Hand crafted labs products

[Tommylicious]

Originally Posted by azzzy

I haven't tried the DI box but I use the DI on my Affinity pre all the time and it's awesome. I believe the circuits are identical (or at least close). I use mine mainly for bass and it kills everything else I've tried (including the DI in my Manley Mono pre, which is quite nice actually but I prefer the HCL DI). I tried running a piano from my Korg Triton through it once and it was cool (but then I started using sampled pianos and they sounded great on their own). I don't do any electronic stuff and tend to record everything through mics (and for that the Affinity is just killer!). Granted my DI experience is limited but based on the bass I'd say go for it. I don't know how much it costs but considering it's 4 channels and the sound/bulit quality, whatever HCL is asking for it will make it the most cost-effective high-end solution. E-mail Albert, he will tell you all about the options and the prices.

Cheers for the info.

I bet that Affinity is nice.

[RobJB06]

Hi Tommy,

Yes i have a possessed unit.
Its great for synths.
Fattens them up and makes them sound punchier. Made my MS20 and Minimoog sound fat as hell.
I wouldnt run everything through it, but its certainly a useful box to have around..

Originally Posted by Tommylicious

Anyone?

[Tommylicious]

Originally Posted by RobJB06

Hi Tommy,

Yes i have a possessed unit.
Its great for synths.
Fattens them up and makes them sound punchier. Made my MS20 and Minimoog sound fat as hell.
I wouldnt run everything through it, but its certainly a useful box to have around..

Thanks Rob,

It also seems handy to me that I can have a couple of synths plugged in while writing and progamming, so i can just record on the fly with the right sound.

[fez]

Well. I have made a track with those three drum parts. I want to upload another two clips but this time properly mixed and arranged. Again one bypassed, the other with the S2 on the mixbus.

I've got a problem with my mixer which gives me a enormous hum. To fix it I must wait till Tuesday for receiving the replacement parts. Eight out of ten times this hum appears and stays there all day. But when lucky no hum and faster upload of the files.

In the meantime. Albert can you tell us something about a new unit? Like a Vari-Mu.

[GYang]

blah, blah, blah...


PEACE

[HandCrafted Lab]

blah, blah, blah...


PEACE

Thanks big brother. It seems to me that you can not to admit any nonwestern manufacturers? besides of it - ukranian manufacturers :-)

We observe your statements sometimes with smile, but can`t understand never what you wanna say yet.... A big brother try to ban any nonwestern brands? From guru position since it`s main sense of his life - owning a huge amount of devices and endless discussing about it?

I don`t know are you electronical expert with deep knowledge of tube modes, circuitry design and devices creation? Not sure. But always, a device market is shared between two parts - people who just own a stacks of nice boxes (and it`s all, powering ON is not necessary), and people which have deep knowledge in what way circuitries of these boxes are working really, in what way it can be really applied, and difference between all balanced, SE, SRPP, Push-Pull, parafeed, long-tail, etc-etc.

First people discuss in categories - "good/bad box, clean/muddy/sparkle", asks -"what is better - ITB/OTB? 44/48 or 192KHz", etc-etc, an other people (and we also) know - how and why all it work. Without idols created by first people for itself and far from friendship with solderiron, true analog LeCroy/Tektronix spectranalyzer/scope, second people just know - WHY this tube or transformer has SUCH sound, another - have other sounding. It relieve their from necessity for paying many cash for idols (which are important for collectors).

So... be honest agree, it funny, a man who never listened devices but try to argue with folk which own our devices (LA, west coast studios is enough level?) and use a long time, with good results, and make orders for 2,3, 4 devices. Your posts across forum are professional enough, so.... be professional here also.... in other case it alike a history with statements regarding famous book of A.Soltjenicyn - "I do not read, but I condemn!"

We sure that some russian manufacturer someday will have same tread here, with more THAN 30000 views of blah, blah here and many customers worldwide. And promise, we will not knock out russian colleagues by strange attacks, we have not snob viewing of it, and glad always for successes of colleagues, friends and know many excellent russian hand crafters & engineers.

Btw without insults, but many former soviet engineers have more high engineering level how it was realized during our activity, don`t forget, in many cases former soviet engineers were military engineers, so it can explain ability for good or surpassed sound of brands pushed by adv often.

Peace

Originally Posted by fez

Well. I have made a track with those three drum parts. I want to upload another two clips but this time properly mixed and arranged. Again one bypassed, the other with the S2 on the mixbus.

Well Dennis, as always we glad to listen result of an our child :-)))))))))

In the meantime. Albert can you tell us something about a new unit? Like a Vari-Mu.

Yea, Vari Mu creation in final phase. Our main dancing around device touch a side chain, we investigate a possibility to have as vari Mu mode as well as possibility to have mode with more hard, obvious signal limiting :-O

See pic of test platform (with test faceplate of course) >>>>>>

Btw, I would like to note that 670 was built by former soviet engineer Rein Narma, he-he

1959 Rein Narma Fairchild 670 Compressor Limiter-Mix Inducts Fairchild 670 Into 2007 TECnology Hall of Fame

[fez]

Yeah man!

That picture just made me smile. With eight of them Russian tubes you got in combination with, probably, Jensen trafo's and of course your expertise this is going to be great.

Hopefully tonight if that HUM is not present I will upload the files. Worked quite some time making the beats and mixing them properly.

So. We wish you great luck, HCL!

[rehepapp]

Rein Narma soviet engineer?? Oh boy!
Rein Narma is Estonian.
He escape in september 1944 Estonia because it was invaded by the soviet-russians red army .

[HandCrafted Lab]

You know, it was big surprise for us when we were informed in 90-th that second world war was won by USA. he-he, with official soviet peoples losses in 20 mln people. If my grandfather have been alive then in 90-th he died from laugh immediately, I sure, man who run with gun from Crimea to Berlin, through two concentrating camps during this running.

So... I can suppose that it will some surprize for you that areas of Estonian, Latvia were a soviet areas from 38 after finnish war, we can have diverse relation for it in political sense, but it`s a historical fact, in a any case. As well as it was declared in Mix, please attention - " In the post-war years, this refugee from Soviet Russia worked.... "
Thus, you supposed guy escaped in 44 when soviet soldiers just cleared areas which owned from 38-th, from fascists.

I can add another historical facts - "Mister Helicopter" - Igor Sikorsky was ukranian, or Ada Lawlais also-she was first programmer in world in 47, from Kiev also btw.

Well, turn to main top theme -

[karlstudio]

Hi all,Finally, this is my control room with Solution and 2 Velvet.After several months of using these pieces of gear these are my impressions. Solution: great, great gear, very usable, high quality sound and incredible as Leveller in mastering, on mixbus, parallel compression, very cleanear and transparent and the other moments Terririfying…Velvet: Preamp very warm, high gain even with ribbon MICS, very transparent and with a lot of character by forcing the preamp. Preamp + leveller it´s OK.Albert: thank you for doing everything so easy, good people, good people… Conclusion: interesting buy, very, very good value for money and more usable piece of gear. I wish you very luck to your team and your gear. When I can upload samples of productions made with this gear.Sorry but I´m offline a few months.musicrooms.es

[HandCrafted Lab]

Originally Posted by karlstudio

Hi all,Finally, this is my control room

wow Karl.... my God.... a console length... a skate/roller skates needed for console operation it can be demonstrated proudly for invited girl !!

with Solution and 2 Velvet. After several months of using these pieces of gear these are my impressions. Solution: great, great gear, very usable, high quality sound and incredible as Leveller in mastering, on mixbus, parallel compression, very cleanear and transparent and the other moments Terririfying…Velvet: Preamp very warm, high gain even with ribbon MICS, very transparent and with a lot of character by forcing the preamp. Preamp + leveller it´s OK.Albert: thank you for doing everything so easy, good people, good people… Conclusion: interesting buy, very, very good value for money and more usable piece of gear. I wish you very luck to your team and your gear. When I can upload samples of productions made with this gear.Sorry but I´m offline a few months.musicrooms.es

So nice to hear it. To be honest, we had some doubts due to your disappearance/long silence..... may be, devices had not justified your hopes but now we can see that everything OK, so nice. Thanks for kind words and comments/pics.

With huge interest we wait your audio now!

PS. but size of console blow away indeed

[fez]

Hey Albert,

Just letting you know I am sick and tired of the Topaz "repair". I can have it fixed by a tech next year January. And when it is fixed I am going to SELL the Topaz. And when it is sold, the summing mixer is a "Reality" if you know what I mean. I started to really think about my setup and the Topaz is a great mixer, but that hum is just annoying. So selling the Topaz and having a more reliable solution is more than welcome.

My track is finally done. So the updated HCL-demo will be uploaded in the coming days. Mind you. There's a little bit of hum audible. But you can still hear the music.

[Soundpro]

Hi everyone!

Faust and Affinity2 are the best!! I never heard such a natural, transparent sound before. It sounds just right! No EQ or compression is needed. That's the way to go. I am very happy with it and use it every day!

Cheers and respect
Lorenz

SoundPro Tonstudio, Bern, Kehrsatz ...Ton ab!

[audibell]

Originally Posted by George Necola

??? what?

3rd world culture values who you know rather than what you know - Louis XIV France - overlapping circles of acquaintance and loyalty

1st world culture values what you know over who you know - 1970s USA - highly pluralistic and rule of law

2nd world culture doesn't give a fxxx who or what you know, just do as you're told, right now - 1970s Russia/Cuba - homogenous rule of one man/idea.

Got it? :)
WT

[fez]

Hey,

Here are clips featuring the drums from a earlier post. Only now they are used in a real track. Drums only, melodies muted.

The settings are : Hard knee, little input gain, cathode driver, minimal peak reduction but quite a lot of the ratio function. I would like to note that the S2 used outputs are transformer balanced, those are optional. I really recommend the output transformers.

Enjoy. Can you hear the difference?

[HandCrafted Lab]

Originally Posted by Soundpro

....Faust and Affinity2 are the best!! I never heard such a natural, transparent sound before. It sounds just right! No EQ or compression is needed. That's the way to go. I am very happy with it and use it every day!

Well, Lorenz, we glad that our sound feelings not contradicting yours Though right sounding is just result of right engineering, without audiocraziness, on base of solutions which are well known many years, the usual tube stages running in correct modes. But, how it`s known - ''the simple things are much harder for understanding" and way to simple solutions is not simplest. So... we glad for our right way again

Originally Posted by fez

....Just letting you know I am sick and tired of the Topaz "repair".....

Hehhh

.....I can have it fixed by a tech next year January. And when it is fixed I am going to SELL the Topaz. And when it is sold, the summing mixer is a "Reality" if you know what I mean. I started to really think about my setup and the Topaz is a great mixer, but that hum is just annoying. So selling the Topaz and having a more reliable solution is more than welcome....

A small amount of knobs is short way to big sound.
If seriously I think that passive summing in junction with good control surface for control of DAW automatization lets to give more good and exact mixes than mixing on consoles like FOH and similar, without automatization and with longest sound path and noisy also. As well as it`s good solution/reasonable money investments in studios with small/middle budgets. Active channels (incl. automatization in analog domain) at mixing is another story.... much more expensive. Not think that it could be performed in simple and nonexpensive way. I mean technically, with all our reasonable ascetism at devices developing.

..... The settings are : Hard knee, little input gain, cathode driver, minimal peak reduction but quite a lot of the ratio function.....

OK, thanks Dennis this mode alike limiter, high Ratio degree and high level of threshold. Also (though with another effect), settings can be - Ratio <=12PM and Peak Reduction 11AM-1PM for instance. In this case drums would be pumped up with another energy type, though it depend from drums type and creative idea, of course. But I mention for acoustic drums in more degree, with wide dynamical & freq. range.

[RobJB06]

Hello Albert,

Any news on the HCL Vari-mu? What is the expected price for it?
Am interested..

[HandCrafted Lab]

Process is going. However, we have thought up so many variants, he-he, side chain mostly, so... we not always able to check out all them , with count amount of checkings, and current orders (before christmas!).

But anyway, we are going to first samples soon. It hard to say about cost now, with count of world finance crisis a twice, many things and components in respect of device producing have a changes many times. Anyway, it will reasonable level, though in more high studio budget...... vari mu is complex task demanding many efforts, point-to-point wiring, laborious labor which take many working time, all by hands. I have assumption we shall able to present first audio samples around New Year


Another greatest news we start installing awesome Cinemag mic transformers into our preamps and channels strips, hurahhh!!!! who have knowledge, what is this small magic metal canister with red letters, can understand our exciting I think.