Hand Crafted Lab Tube micamp and compressor, Blind test against 1176,v72,ADL and more

[HandCrafted Lab]

We do not cease to be grateful to Guy Sternberg for his excellent independent work and tests. Thanx ones more, Guy, it was professionall,verythumbsup .

During too time we should to note, that after these tests we have released the new version in the end of 2005 - s2, which has incorporated the best from the first version, and has got Hard/Soft mode, and last improvement - dual mode output stage - pure A class or cascode AB driver, like at LA2. These modes can be switched by switch installed on the rear panel. Now we use more often 6N5P(soviet) and ECC85 tubes in the 1/2 and 3 stages accordingly. Data sheets links for these tubes are placed on ours web-site in s2 description.

As to s2 on the buss application - as some clients informed us that use s2 sometimes in such way. On some musical material it sounds well though we also adhere to opinion, that it certainly put taste, adjustments and the conceived effect in a musical material. It is difficult for describing any common opinion for everything, evidently. Personally,we think,that optodevices is good first of all for classical, jazz,rock,heavy,if we talk about buss applications...ye, with 2-3 db compession, or without it even, in fact tubes has some own compression as well, due to features of curve volt-amper characteristic.

TornadoTed (see below) - has ordered 4 devices in one order, for example.

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by Benmrx

This HCL stuff seems too good to be true. The 2 channel preamp, compressor, and the ch. strip have got me drooling.

I was just thinking the same thing, most times when something looks too good to be true it is. In this case I would be happy to find out that assumption is wrong...... but......

I'm just curious if anyone's got any more reviews, especially the compressor.

Same here. Anyone else try out the Solution s2 comp yet?

[HandCrafted Lab]

More reviews are presented onto our web-site, and User List. And here,see below,lowswing,of course,....Tornado Ted, Synthy,s-boogie,Meg Lee Chin....

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by HandCrafted Lab

More reviews are presented onto our web-site, and User List. And here,see below,lowswing,of course,....Tornado Ted, Synthy,s-boogie,Meg Lee Chin....

Thanks...



So how long is the wait for a Solution s2?

Anyone else care to comment on the Solution s2?

[HandCrafted Lab]

Originally Posted by not_so_new

Thanks...



So how long is the wait for a Solution s2?

Usual manufacturing time,and tuning/testing is ~ 3 weeks, after our confirmation of order possibility performing,on this or that time (it depend from plan of existing preliminary orders). Average delivery time to Europe/UK,USA ~ 10-12 days by aviapost.

[CareerTech1]

any further testing / A-B's on HCL's stuff?

I'd love to see a blind vocal mic pre A-B with the Affinity A2 vs the GR MP-2NV vs the API vs ??

i've been very seriously considering going with both an Affinity and a Faust - they seem to be top notch quality with a price you can't beat - and albert tells me he is offering a discount if you buy 2 or more of their products.

[Blacky]

Originally Posted by HCL Trading

@ everybody:

please also visit our tests against SPL & RME preamps:
www.hcl-trading.de.vu
I recommend the Dobro guitar recordings stike

Cheers,
HCL Trading

HI! Do you have a new webside that that works? I will know more from HCL Germany.
Thanks
Robert

[worm]

the link is in his sig

[HandCrafted Lab]

Originally Posted by Blacky

HI! Do you have a new webside that that works? I will know more from HCL Germany.
Thanks
Robert

No, it was in past. We accept all orders directly and send devices to customers individuall as well though we are acting in such way from start of an our activity.

[RobAcid]

still in love with my varis..... maybe its even getting better month after month....

[H-Peh]

Originally Posted by RobAcid

still in love with my varis..... maybe its even getting better month after month....

same here...! (...hi rob...)

[fez]

Originally Posted by H-Peh

same here...! (...hi rob...)

Another satisfied owner of the VariS here.

[HandCrafted Lab]

My God, ouch.... such old thread..... guys....

So, VARISes coming ..... ups-ups-ups

Originally Posted by RobAcid

still in love with my varis..... maybe its even getting better month after month....

Originally Posted by H-Peh

same here...! (...hi rob...)

Hmm...... what? better?
We need to listen too, so we shall assemble new piece for itself and will listen this piece after half-year...

Originally Posted by fez

Another satisfied owner of the VariS here.

Denis!

[inlindsey]

hey slutz,

i am the guy you can hear play and sing on the shootout at the beginning of this thread.

since then a lot has happened. first i lost the terrible cold i had at the day of the shootout that still makes me shiver every time i hear the vocal files.
then, two years ago, i built myself a studio. besides my usual work as guitar player, singer and composer i am now also producing and recording bands, commercials, my own songs and guitars for movies and records.
after the great experiences with hand crafted labs gear we all had during the shootout i contacted albert from hcl and ordered myself an affinity preamp, a solution compressor and a faust mic.

besides all the hcl gear i have some other top notch and well discussed stuff in my rack (among others avedis ma-5 -pair-, a-designs p-1 -pair-, chandler germanium 500, shadow hills mono gama, universal audio ua 610 solo, anamod am 660 and purple action (pair)).
after having worked with all of these devices for a longer period of time i am still positively thrilled by the quality and sound of the affinity preamp and solution compressor:

most of the time the affinity preamp has been my first choice on overheads, acoustic guitar, bass, clean electric guitar and basically every other source that sounds good by itself and should remain sounding natural.
if it was not the preamp i chose in the end it is pretty sure that the affinity scored a good second place, which i can not say about any other pre i own.
it has a very natural and musical way of amplifing the source, staying true but making it sound rich and expensive nonetheless. the more intimate and natural things have to sound, the more i can be sure that the affinity will be the pre i choose in the end. the d.i. input is also superb and the price is just simply amazing.

the hcl solution is my go-to tracking compressor. i may switch to a vari-mu or fet-sound if i want some other color for a change, but nine out of ten times the solution is in my recording chain, set to very light peak reduction and just making things sound "better". note that the solution comp has been improved since the shootout (among others the attack time can be set to being faster now). and added to that the guys at hcl made me a special modification in comparison to the regular models: i have a switcheable sidechain filter on the front which i use extensively during recording. thumbs up!

a few days after the faust microphone arrived at my studio i had to lend it to siger that also is a very good friend of mine. she loved it so much that i never got it back since, which is a good sign in terms of the quality of this mic, i suppose...
all i can say is that it suits her voice very good indeed and that its fabrication is top notch, not even considering the great price point.

some soundfiles:
here is a live recording of one of my songs the above mentioned singer friend and me did together (first song of the examples). one room, three mikes, nearly no afterwards-treatment. faust as vocal mike, affinity pre and solution comp on guitar.
nude . zwei sitztänzer

this is my new record, it has hcl written all over it, especially on overheads, acoustic instruments and bass.
the first song on the playlist (same song as in the link above) uses the affinity pre on acoustic guitar, overheads, cellos, toypiano and glockenspiel and the solution comp on just about everything while being tracked.
FICUS & THE DEVICE | Berlin, DE | Alternative / Singer/Songwriter / Pop | Music, Lyrics, Songs, and Videos | ReverbNation

i also want to mention that i have experienced an amazing costumer service at hcl.
albert is a great guy to deal with and does all he can to satisfy his clients.

greetings,

johannes

[Moatl]

++1!

I just love my affinity a2!
It can sound so intimate but makes everything sound huge at the same time!

The solution s2 I have not heard YET :-)
But I heard a lot of good things about it...

Plus I can confirm - the support from Albert and his team is awesome!

[walth]

Very Nice

[walth]

hello,
which cadac was used on vocals?
thanks

[inlindsey]

that was easy because it´s written in the first post...

Cadac g268 is the answer.

cheers, johannes