ADL 670. The BEAST.... Anybody?

[laddie.music2]

Originally Posted by toneguru

Some people think its crazy to spend so much money on gear (or fancy toys) but I think it is crazy to go thru life without. Who wants to die with a pile of currency in the bank?

How many times have you walked into a room with a truckload of gear but nothing truly awesome?

Whenever I am wondering whether or not to stretch out and get the very best, I just think of money as paper and gear as iron. Wait... I can get this super cool iron for just a handful of paper? Its a no-brainer.

Now you don't have to have awesome gear to make things sound great but its a lot easier and a hell of a lot more fun when you do.

PS. I don't always concur with Jim Williams but Gearslutz is a much better place with his presence.

Dude your my kind of guy... better to live like a rich man, then to be rich and live like a pauper... hahahaha

I agree completely... even if I made 100k a year, i'd be buying an original fairchild without hesitation...

it's a bloody fairchild,

[alexstringer]

Unless you own a rental company or you makes $millions/year, i don't see the point or spending $30K on a vintage stereo comp! One way or another, you have to get a return on the money spent as in renting it for instance, or record albums with it and sell enough to finance the gear. But i don't think your studio will get more clients because you own a Fairchild comp.

[alexstringer]

Originally Posted by yrplace

Around 1985 all the gear from the old Wally Heider studios in Los Angeles was sold off after the studio went bankrupt (it had been through several owners).

The studio had several 670's and Jackson bought them all for $2500 each. Everyone thought this was just crazy $2500 for a compressor!!!!. Remember at the time a blackface 1176 could be had for $300 and esoteric gear like an RCA BA-6 could be found for free, and Neumann U-47's could be had for under $1000 so spending $2500 for a stereo compressor seemed rather outlandish.

Sounds cheap in today's money but adjusted for inflation that's what it would cost today. Add a zero and that's what people pay today for a Blackface, a U47 and 670. Hell! My landlord bought her 6 units building in Williamsburg for $85,000 in 87. She'd get over $1.3 Millions for it today if she sold it!

[Dean Roddey]

Actually inflation since 1985 is between about 2x and 2.5x or thereabouts, not 10x. So it would bea bit over $5K today or so, still a very hefty return on investment if you sold them today for $25000.

[toneguru]

Originally Posted by Dean Roddey

Actually inflation since 1985 is between about 2x and 2.5x or thereabouts, not 10x. So it would bea bit over $5K today or so, still a very hefty return on investment if you sold them today for $25000.

Not entirely correct. If you go by govt numbers sure its 2.2x but if you look at the cost of food, gas, real estate and yes even U47's you see that the real inflation rate was close to twice the numbers that the Govt would have us believe. For instance, back in 1985 gas was $1.20 a gal. Now it is about 4x that price.

Heck, just look at the numbers the Govt gives out today, inflation at 2 or 3% according to the Fed. Seems to me that food has gone up at least 15% in the last year... oh yeh, the Govt doesn't like to count food or gas in their numbers... DOH!

Still, I figure if I paid $2,500 for a Fairchild 670 back in 85 and sold it for $25k today I probably got a real return of about 40% after inflation which is a decent return. But factor in the added revenue I got for using it too and its not the worst investment I can make.

Now if I bought an SSL J series back in the 90's...

[Marcocet]

So what does any of this have to do with the ADL 670?

Originally Posted by toneguru

Not entirely correct. If you go by govt numbers sure its 2.2x but if you look at the cost of food, gas, real estate and yes even U47's you see that the real inflation rate was close to twice the numbers that the Govt would have us believe. For instance, back in 1985 gas was $1.20 a gal. Now it is about 4x that price.

As a side note, not to get wrapped up in an argument, but I think gas may not be the benchmark you're looking for. In the late 90's when it was under $1 per gallon would you have said that inflation had been happening in reverse? The point is still solid but you have to admit that from $2500 in the mid 80s (which was more than any had ever sold for before) to $35000 in 2011 is a much bigger variation than inflation can account for. The item's actual perceived value has gone up considerably. If you think it's not a valid business investment that's one thing, but investments when being made are always subjective. It's only afterwords that you can tell if it was a good or bad one.

[alexstringer]

Originally Posted by Marcocet

"... but you have to admit that from $2500 in the mid 80s (which was more than any had ever sold for before) to $35000 in 2011 is a much bigger variation than inflation can account for.

Ahem! More like $21,000 in 2011...

[Dean Roddey]

But that's a 660, mono, not a stereo 670.

[alexstringer]

My bad!
Geez! Somebody Did actually pay that much for a mono comp! I'm flabbergasted!

[salomonander]

Originally Posted by alexstringer

My bad!
Geez! Somebody Did actually pay that much for a mono comp! I'm flabbergasted!

im afraid that price is pretty much standard for a 660 these days. it IS the best comp ever build in my opinion. totally overbuild rocket science. but yes, prices are ridiculous.

[alexstringer]

Originally Posted by salomonander

im afraid that price is pretty much standard for a 660 these days. it IS the best comp ever build in my opinion. totally overbuild rocket science. but yes, prices are ridiculous.

And i thought i was crazy to have spent $10K on a pair of Ear660's!

[mrc]

i'm curious about the drip clone. anybody heard one?