device by security staff!
In the history of me making the Ugly preamp Ive sold approximately 600 units world wide Since I started making them. I have had ZERO complaints about it being mistaken as a "Terrorist device" I have never had any issues like that what so ever.. People aren't that stupid. You plug your mics into it and you plug your recorder into it and they pretty much understand its not a #$#@$ bomb... But if anyone wants I will get stickers made up that say Church-Audio Ugly 2 preamp if that helps. I just have never got around to it. I guess I should?
« Last Edit: November 23, 2015, 09:20:44 PM by Church-Audio »
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Offline voltronic

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Re: Checkout this custom 4-channel Church-Audio CA-UGLY preamp
« Reply #27 on: November 23, 2015, 09:47:23 PM »
Agreed that the Ugly is a cool device, but I wouldn't be as concerned with it's lack-of-prettyness as much as I would worry about all of that epoxy being mistaken for a different kind of device by security staff!
In the history of me making the Ugly preamp Ive sold approximately 600 units world wide Since I started making them. I have had ZERO complaints about it being mistaken as a "Terrorist device" I have never had any issues like that what so ever.. People aren't that stupid. You plug your mics into it and you plug your recorder into it and they pretty much understand its not a #$#@$ bomb... But if anyone wants I will get stickers made up that say Church-Audio Ugly 2 preamp if that helps. I just have never got around to it. I guess I should?

That comment was meant in jest.  Obviously it's not plastique; but some security folks at concerts are overly aggressive and/or not extremely sharp.
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Offline Church-Audio

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Re: Checkout this custom 4-channel Church-Audio CA-UGLY preamp
« Reply #28 on: November 24, 2015, 01:58:54 PM »
Agreed that the Ugly is a cool device, but I wouldn't be as concerned with it's lack-of-prettyness as much as I would worry about all of that epoxy being mistaken for a different kind of device by security staff!
In the history of me making the Ugly preamp Ive sold approximately 600 units world wide Since I started making them. I have had ZERO complaints about it being mistaken as a "Terrorist device" I have never had any issues like that what so ever.. People aren't that stupid. You plug your mics into it and you plug your recorder into it and they pretty much understand its not a #$#@$ bomb... But if anyone wants I will get stickers made up that say Church-Audio Ugly 2 preamp if that helps. I just have never got around to it. I guess I should?

That comment was meant in jest.  Obviously it's not plastique; but some security folks at concerts are overly aggressive and/or not extremely sharp.
I would make a joke but its really not a time for jokes about bombs so I wont. I should put something on this that tells the knuckelheaded security guy or girl that this is a PREAMP to avoid hassle. I just assumed if you get caught with this its pretty much game over anyway right? :)
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Re: Checkout this custom 4-channel Church-Audio CA-UGLY preamp
« Reply #29 on: November 25, 2015, 05:51:11 AM »
You should see the mind tricks we play with security..last week I pulled out a Sony M10 when patted down, and po-facedly lied to security that it was an mp3 player.
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