Taperssection.com

Gear / Technical Help => Battery Boxes, Preamps, Mixers, ADCs, and Processors => Topic started by: macdaddy on November 29, 2003, 04:05:50 PM

Title: SBM-1 mods
Post by: macdaddy on November 29, 2003, 04:05:50 PM
I read all the time of various types of mods that improve the sound provided by the SBM-1. What are these various mods, and where do you get them performed..?

thanks.
Title: Re:SBM-1 mods
Post by: Kindguy on November 29, 2003, 04:11:27 PM
http://www.oade.com/audiocenter/upgradesbm1.html
Title: Re:SBM-1 mods
Post by: Joe w. on November 29, 2003, 04:12:00 PM
http://www.oade.com
Title: Re:SBM-1 mods
Post by: macdaddy on November 29, 2003, 04:21:04 PM
thanks - I  knew about those, but I thought that there were others available. just curious...
Title: Re:SBM-1 mods
Post by: Tim on November 29, 2003, 05:20:05 PM
those are the only mods I know of...

Todd Ramsden can and will perform any of those same mods, his sbm-1's are generally labeled Todd-Mod SBM-1 but there are only a few of those in existence.
Title: Re:SBM-1 mods
Post by: Simp-Dawg on December 01, 2003, 10:41:39 PM
those are the only mods I know of...

Todd Ramsden can and will perform any of those same mods, his sbm-1's are generally labeled Todd-Mod SBM-1 but there are only a few of those in existence.

i thought he wasn't doing these anymore...
Title: Re:SBM-1 mods
Post by: macdaddy on December 02, 2003, 10:42:03 PM
alright - well thanks for all of the info.
Title: Re:SBM-1 mods
Post by: thoman8r on December 03, 2003, 10:59:55 AM
When I was looking for my sbm-1 someone approached me about an sbm-1 with a mod to the pre-amp that replaced the stock op-amp with the same op-amp that's in the v2.  Dunno where you get this done but it's not an oade mod.  

But generally when people list mod sbm-1 in their source files they are talking about the line stage oade mod (#4)
Title: Re:SBM-1 mods
Post by: Chris K on December 03, 2003, 12:51:22 PM
hi...i started a thread a while ago about the todd-mod sbm-1 that i was about to purchase from someone on this board...but actually thru ebay

here is an email correspondence with todd who did the mod which may be specific to what you are inquiring about:

--- Todd & Margo Ramsden <tramsden@XXXXXXX.net> wrote:

Hey Chris,

No problem contacting me.  I did do a mod to a few different SBM1s.  
Two are
being run by tapers out here in CO, one is in the hands of a guy in the
DC
area who runs mod AKG 460s, I forget his name.  If he is the guy you're
thinking of buying from, he does have one of my mod SBM1s.

I originally did it for a taper I know from Denver.  To get the
benefits,
you'd have to run this unit line in.  I rebuilt both the mic-in side
and
line-in side of the other two units, but this taper only used the
line-in,
so I did not bother modifying the mic-in on that unit.

Some validity of comparing this mod to a V2, but I'm not sure I'd take
that
too far as it doesn't have the sound of a V2.  Probably more on the
order of
the Oade modified SBM1.  I replaced the op amps with ones that are
quite a
bit faster, about as fast as the V2.  Op amp speed is measured in slew
rate,
and it corresponds to how quickly the op amps respond to a changing
input
signal.  Measured in V/ms, stock amps are 5 V/ms, the ones I use are
something like 2000 V/ms (maybe 3000 V/ms, I forget at this point).  
The
higher speed allows the mod SBM1 to better keep up with the changing
dynamics of the music, which in turn provides better detail and much
better
imaging and soundstaging.  This is because our ears use very minute
changes
in the timing of left and right signals to decode spatial information,
and
the slow stock op amps lead to changes in these left vs right timings
that
screw up the soundstage.

I'm not sure whether I'd still be willing to do this mod.  I had only
done
it so far for myself and a couple friends out here in CO.  As it is, I
already have several electonic projects for myself that I haven't found
the
time to get to.  Let me think about it, and I'll get back to you.  BTW,
how
much is the seller asking?

-Todd



-----Original Message-----
From: gup@XXXXXXX.net
Sent: Friday, September 19, 2003 2:32 PM
To: tramsden@XXXXXXX.net
Subject: quick sbm-1 mod question


Hi Todd

I was given your name by Tim from the Taperssection.com website/forum.
I
hope
you don't mind my contacting you. Tim gave me your email address.

Anyway, I have been in contact with someone who claims that you
performed a
mod
on an sbm-1. he is not the original owner, says he bought it from a
personal
friend of yours. He is selling the unit, and I am a prospective buyer.
He
called the mod the toddmod sbm-1 and claims the op amps are changed for
better
quality op amps, ala lunatec v2.

I was hoping you could confirm this, and if you could tell me if this
mod
would
be better for running line in, or better to use the mic inputs of the
toddmod
sbm-1.

Also, are you still doing this mod, and if so, instead of buying the
sbm-1
from
this person (i can provide a name if you need it), would you do the mod
on
my
stock sbm-1 and how much would you charge.

Thank you for your time...have a grateful day
chris k
gup@XXXXXXXX.net

ps...if i have the wrong person...then i am extremely sorry, and please
accept
my apologies
Title: Re:SBM-1 mods
Post by: macdaddy on December 09, 2003, 10:38:09 PM
many thanks.
Title: Re:SBM-1 mods
Post by: Professor chaos on December 11, 2003, 04:40:22 PM
is there anything else to this mod. besides replacing the op amp ? which op amp is being used as a replacement ? thanks , Mike W.