24th May 2012
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#1 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,437
Thread Starter  | API 550B gone bad???
Obviously in the middle of a very important session
the 550B I had patched on *lead vocals* (go figure.. not so important)
failed on me apparently. Day before was fine, today I turned the lunchbox on and horrible noises came back from that track..
Things I tried: swapping cables with the twin 550B next to it, so this takes the cables out of the picture and the AD/DA channel as well,
swapped slot in the lunchbox, no change, as in the faulty module is still
making horrible noises/distorts everything.
Here's a sample (on a snare track) of how it sounds.
It's still under VK warranty but if by any chance there's an easy fix
I would avoid shipping/waiting..
thank you guys
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24th May 2012
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#2 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Sep 2006 Location: Minneapolis |
Try swapping the Op amp out. Every time something API of mine goes down it has always been the op amp. Part of the reason I use red dots in ever thing now. No more break downs in the middle of a session.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Gearslutz App
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24th May 2012
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#3 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,437
Thread Starter | Quote:
Originally Posted by dandeurloo  Try swapping the Op amp out. Every time something API of mine goes down it has always been the op amp. Part of the reason I use red dots in ever thing now. No more break downs in the middle of a session.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Gearslutz App | Thanks man,
I've never done this before, does it require soldering?
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24th May 2012
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#4 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Sep 2006 Location: Minneapolis |
Nope. Super easy. Pull and plug.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Gearslutz App
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24th May 2012
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#5 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,437
Thread Starter |
ok great, in this case ima try that, if that's the problem, worse case scenario I'll ask VK to send me a new op amp instead of shipping the thing
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24th May 2012
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#6 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,437
Thread Starter |
I'm confused :/ there are 2 op amps, do I need to test/swap both?
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24th May 2012
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#7 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Sep 2006 Location: Minneapolis |
Well try both. If that fixes it then you know one is bad. Then put one of the others in until you find the bad one. I hope this fixes it for ya.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Gearslutz App
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24th May 2012
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#8 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,437
Thread Starter |
Done 
It's an op amp indeed, swapping was easy and this saved me from
shipping the unit and waiting it to come back.
Thanks a lot man!
Most of my gear is API and I've never experienced any problem before,
at this point it might be a good idea to keep a coupla spare opamps
Any place where I can get some?
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24th May 2012
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#9 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Sep 2006 Location: Minneapolis |
Yeah, I have a love hate thing with API because of this. Its always bad Op Amps. Do your self a favor and pick up a pair of Scott Liebers Red Dots.
A. they work!
B. they sound much better then the ones they ship with and IMHO any other 2520 out there. Scott Liebers Labs - Op Amps and Outboard Gear.
I have them in everything. I love them. Haha
Ok, anyway glad it got ya fixed.
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24th May 2012
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#10 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,437
Thread Starter |
Thanks for the link
meantime I searched and found out it ain't that easy to get these op amps,
the API ones..
I'm sure the red dots sound great but thing is, i just like the way API sounds
as is. This might sound outrageous for some people in love with the vintage units and such but, to each his own I like the "modern" Api sound
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24th September 2012
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#11 | | Gear maniac
Joined: Oct 2009 Location: Firenze, Italy
Posts: 203
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Did have the same bad experience with some 2007/2008 api op amps.
I finally went with BLUE 2520 from Scott.
Great sounding op amps, fantastic assistance and he always replies to emails.
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24th September 2012
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#12 | | Gear addict
Joined: Oct 2009 Location: Northland New Zealand
Posts: 448
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Retinal Thanks for the link
meantime I searched and found out it ain't that easy to get these op amps,
the API ones..
I'm sure the red dots sound great but thing is, i just like the way API sounds
as is. This might sound outrageous for some people in love with the vintage units and such but, to each his own I like the "modern" Api sound | You came on this forum for advice, and got it, to the point where you were able to ascertain your problem. The faulty 2520. From API.
You were also given the good advice, by API owners, to try another opamp.
Your API opamp has failed. As have the potted API opamps of many people. Others are making equivalent units, which don't fail.
I would have thought it was a no brainer. The equivalents will sound as good or better, be cheaper, and easily available.
If you aren't going to take the good advice, maybe its better if you don't post in the first place. Because you will not learn if you don't take the good advice.
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1st February 2013
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#13 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,437
Thread Starter |
Resuming this thread just to say that another 550B's opamp
left me hanging today.. I start to hate this, I have a lot of API gear,
it's the sound I love the most in the audio world but damn,
the failure rate of these 2520 is just not tolerable  | |
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1st February 2013
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#14 | | Gear maniac
Joined: Oct 2009 Location: Firenze, Italy
Posts: 203
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Retinal Resuming this thread just to say that another 550B's opamp
left me hanging today.. I start to hate this, I have a lot of API gear,
it's the sound I love the most in the audio world but damn,
the failure rate of these 2520 is just not tolerable | Go with the sll opamps.... The blue sounds the same as the api and they are long lasting. If you want to try one i have a spare one.
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1st February 2013
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#15 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Sep 2006 Location: Minneapolis | Quote:
Originally Posted by jac Go with the sll opamps.... The blue sounds the same as the api and they are long lasting. If you want to try one i have a spare one. | Join the Red Dot revolution!
Jac, is correct if you love the modern sound than the Blue Dots are it.
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2nd February 2013
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#16 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Sep 2004 Location: UK
Posts: 5,685
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Hi
The 'failure rate' of a couple of plug in op amps in however long is 'unfortunate' but not intolerable.
Pro rata you WOULD start to worry when your big Neve or SSL or whichever, which have in excess of 2000 op amps in them start failing.
If it is such a big deal, get a couple of 'spares' in.
Matt S
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2nd February 2013
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#17 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,437
Thread Starter | Quote:
Originally Posted by jac Go with the sll opamps.... The blue sounds the same as the api and they are long lasting. If you want to try one i have a spare one. | Thanks man, that would be awesome if I could try it Quote:
Originally Posted by dandeurloo Join the Red Dot revolution!
Jac, is correct if you love the modern sound than the Blue Dots are it. | At this point I think to join the Red Dot revolution is the best way
to deal with it yeah Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt Syson Hi
The 'failure rate' of a couple of plug in op amps in however long is 'unfortunate' but not intolerable.
Pro rata you WOULD start to worry when your big Neve or SSL or whichever, which have in excess of 2000 op amps in them start failing.
If it is such a big deal, get a couple of 'spares' in.
Matt S | I'm not the only one complaining about API opamps failure rate,
sure to have a large board starting to blow them by the minute
would be worse, but that doesn't make my problem less annoying
API is high end gear, it shouldn't happen this often
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