Hand crafted labs products

[captshiznit]

Interesting, I was just thinking the other day about that.

[deft_bonz]

Originally Posted by Audio Hombre

you need this fancy hardware for this mechanical stuff you do? seriously.not being a dink its just seems to be overkill for this kind of stuff....

sounds like arrogance built on ignorance

[drezz]

& back to our scheduled program.............

[fez]

Originally Posted by drezz

& back to our scheduled program.............

[Retinal]

The guy that does "mechanical stuff" received some other
"fancy piece of hardware":
2 TubeScream mono linkable



first impression on the TS after a couple of hours is:
this one is the most fun piece of hardware I've ever played with!
Is insane the number of different tones you can get out of it,
the preamp sounds fantastic as well as the compressor, but
the distortion module is the real deal, sounds like what the culture
vulture always wanted to be!
6 different type of distortion, not counting: the fixed or BIAS controlled
settings, the combination between the three types, the brillance module
on the master and the "vertical mode" that allows you to blend dry signal
with the distorted one, where the "drive" inject the distorted and "master" the dry one..
Freakin' amazing, it can add very subtle harmonics to a bass, vocals, synth
or completely annihilate a drum bus.
The compressors are not only linkable in my units
but they have both low cut AND high cut (sidechain)
and you can switch them on and off independently
they should be fun on the 2bus!
I know the Mirror (line level inputs ) is pretty awesome on it

at the time of the vid I hadn't racked the second unit

[fez]

Hell yeah!

Enjoy the Phat'ness, alright.

Originally Posted by Retinal

The guy that does "mechanical stuff" received some other
"fancy piece of hardware":
2 TubeScream mono linkable



first impression on the TS after a couple of hours is:
this one is the most fun piece of hardware I've ever played with!

[fez]

Yooooo!

HCL got any update about that "Monster" build? Final build pictures? What about the new two EQ's? We saw one EQ but you had another one with prototype name Tesla.

Retinal you must be enjoying your two Tubescreamers, I bet. Is it possible for you to post a drumloop with various settings of the controlled distortion the unit has? I also want the Tubescreamer unit, only in stereo.

Other then that. Keep those mighty fine tube units coming.

[frans]

I'm going to disclose a secret: Albert's been away in Transylvania for the last days. "Skiing." Haha! It's all to clear he's in the carpatian mountains to get new Gremlins for his boxes. Or drinking the blood of people who use plugins and Guitar amps with transistors in them.

[fez]

Originally Posted by frans

I'm going to disclose a secret: Albert's been away in Transylvania for the last days. "Skiing." Haha! It's all to clear he's in the carpatian mountains to get new Gremlins for his boxes. Or drinking the blood of people who use plugins and Guitar amps with transistors in them.

Hmmm. Well I hope he is in the mountains now, and comes back in one piece.

Anyway I decided to buy the mono Tubescream unit, fully expanded by my choice. Pulling the trigger this week, so. I just want it to be extreme how I want it to be and not lacking that 'over the top' distortion. Yes if its good like the D16 plugin but adding lots of the things you hear, that needs to be heard in real, to find it interesting, I say. So I was hoping some owner could demonstrate the sound with low/mid/high setting or whatever. In this case anything would enforce my need to have it.

Albert yes, have a good time over there.

[Retinal]

Originally Posted by fez

Hmmm. Well I hope he is in the mountains now, and comes back in one piece.

Anyway I decided to buy the mono Tubescream unit, fully expanded by my choice. Pulling the trigger this week, so. I just want it to be extreme how I want it to be and not lacking that 'over the top' distortion. Yes if its good like the D16 plugin but adding lots of the things you hear, that needs to be heard in real, to find it interesting, I say. So I was hoping some owner could demonstrate the sound with low/mid/high setting or whatever. In this case anything would enforce my need to have it.

Albert yes, have a good time over there.

Last two days I closed two mixes, I ran one into my Mirror line inputs,
and today's into my 2 mono TS (mine are linkable).
In both cases the results were great.
Now, I'm familiar with Redoptor which I find a very good plugin,
the TS is obviously a different beast.. It does the over the top distortion,
easily, when you switch from fixed to manual bias, go on pentode (in both dist stage AND output stage, yes you can do that :D ) you literally annihilate any source, but it sounds so very different from the Redoptor..
The Redoptor has that digital saturation which don't get me wrong, is absolutely useful, i use it myself plenty of times, but the TS - whether you go over the top or you just use it the brillance, or in parallel (inside the units!) for mastering, it sounds more "organic" and has a lot of weight.

I had the TS's for few months now and I still feel like I'm not using them to their full potential, they are without a doubt among the most versatile and fun to play units I've ever put my hands on, the whole design and signal path(s) is brilliant in my opinion.

If you have some files I should be able to run 'em into the TSs in the next days if you want

[Retinal]

I ran a drum sample (not the one you sent me, i used a more clean one, seemed better to understand the machine, as it can be subtle depending on the settings) into the TS, forgot the USB with the files in studio lol.. will post them tomorrow

I also made some Q-clones captures of them, the Mirror (both with input and output cranked, freq response is very different, input cranked=big a## bottom end, output cranked slight roll off at the bottom and some "air" added), and some other hw '76s, xPressor (interesting the "warm" mode), API 2500, etc.. will share those as well

[Retinal]

Here's some files with one TS in action on a drum sample.
I did mono to keep variables at minimum (and because the matching requires
some time that I didn't have)

And out of curiosity, this is the freq response of the two TS (top ones)
with no distortion, no compression, no nothing.. Just the master out (in pentode mode) hot
and the Mirror (line level inputs) first with Input cranked and the second with the output cranked

[HandCrafted Lab]

Wow David , nice job, many thanks for spent time, and efforts.
Would not willing to say a lot as maker, to avoidance of shifted opinion, however I was impressed by 3 last samples, with "life" and freshness...
Also demonstrates interacting of leveler and the distortion/coloration stage, thing which we have desired from start of designing.
Thanks a lot

[Retinal]

Originally Posted by HandCrafted Lab

Wow David , nice job, many thanks for spent time, and efforts.
Would not willing to say a lot as maker, to avoidance of shifted opinion, however I was impressed by 3 last samples, with "life" and freshness...
Also demonstrates interacting of leveler and the distortion/coloration stage, thing which we have desired from start of designing.
Thanks a lot

Don't mention it
You know how much I like my two TSs

It's a very, very deep machine, and indeed the interaction of all (and damn they are many..) stages IS what makes this box so deep and good sounding,
you tweak one thing and everything else react accordingly.
Most versatile (and fun to play!) color box ever

On the other hand, the Mirror in its simplicity has two very distinctive
sounds whether you drive the input or the output, as a preamp is gorgeous,
but I constantly run tracks and busses into it (and print them)

[deft_bonz]

Thanks for the samples... this mirror beast does his job very well

[jeremyglover]

hey, what's the difference between the affinity 2 and the mirror?
i see the A2 has a 1/4" input on the front. is that the only difference?
thanks.
jeremy

[Moatl]

Originally Posted by jeremyglover

hey, what's the difference between the affinity 2 and the mirror?
i see the A2 has a 1/4" input on the front. is that the only difference?
thanks.
jeremy

No I think the main difference is that mirror has a completely balanced signal path from input to output - but I'm pretty sure Albert can tell you the rest of the story...

...hi Albert by the way!!

Our new album is gonna be released internationally on may 18th - Affinity A2 into LA2A with almost no EQ on all of the Leadvocals ;D

I'll post a link when I get authorized by the label...

[HandCrafted Lab]

Originally Posted by Moatl

...hi Albert by the way!!

Our new album is gonna be released internationally on may 18th - Affinity A2 into LA2A with almost no EQ on all of the Leadvocals ;D

I'll post a link when I get authorized by the label...

wow Martin....
nice to know, our congrats!!

Originally Posted by deft_bonz

Thanks for the samples... this mirror beast does his job very well

Stop folk, this drum sample was passed through a Tubescream, and poster demonstrated different settings.
In turn, he also own Mirror, and pre was just mentioned as other way to process (e.g. on bus...except mics of course)

Post #804 above, also
The biggest sounding preamp

Originally Posted by jeremyglover

hey, what's the difference between the affinity 2 and the mirror?
i see the A2 has a 1/4" input on the front. is that the only difference?
thanks.
jeremy

Obviously main goal to build two different preamps is different sounding, in first turn.
So, each unit has different circuit absolutely - Affinity - so called "single end", Mirror - "push-pull". Though this is mentioned on site.
As well as different tube sets.
Also, some...... differences how all stepped controls and point-to-point internal wiring in Mirror vs PCB in Affinity, line level input with supporting of high level signals/high headroom.
Btw, occupies 3U tallness vs 2U of Affinity.

Topicstarter uses classic Affinity as well as Mirror - we did upon personal request - with different A & B channels, triode/pentode, since he is flutist, loves the different signatures.

The making of a (gear) slutty instrumental album

Sound Tower

[Retinal]

Originally Posted by deft_bonz

Thanks for the samples... this mirror beast does his job very well

Originally Posted by jeremyglover

hey, what's the difference between the affinity 2 and the mirror?
i see the A2 has a 1/4" input on the front. is that the only difference?
thanks.
jeremy

As Albert said already, the samples are from 1 of my 2 mono&linkable Tubescreams units.
I mentioned the Mirror as well because on top of being an incredibly good sounding preamp, *I* find it extremely useful as a mixing tool, using its line level inputs. I tried it on several occasions and loved the results everytime,
whether it was a drum bus, a single track or a full mix, passing audio thru
is really the closest thing to a "instantaneously better" preset.

I can also say something about the difference between the Affinity and the
Mirror because the pre(s) on the Tubescream are exactly the same as the Affinity.

Mirror is huge, incredible headroom, it shines at very complex, wide frequency range material, more than any other "high fidelity" pre that I've
heard it gives you the impression of being in the room with whatever you're
tracking with it, totally faithful to the source and yet, it adds richness to it
without changing the tone.

The Affinity/TS preamp sounds more aggressive and colored,
while you can still dose it's color keeping the input low the
feeling you get is that is "ready to roar", screaming vocals, bass guitar,
snare/percussive in general, are my fav to track with it because when the
level goes up it really growl nicely, plus you can drive it to oblivion and
the distortion becomes very obvious but always musical.

[jeremyglover]

thanks for the detailed responses guys!

[Moatl]

I haven't heard mirror yet but I find the affinity to sound huge already!

actually the biggest sounding preamp I owned so far.

I love the fact how you can shape the tone with the input and output stage.

More input seems to give the signal more weight - frequency wise somewhere in the midrange.
More output seems to give the signal a little more air...

A few hours ago my label released a short trailer for our new album - it's a really short one, but on my vocals you can hear the affinity at work pretty clearly
As mentioned above - only LA2A in the chain - almost no EQ:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA5pBIUm3LY

[Retinal]

Originally Posted by Moatl

I haven't heard mirror yet but I find the affinity to sound huge already!

actually the biggest sounding preamp I owned so far.

I love the fact how you can shape the tone with the input and output stage.

More input seems to give the signal more weight - frequency wise somewhere in the midrange.
More output seems to give the signal a little more air...

A few hours ago my label released a short trailer for our new album - it's a really short one, but on my vocals you can hear the affinity at work pretty clearly
As mentioned above - only LA2A in the chain - almost no EQ:

Martin Zobel & Soulrise - Land Of The Free (First Album Trailer) - YouTube

The Affinity preamp does sound big indeed, full and rich, I personally love it
The Mirror, it's ridiculously lush, not sure I'd describe it as bigger, hard to say because when the TS/Affinity roar, boy if its powerful sounding.. but yeah the Mirror sounds as it looks: badass, big & wide :D
Don't know about the Affinity (i guess it works the same) but with the Tubescream you can use both mic input and DI at the same time, fantastic
to track guitar/vocal performances.
Two very different takes in the tube preamp world, both great sounding