Focusrite Red Dual EQ- "New" v "OLD"

[stedel]

Hi (if anybody checks out my thread that is). I've got an opportunity to buy a 2nd hand "new" one of these thangs at a good price. Doing a bit of a search up here I came across comments that said there was a difference in the older models versus the new batch. is this true?...erm not that I'm doubting fellow Slutz brothers and sisters you understand..... but is this the case? And what has changed? Components? Anybody know what's going on here?
Kind regards

[drundall]

They may have been referring to the Red 3 compressor. Haven't heard that about the Red 2.

[tommyd]

What WAS/IS the difference between the old and new Red3 Comp anyway? (Sorry for hijacking the thread)
TommyD

[dave-G]

Originally posted by tommyd
What WAS/IS the difference between the old and new Red3 Comp anyway? (Sorry for hijacking the thread)

The old Red 3 had both input and output transformers, while the newer ones have only output transformers.

FWIW, I am not aware of any such change with the Red 2, which I actually think can be a pretty nice EQ. I especially like the top shelf and the low-mid band.

-dave

[stedel]

Originally posted by dave-G
The old Red 3 had both input and output transformers, while the newer ones have only output transformers.

FWIW, I am not aware of any such change with the Red 2, which I actually think can be a pretty nice EQ. I especially like the top shelf and the low-mid band.

-dave

Thanks for the reply Dave - it had better be a pretty nice EQ, apparently the new retail price here (in Australia) is close to $11,000 AUS which is a lot of hot lunches. It's actually the shelving that I'm interested in with Red. I have a Massive Passive and just thinking maybe I have listened to my "Slutz" side too much recently and don't really need the Red EQ - trouble is I've always liked the "High End" Focusrite EQ's, and this is a lot less than $11,000. Really like them on Female vocals.

Hey TommyD - that was the mildest "hijack" of any thread I've ever posted - you were still in the parameters of the Red Series, and have led me to think I'll contact Focusrite myself and see what they have to say.

Thanks for your comments.

[drundall]

Wow, I think they're like $2500US new here.

[tommyd]

Stedel,
Thanks for letting me tag along! I got some great insight here, and am going to have to open up my Red3 to see what's up! I picked one up used about a year ago, and I'm not certain exactly how old it is.
TommyD

[Revelation]

Yeah the price in the States is a lot more reasonable. I have heard the Red EQ and love it to death. It is more on the transparent side, but it is musical as well. So there is some very pleasant smoothness added without taking away from the original sound. It is a great tracking EQ. Mastering would be more difficult since there are no detent knobs with the clicks like some mastering EQs.

[Radiance]

@Tommyd: Maybe this will help you.I saw a Red3 with transformers on Ebay and it had serial number: F04572T

[tommyd]

Thanks Radiance, I'll check the serial number on mine. Maybe an e-mail to Focusrite is in order. On a side note I heard stories of a mod that the likes of the Lord-Algae bro's and others have had done on their Red3's to make em' "better". Does anyone have info on said "mod"?
TommyD

[stedel]

Originally posted by rme uk
Wow!! Funky Junk London sells them for £1200. Something does not add up here.

Yeah you're not kidding.
Exchange rate aside stuff is pretty outrageous here - particularly as we still have the Union Jack in our flag....you'd think they'd be some sort of Queen's Patronage for people like moi
I think it might be to do with the time Australia beat England in the football with Harry Kewell messing up the English defence.Things started to get more expensive (there's probably another reason......)
Erm as nice as the Focusrite Red is... I've just been reading about the new Chandler stuff (hijacking my own post). Small format mini mixers with summing and a rackmountable Chandler/EMI console. Hmm. The Red is now seeming VERY expensive and is kinda fading in my priorites....
To tell you the truth...
I'm thinking the money I'd throw at the Red (which is still expensive even at the price I can get it) well...Just thought I'd tell you just so's I don't waste your time. I did have to make a fairly quick decision on the Red, and the comments here have really helped. If I had the money to spare I'd definately get it. Anyway sounds as if I'd be better off waiting and getting a Fed Ex number myself and scourcing a second hand one from OS. The "Funky Junk" store price still works out a couple of thousand $$'s cheaper. Seriously. It just does not seem to be worth it here at those sort of prices there. Damn..I could even fly myself to London, buy one from Funky Junk, have a good time and still get home for close to the same price.

Thanks folks
thumbsup

Kind regards

[thethrillfactor]

Originally posted by tommyd
Thanks Radiance, I'll check the serial number on mine. Maybe an e-mail to Focusrite is in order. On a side note I heard stories of a mod that the likes of the Lord-Algae bro's and others have had done on their Red3's to make em' "better". Does anyone have info on said "mod"?
TommyD

There are 3 mods that i am aware of:

1)On the older Red 3's when the voltage went down a certain amount it would freak out. So they have a mod that fixes the problem.

By the way in the later model this was fixed.


2) The Red 3's after awhile tend to get noisy(especially on the cheap pots), so there is a mod that drops the noise floor.


3) And there is the "Thrillfactor Mod"(just kidding) or how i call it the "2 in one mod".

I inquired a while ago to Focusrite to have a mod done on my Blue 230 that would let me switch the input transformers in and out. The reason for this is that at the time i had both a Blue 230 and a new Red 3. The Blue 230 is basically an old Red 3 with expensive switches. It also has the transformers on the ins and outs.

The sound of the transformers is really what gives its unique sound.

Very Neve compressor-esque.

The new Red 3's took out the input transformers which thinned out the sound.

It made it instead of solid and thick to quick and flashy.

I sold it and after a while i started to miss the sound on certain things. So i spoke to Focusrite about doing the mod. Its not a easy mod to do, but they told me it is doable.

I didn't do it and i still may, but since i mentioned this a while ago i've gotten a lot of emails from people that had been interested in it.

I am pretty sure someone has.

And they probably have one of the coolest compressors on the planet.

[Radiance]

I suppose it's possible to put those transformers back in the new RED3 since the PCB is still the same as the old RED3.
Can someone tell me which transformers are used in the old RED3?

Thanks,

Radiance

[tommyd]

Thrill, thanks for the great info. And Radiance, great question. I haven't had a chance yet to check my Red3, but if it is indeed a newer model I'd be interested in the "THrill" conversion
TommyD

[Tim Halligan]

Originally posted by thethrillfactor

1)On the older Red 3's when the voltage went down a certain amount it would freak out. So they have a mod that fixes the problem.

By the way in the later model this was fixed.

Thrill,
When you say "freak out", what exactly do you mean?
The reason I ask is that on the Red3 AND the Blue 230 at my shop, both units put out an annoying hum when the voltage drops. We had to add another UPS/line conditioner to solve the problem...

Cheers,
Tim

[Radiance]

I read somewhere (@ the Tech Talk forum which is now called The Lab) that the Red3 has a poorly designed power suply which gets very hot. I can confirm it gets very hot but I had never any problems so far.

[Revelation]

I also have not heard any complaints from pro studios that have ahd it in their rack for years. Common sense just tells you to make sure on any gear to have enough ventilation. Manley even reinforces this in the manual on the Voxbox.

[thethrillfactor]

Originally posted by Tim Halligan
Thrill,
When you say "freak out", what exactly do you mean?
The reason I ask is that on the Red3 AND the Blue 230 at my shop, both units put out an annoying hum when the voltage drops. We had to add another UPS/line conditioner to solve the problem...

Cheers,
Tim

Tim this sounds correct.

I don't remember the exact voltage, if i remember it was below 114V(not sure if this makes sense).

Focusrite does a mod that fixes this.

If you don't do the mod they recommend a putting it on a voltage regulator.

[Ari-M.]

Originally Posted by Tim Halligan

Thrill,
When you say "freak out", what exactly do you mean?
The reason I ask is that on the Red3 AND the Blue 230 at my shop, both units put out an annoying hum when the voltage drops. We had to add another UPS/line conditioner to solve the problem...

Cheers,
Tim

when the mains voltage drops below spec the unit "runs out of headroom" and distorts and does some other strange things (LF noises)....must be a power supply issue...

my soultion was to buy one of each old and new....I use the old on drum subgroups on my SSL (this is an old trick, you buss everything out of the rear outs on the quad bus and then bring it back on a set of channels but run it through the red 3 first)....and I use the newer red 3 on the main out (you just barley touch it and it has a way of "tightening" things up).....for me I prefer to have both not either or...

[drundall]

mine blew the PS like 10 years ago and I had to send it back to England, but it's been cool ever since. Back then it was new enough that I actually got rentals on it so the downtime hurt.