How different is the Neve 33609/JD from the original 33609?

[Trailerman]

Originally Posted by RoundBadge

Hey Jules ...for what you're doing, you should really give the Phoenix a go..It's a lovely compressor.
sounds very much up your musical alley..
but a demo is really the only way to know for sure my friend.make sure it truly will float your boat..4 G's ain't chicken feed.
Should be a way to get one somewere in the UK!
KMR maybe?
Hell ..try calling Thermionic directly..thats what I'd do.

I think you may be right RoundBadge. Just can't help feeling the 33609 would be a lovely piece to have around as well.

I know the distributor for Thermionics fairly well, so I'm gonna give them a call today. They also look after Pendulum, so I may see if I can't check out an ES8 at the same time. Heck may be I should just get the 33609 as well for the drum bus and have done with it ..... !!

Thanks again for your help.

I hope no one in my family expects Christmas presents this year

[RoundBadge]

Originally Posted by Trailerman

Heck may be I should just get the 33609 as well for the drum bus and have done with it ..... !!

I hope no one in my family expects Christmas presents this year

That combo will rock your world..
Yeah christmas and kids$$
We always find a way

[Trailerman]

Originally Posted by RoundBadge

That combo will rock your world..
Yeah christmas and kids$$
We always find a way

Too true! I have the Phoenix and 33609-JD coming next week ... albeit on sale or return.

I'm also going to try a Massive Passive and GR EQ2-NV at the same time, and see if I can't put together my perfect ProTools mix-buss chain.

Thanks for your guidance - I'm feeling good about the options!

Jules

[RoundBadge]

Originally Posted by Trailerman

Too true! I have the Phoenix and 33609-JD coming next week ... albeit on sale or return.

I'm also going to try a Massive Passive and GR EQ2-NV at the same time, and see if I can't put together my perfect ProTools mix-buss chain.

Thanks for your guidance - I'm feeling good about the options!

Jules

Way Cool Jules..
Just let me know what you think of the GR's on the 2 buss... they're seriously great for everthing else...
I have an MP already,but I really don't dig anything over 5K on the mix buss...
[But that's were my new Fearn EQ's will Kill! stike ]

[Trailerman]

The Fearn's also look interesting - albeit pricey for two channels.

Lynn posted some audio examples of the GR and Fearn on the same material, over at 3DAudio.

http://www.3daudioinc.com/3db/showthread.php?t=3460

I think they illustrate the differences between the two machines pretty well - considering they're just MP3's. If you like that tube 'thickness', I'm sure you'll love the Fearns. I suspect I'll go for the GR first, and then consider the Fearns or MP once the bank has recovered.

Interesting to hear your comments on the MP. Most seem to like it for mids and highs, but not for bass. I often need to tweak the bottom end in the mix so the MP may not be the one. Trying not to pre-judge though - invariably you form preconceptions on these things based on other people's opinions, then get them in your own studio and find the complete opposite!

I'll let you know my personal 2pence as soon as I've got things set up.

Jules

[The Alamo]

Actually I'll do a direct comparison between four sets of compressors tonight: a pair of 2264, a pair of 33314, an original (metal knob) 33609 and a 33609/JD. After today's session we'll put them to test on drums, guitars, vocals, bass and stereo buss.

[The Alamo]

All right, having tried them all out on various sources, and having level-matched them, I expected this to be a pretty difficult test, having 4 basically the same compressors, all in great condition (one is new, the other three were recently serviced). Yet it wasn’t. The differences were way more obvious than I expected.


In general, the differences between 2264 and 33314 were small. Not always in their very sound itself, but more in the way they react to an incoming sound. In other words their compression/limiting pattern was very similar. Similar enough to make them interchangeable. The JD’s compression pattern was pretty similar as well, as you would expect I guess. The original 33609 dug in just a little faster, and heavier than the three other models. But overall, I’d say they all had a very comparable way of compressing the source sounds.
Does this make them interchangeable? NO! Not to me, cause the sound was quite different. Day and night? Well, let’s say dawn and dusk…
Sound wise the 2264 was a tad thicker than the 33314, or stated otherwise, the 33314 had a little more presence. The original 33609 had both, as well as the most glorious 3D image. So, the expectations were pretty high for the 33609/JD. And I did want it to be equally great as well, you know…having a new compressor to replace its 30-year-old counterpart…But woe to you, oh earth and sea…none of that. I found it to be less 3D, more bland and quite a bit thinner.
On guitar: the 2264 and 33609 presented a little more low midrange in the guitars, which gave them that extra bit of body. Is that better? Depends on what’s needed.
On vocals: I tried it on three different lead vocals (2 ‘normal’ well-balanced vocals and one thinner, harsher lead vox). The 33314 took the vocals where they needed to be. The 2264 was the one for the slightly thinner vocal. But to be honest, I’d go with any of those three on a vocal.
On bass, the old 33609 had the most low end. The 2264 had a bit more low midrange. The 33314 was a little more present around 5kHz.
I hear ya....what about the JD? I'm not keeping it...it's going back tomorrow.
Have a nice W/E fellas...

[The Alamo]

Disclaimer: Please do add IMO after every sentence. I’ve noticed people becoming a little finicky, when it’s not clearly stipulated that it’s all about opinions.

[Slipperman]

Yo Alamo.

I'm with you.

Just had an original 33609 in here. Put it up against the J/D, which I use every single day for SOMETHING... usually a parallel comp buss of some sort(it cannot take the output of my 2 buss - almost nothing made can, without 'input' attenuation).

CRUSHED my box.

Destroyed it.

Which is kind of a bummer, as I had been gloriously unaware of the ACTUAL "head to head" difference.

Ahh me. Ignorance is bliss.

Best,

SM.

[robmix]

Anyone had the original 33609 or a JD up against a Sheps ?

[echorec]

Originally Posted by The Alamo

All right, having tried them all out on various sources, and having level-matched them, I expected this to be a pretty difficult test, having 4 basically the same compressors, all in great condition (one is new, the other three were recently serviced). Yet it wasn’t. The differences were way more obvious than I expected....

Great & interesting post, thanks for sharing!

[Meriphew]

Wow... you guys are making me want to get an 33609/JD, and I don't even do any mixing.

[The Alamo]

Originally Posted by robmix

Anyone had the original 33609 or a JD up against a Sheps ?

Don't know about the Sheps, but I'm getting a 609CA from Vintech in next week. (or the week after that).

[Geoff_T]

Originally Posted by The Alamo

I hear ya....what about the JD? I'm not keeping it...it's going back tomorrow.
Have a nice W/E fellas...

Hi

My best guess.. and that's all it is... might be this.

The 2264 is the oldest of the units and, a bit like the 2254, has most of the calibration controls on the rear panel. It's the most likely module to have tired capacitors and/or be a smidgen out of calibration.

The 33314 has a different motherboard but similar circuit. Most, if not all, the trim pots are on the motherboard.

The first 33609's were fitted with with 33314 motherboards. I'd expect them to sound the same if the modules were in the same state, maintenance wise.

Maintainance is a factor in all the units, of course.

From the 33609/C onwards, they used a new motherboard that was more practical to connect to.. IDC connectors versus the original solder pins.

In all these units, there is only one amplifier... the 440 or 640 and, despite audiophile snobbery about boards with IC's on them, I don't think this makes a lot of difference... if any.

What might make a difference is that all the early modules used a Marinair LO1173 transformer and all the new ones, including Shep and Vintech, must use the Carnhill or other cloned version.

That may be the reason for the difference but is only a guess as I have no idea what changes were made to recent 33609 circuit details.

[bongo]

Any more thoughts on the 33609JD?


Thinking of getting one.

[Tetness]

Yeah, it's the bomb.

[soundman101]

Is there such a thing as the 33609e? An original version? Are they very hard to come by? Or am I just thinking of the 33609c?

[Geoff_T]

Originally Posted by soundman101

Is there such a thing as the 33609e? An original version? Are they very hard to come by? Or am I just thinking of the 33609c?

Hi

I believe that you are confusing it with the "c".

If you want original, they have metal knobs, a toggle switch for power, a weigh a ton.

[soundman101]

Thanks