70's MIDAS Desk

[Seamus TM]

Hi all.
I just got an old Midas Desk w/ Sowter xformer coupled inputs.
Supposedly, "most" of the IC's have been upgraded...

Question 1: Anyone have any input about a desk like this? I'm only going to be using it for mixing, so the Mmic pres are not really an issue.

Question 2: Should I be really scared of late 70's IC's??

Thanks.

[Seamus TM]

Hello??
Not high end enough?

[Fletcher]

Dude... give it a portion, this isn't a "chat room"... you waited 23 minutes before you bumped the post? Does someone here owe you something?

Wanna mention which modules are in the thing... the Pro40 modules were OK... the Pro 4's and Pro 5's I've used were complete fukking nightmares... also, what's the maintenance record of the desk? Has it been maintained? ...or was it in a train wreck?

How have the IC's been "upgraded"? Are we talking TLO-72's replaced with 5534's or what? How are the power supplies?

There are a bazillion questions that really can't be answered off the internet... perhaps the pragmatic approach might be to hire a tech [the one who will be doing any other work you might require would probably be the best tech for the job... but maybe not], and go inspect the desk from top to bottom... just a thought, sorry it took more than 9 minutes to think it.

[Teacher]

Originally posted by Fletcher
Dude... give it a portion, this isn't a "chat room"... you waited 23 minutes before you bumped the post? Does someone here owe you something?

5:43 of 9/03 /04 not 09/09 /04

[De chromium cob]

The Midas boards I've used were all in live sound situations- I've never seen them in a studio. I'd be concerned that if its been used as a live board since back in the '70s, Its taken a hell of a beating from being bounced around in the back of a truck and being loaded and unloaded all those years.... Lack of proper maintenance is a killer... How does it sound?

[Fletcher]

Details, details, details... sheeeesh

[Seamus TM]

Ok. Well...
The input modules are "Pro3a's"
The IC's have been replaced with "OP37's"
It used to be part of a 32x8 Pro8 board that was used for Heart's live sound (supposedly), and then split up to use in a project studio.
The guy says it's in tippy top shape, and I actually believe him.
There are inductors on the mid eq's. I've read positive and negative things about that...

The board is in Vancouver, so I haven't heard it yet. I am, in fact, a stupid asshole and bought it anyway. It's on it's way at some point soon.

Any idea about those IC's and/or input mods?
I think that they are sockets, so could I upgrade them farther with Burr Browns, or something? I don't know much about electrons or magic parts and pieces inside of little metal boxes.

[tINY]

If they dealt with the compensation when the OP37 upgrade was done, eveything should be fine there. Thing is gonna be a power hog, though.....


-tINY