Just got mine back from Sank today. Plugged it in for a second but there's another session going on so i couldn't run it through the paces. Early next week I'll blow out a full report.
Still Xmas/New Years holidays over here and time for browsing old threads, and just noticed that the report is missing. I'm curious!
__________________ Doug Fearn:What you are going to hear is my musical taste about what I think things should sound like....and there's no reason why that should be what you like/
.....I think it's important to realize that we're all different,we're all individuals. If we all made our recordings sound the same it would really be a boring world
Still Xmas/New Years holidays over here and time for browsing old threads, and just noticed that the report is missing. I'm curious!
You're absolutely correct.
It's been in the mix at Strange Weather for a hot minute now and gets used constantly. There's a really thick, heavy quality to it, almost syrupy. And the way it breaks up is irreplicable in my experience. There's a depth to it that's hard to describe, which maybe is why I put off writing this for so long
I suppose some comparisons would be more helpful. It doesn't have the low end extension our Neves do, but it still feels more bass heavy due to the weight and thickness of the low mids. The dirty character of the upper mids doesn't have any of the aggression and punch of the API console pres but it still cuts through beautifully.
I could compare it to a really great fender tube amp, a deluxe reverb lets say. You can get that sound that's just at the edge of drive, where it's still a clean tone but picks up this inexplicable character. If you really push it you can get a lot of dirt but where it really shines is right before the dirt comes in. Like the air when it's about to rain. Now I'm getting really ridiculous.
It's a STARK contrast to everything else we've got, so maybe I should say some things it's not. It's NOT vintage or old sounding, though you could still say classic. It's not rolled off in the high end even though it sounds thick. In fact the way it reacts with my Coles 4038 I feel like I get more top end from them than I've ever heard. It's not dirty, though you can certainly make it get there if you try.
Basically I love it. They're ridiculously expensive at this point but I can see why, and it gets used every session. However if I want more of that flavor I'll run to Doug Williams at EMRR and see what he recommends for a reasonable amount of cash.
Thanks! What a great and poetic report. I just got word this morning from Stephen that my 2nd unit is ready. A few extras this time - output attenuator, separate input w phantom pwr etc...
The lovely couple in da house! Also got stuff from Stephen for phantom power and output att for the first unit that he fixed for me two years ago, so the units will have the same features, soon.
The lovely couple in da house! Also got stuff from Stephen for phantom power and output att for the first unit that he fixed for me two years ago, so the units will have the same features, soon.
They are bloody lovely mate
PS. Incidentally There is a bloke from Stockholm that could probably use a quick RCA 77d noise test on one of your very delicious pre amps. RCA 77D - Noise and hum.
i just fired up my OP7 again and did a little A/B testing with a chinese tube condenser mic i am rather fond of.
first i found a good level for speech with my HV3, then i patched into the OP7 followed by the HV3 and found the same level was matched at around 12 out of 20 on the OP7 channel attenuator.
the tone imparted by the OP7 was immense! very beefy in the bass and low mid, and the ultra highs were decreased in a pleasing way that made the sound no less detailed, but somehow more present, 'electric' and exciting. there was a wonderful high-mid bite imparted that was very pleasing and brought real presence to the signal.
the best way i could describe the difference was that the mic straight into the HV3 was like a U87, clean, natural but a bit boring but the mic through the OP7 was like a U47.. a touch dirty, very full, a top end that sounds very present and more like a 'recording'.
all very subjective words, of course, but i feel i really must try this out on my next vocal session.
here's a question related to an earlier post.. could an OP7 be modded to be a single channel preamp, like the OP6? i presume that the circuit would have to be reworked somewhat as the OP6 uses 3 of the 1620 tubes for gain? different output transformer?
i just fired up my OP7 again and did a little A/B testing with a chinese tube condenser mic i am rather fond of.
first i found a good level for speech with my HV3, then i patched into the OP7 followed by the HV3 and found the same level was matched at around 12 out of 20 on the OP7 channel attenuator.
the tone imparted by the OP7 was immense! very beefy in the bass and low mid, and the ultra highs were decreased in a pleasing way that made the sound no less detailed, but somehow more present, 'electric' and exciting. there was a wonderful high-mid bite imparted that was very pleasing and brought real presence to the signal.
the best way i could describe the difference was that the mic straight into the HV3 was like a U87, clean, natural but a bit boring but the mic through the OP7 was like a U47.. a touch dirty, very full, a top end that sounds very present and more like a 'recording'.
all very subjective words, of course, but i feel i really must try this out on my next vocal session.
here's a question related to an earlier post.. could an OP7 be modded to be a single channel preamp, like the OP6? i presume that the circuit would have to be reworked somewhat as the OP6 uses 3 of the 1620 tubes for gain? different output transformer?
The OP7 is to the OP6
what
<DELETED BY MODERATOR>
The OP7 has almost nothing in common with an OP6... Literally.
Last edited by GS moderation; 16th July 2011 at 03:41 PM..
Reason: Inappropriate language
A modern condenser will most likely overload an OP-7 channel under almost any circumstance. I quoted the operating levels here somewhere before, I'm not looking them up again. Suffice to say modern condensers are not what RCA ever envisioned. If you like the distortion components, that's fine. I suspect what you are hearing and liking is exactly that, distortion.
The two things the OP-7 has in common with the OP-6 are:
1) the input transformer
2) sold as a pair together
You can't easily make an OP-7 into an OP-6. I hate working on either one, neither is terribly service friendly, especially not as compared to any proper RCA studio equipment.
The simplest thing one could do would be to make it work as a 2 channel device rather than a one channel device. I doubt anyone ever uses an OP-7 as a mic level mixer, which is what it is. You'd get more gain out of it converted to 2 channels, simply by losing the mixing losses; probably 20-25 dB per channel as opposed to 7 dB. You'll never get a clean high output level out of one, since it uses the same low level input transformer as an output transformer. Let me say low level one more time, to hammer home the point. You could go whole hog and dispense with the mixing bus and output transformer altogether, and add 4 better higher level output transformers, at which point you would probably just wish you'd either built something from scratch with the money you'd made selling the OP-7, which would now be seriously compromised in value because it had been hacked so much. It would be a bitch to figure out where to put any new transformers.
__________________
Best,
Doug Williams
ElectroMagnetic Radiation Recorders
Tape Op issue 73
Too bad the price is SO high: I'd likely put it into consideration if it were a wee bit south of that...
How're the rest of you doing with yours?
BTW @ Doug re: reconfiguring an OP7 to OP6 - when I had mine, and subsequent talks with a fellow tube amp expert said the same thing - even with doubling up on the channels to increase gain only raises it so much, and likely would change the sonics = not worth it.
BOT - looks like somebody is gonna get a very nice condition unit if the seller is real.
Too bad the price is SO high: I'd likely put it into consideration if it were a wee bit south of that...
How're the rest of you doing with yours?
BTW @ Doug re: reconfiguring an OP7 to OP6 - when I had mine, and subsequent talks with a fellow tube amp expert said the same thing - even with doubling up on the channels to increase gain only raises it so much, and likely would change the sonics = not worth it.
BOT - looks like somebody is gonna get a very nice condition unit if the seller is real.
Yeah, you don't see these for sale that often... and this one looks really great. But if you're looking at a mod also, it's going to be pretty expensive.
I still haven't used mine that much. But of course they've been great with my ribbons, 44As and 4038 is what I'm using mostly. Still haven't done a proper shootout against my 1084 reissues with moderns mics. I'll report when that happens.
I am still loving on my OP-6 hard... got it tweaked to perfection...
I'm actually in the midst of scratch building an RCA BA2 style 1620 preamp using mostly vintage parts.. gonna do a shootout with the BA2, OP6 and a Fearn VT2...
I am still loving on my OP-6 hard... got it tweaked to perfection...
I'm actually in the midst of scratch building an RCA BA2 style 1620 preamp using mostly vintage parts.. gonna do a shootout with the BA2, OP6 and a Fearn VT2...
Should be interesting...
Yup this will be very interesting indeed. Keep us posted bren.
External power supply with slow startup voltage. Reduced audio hum level by over 12dB from original power transformer, Dead quiet with lower gain. Still quiet with lots of gain! Has selection of original input or jensen transformer via relays for a little more flavor without losing original sound. Fully recapped/all new resistors with carefully chosen components and values. Rebuilt original gain pot to tighten things up. Proper output attenuator so you can slam into distortion all you want. Was used at CBS radio in the 1940's and has CBS radio plate on the back. there are two audio clips here. 1 microphone (royer r121) on a drum kit. Me playing drums ( i dont play drums.... so get ready) OP6 with and without limiter in my room. The limiter is a quasi-malfunctioning 610 spectrasonics. I have another one that sounds totally different. its really all about the 1993 Ralph Lauren pillow stolen from an ex- girlfriend to use in a kick drum that sends it over the top.
Last edited by shawn sullivan; 13th October 2011 at 11:58 AM..
Reason: audio clips wouldnt load, and needed to put more info
I'd say around $1500 for a non restored unit. From someone who knows what it's worth.
That would be reasonable, but the last one I saw sell on ebay, which was questionably modded and in poor cosmetic condition, went for $2,850.00! Be prepared for outrageous bidding on these now that the word is out...
FWIW, about 5 years ago I bought 2 unrestored OP-6s on ebay for $500 and $800 each. Now I wish I'd bought 10 of them!
Yep, before June of last year they were consistently $600-$1200, restored or non-restored, then a certain person started asking $4K+. Wallah! Instant $2K5; the people believed. Can I get a hallelujah! Sarcasm intended....
Hello Gents,
I had posted my question on a different thread, but realized this may be a better choice.
I mostly record saxophones and other woodwinds and have a nice collection of RCA ribbon mics. I'm looking to buy another mic pre and am considering the DW Fearn VT-12 or an OP-6 that a friend is selling. Currently have a TRP and a pair of V-72's that don't really have the gain for these mics.
Any advice would be appreciated
Hello Gents,
I had posted my question on a different thread, but realized this may be a better choice.
I mostly record saxophones and other woodwinds and have a nice collection of RCA ribbon mics. I'm looking to buy another mic pre and am considering the DW Fearn VT-12 or an OP-6 that a friend is selling. Currently have a TRP and a pair of V-72's that don't really have the gain for these mics.
Any advice would be appreciated
I would just bite the bullet and somehow get the one your friend has.
I know my life would be worse without it!. The sound it makes is unique... well was, till the 6.1 homage to the original bren hur has been working on. I bet he's got it right first time.
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Man I want one of these bad boys.
