ITB mixing. But... if you could have 1-2 pieces of nice hardware for mix/master?

If she hasn’t left after seeing your modular she’s a keeper!

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I once had a patch wired up having quite a melodic and lovely touch, sounded like a vintage mechanical music box … I asked my wife to enter the studio, listen, and tell me, whether she liked the tune. She did … and so I explained … look … that’s the reason why I need all those funky little lights blinking, the criss-cross wirings between the modules, and why I love to have this - beyond words - odd looking instrument, which seems to make sense only for myself :wink:

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Oh really?
Can you give some examples please?

I am actually creating an outboard chain using 500-modules…Amongst these Elysia and mainly DIYRE Color cards.
I would put in the list also Looptrotter manufacturer…nice products.

I have an Analog Heat…useful a lot for this kind of warming…!

I would think also at a summing unit…and DA converters number too…
[In the next three months I hope I will achieve money to get a 16x04 VintageMaker one…maybe Lawo amp cards, maybe Neumann v475…still have to decide]

I have to admit that I can’t, but when I inquired some years ago when I cared about real analog signal processing everyone steered me away from 500 series for this reason. Basically, never looked into it after that. Could be totally wrong.

3x elysia rack units about 4500 usd
3x elysia 500 series units = 3000usd + 500-600 usd 6 slot api lunchbox

it’s a fair bit cheaper, and requires only one outlet

generally speaking, after about 4 slots worth of processing the price of the rack is offset by the savings in the modules only requiring one power source

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Exactly that!

Also, there are a lot of manufacturers making 500 modules. The DIY philosophy is getting into 500 series too…
As I wrote, and this is a suggestion to check it out, there is the DIYRE Color platform that let you use “analog plugins”. You will miss something in terms of control, but you get that mojo halving costs if not 1/3 of a normal module…
Also really woth is the C2584 by Bart HRK (I have got two of them). It is a single slot dual channel (stereo!) unit. It accomodates two Color plugins for each channel. Dude, you should listen the Easy Clipping Eq (Silicon or Germanium)…it is pure loudness ! Actually a Baxandall Eq, and you can set only the boost for Hi an Low bands using trims directly on the PCB…hard to stereo match…but with a bit of patience it pays back off!

Also the used 500 series market lets you get what you’re searching for quite easily…(ehm, not a lot in Italy really)

Another “cheap” example is the IGS RB500ME. It is a solid state version of the Pultec EQP1A. It comes as a stereo unit with solid bottom end and a frequency control on attenuation too (both Low and High)…for only €990…
Two Warm Audio (ok, that’s tubes) cost little bit less two times…

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Glad to know I am wrong, actually. Might be something to look into in the future.

I know I shouldn’t be asking this but what’s a good lunchbox for beginners to get?

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api 6b or rupert neve designs r6 would be good to start. I still have 2 slots left in my api 6b, but would have picked up a 10 slot if i had known elysia was dropping so many more 500 series pieces. RND has the r10 which looks tasty and if you want something a little more premium heritage audio mcm8 has a built in summing mixer and vu meters. sorry for the GAS :blush:

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I got an IGS Panzer 500.
It is 10 slots and external linear power supply which is pretty important thing…

I spoke with an analogue design engineer and he told me that the sad actual reality is that is plenty of cheap and not reliable 500-racks out there…He knows the guys at IGS and is confident their product is a good choice…so I went for it. And is just a bit more expensive than the API 6b (around €760).
Otherwise switching amplifiers are more likely to bleed noises in the audio.

But, you know what?
I also rely on some users experience and sometimes I go on that path too…infact next week I’ll buy a Fredenstein Bento 6s that is as low as €333 !!
So far…I haven’t heard about really big issues with it…and it’s half the price of an API with same slots number…

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I’ve been GASing a 500 series rack for the longest time but the costs always add up to wayy beyond my budget. Currently looking for the cheapest 4-8 slot rack which still has a respectable powr supply (for those extra power hungry modules I’v been reading about)… I wish some module manufs would have deals like “buy 3+ modules, get rack for free” :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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I remember seeing a SSL xrack filled with 8 dynamics modules used on the guitar center site for only 2600. I could of bought it and resold 6 dynamics modules and paid way less for everything. I know modular is not for me but these 500 series modules are a whole new ball game.

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Same here. No real (lasting) interest in going down the modular synth rabbit-hole. But I have always wanted a couple of analog bits of gear to run audio through. The 500 series is looking perfect for my needs. Thanks everyone for the tips. I’ll add some of these manufacturers to the list up top.

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Oh…I forgot ot mention this: Louder Than a Liftoff

I do not own anything from them, but I believe they are interesting manufacturer too

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Guys… talking about external gear… I saw this piece of kit at a DJ/Producers place… and I immediately bought it…

Ok you have spectrum analysers built into Ableton Logic etc… BUT… this is a super responsive hardware version with 32 columns of 12 Leds displaying frequencies from 20Hz to 20KHz blinking in real time… with some added bonuses - visually its stunning and allows you to really NAIL down the problematic frequencies in your mix… also super useful if you are playing live… also rack mountable… Oh man I’m in love:

http://www.audioscope.it/introE.htm

This is not my video but this is what it looks like:

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Absolutely my concern. $$$! I wish I could demo things like this. If you live in a little town somewhere, how do you do this?

I know there are lots of places where you can rent video production gear like cameras, lights, mics, etc. Even in some mid-size and smaller towns.

Are there places where you can rent higher-end audio gear? I’ve certainly never heard of one where I live.

Yes, I know you can book studio time. But I don’t want to pay for everything in a studio. I want to test a few certain pieces of gear on my stereo mix.

If not available locally, would be cool if there was some online service for this. I guess the shipping and insurance would be outrageous though.

Or, perhaps a remote service where you send a stereo mix. Fill out an online form. Pay fee. Upload stereo mix. Skype with them while they run it through chosen gear. They bounce it and email you the file. You then listen to finished audio at your place. If you like it, then buy the gear. I guess this is getting into mastering service territory though, sort of?

Thinking out loud.

This remote server that bounces your audio thru select choice of outboard and gives you the resulting wavs, exists. Once read about it on GS IIRC

edit: not sure if it was this one or… ?

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Stereo cassette recorder from 90s :slight_smile:

Whoa! Looks interesting. Glad somebody is actually doing this. Looks like it’s still in beta. Hope they can launch successfully. I can imagine it would be very challenging to make it all work smoothly.

Still wonder why video production gear rental places are fairly common but not audio. Maybe because video gear is made to be hauled around from location to location and audio gear would mainly be racked up, wired in, and forgotten about. Maybe more delicate internal pieces and parts in general.

Hey, I won’t knock that. Had a Tascam 424. Regret selling it to this day. It was in perfect condition. Bought a couple more types of tape decks and they were all soon broken. Can’t do it again. I’m afraid I’m cursed when it comes to tape.

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