anyone knows deff between API 550's?

[noamusic]

Hi all

I'm in a search of my first and last eq!
for voc,guitars and all the rest..
Never heard an API before but so many recommendations on it.
Spatially on the vintage ones!

I found few on eBay but there are few model no'

550A ,B
Some with or without # 1 after A,B
What is the difference?
Which is better?
(I saw that the B model has 5 knobs)
thanks

[cheu78]

I'd check here, there's written everything (or almost) about it..

Avedis Audio: 550A, 550B, 553, 554, 560 Professional Audio Electronics, Vintage Pro Audio, ProAudio, API, Equalizer

Bests,

Cheu

[noamusic]

thanks,
so what is better one 550A or 550A-1

[Overdrive]

IF I was after API, which I'm not, 550a would be it. A 3 band affair.
These days I think there are better alternatives in the 500 world. The Great River / Harrison 32c is a favorite, also offerings from A- Designs and the Chandler Little Devil eq.
I must say that the api was a real let down on a recent session in a direct compare to the 32C


Sent from my HTC Desire using Gearslutz.com App

[PlatinumSamples]

Originally Posted by noamusic

thanks,
so what is better one 550A or 550A-1

550A is more sought after than a 550A-1/Datatronics 550A

You can tell easily by counting the number of 2520's (550A has two, 550A-1 has one)

Rail

[Marcocet]

Originally Posted by PlatinumSamples

550A is more sought after than a 550A-1/Datatronics 550A

You can tell easily by counting the number of 2520's (550A has two, 550A-1 has one)

Rail

Bingo. And the 550b is a completely different beast. 550m is a mastering version with smaller steps. Saul Walker 550 is the current hand wired 550a reissue.

[tonnu]

not to hog the thread but to further expand on the OP's post, how would the sound of the various 550 eq's be described?

let's focus on the available ones, the handwired 550a, reissue 550a, and the 550b. what's the sound like?

modern or vintage? aggressive or smooth? hifi or more "raw"?

which applications / genres would it excel on? ie just to be in the chain to add mojo, tracking / mixing, surgical / broad?

heard someone said the 550a (reissue) is "instant indie rock" and if it fits that description, that's certainly what i'd get.

also, how does it compare to other highly colored eq's for example the purple ODD?

many thanks!

[Fezzle]

heard the 550A when doin some ska/reggae stuff, that things really decent. Good for broad strokes , not smooth if ye like but not aggressive either.. somewhere in the middle for me. Its a 'solid' sound and coz of the proportional Q has a unique influence on the sound with extreme settings.

[bluejbill]

Originally Posted by Fezzle

heard the 550A when doin some ska/reggae stuff, that things really decent. Good for broad strokes , not smooth if ye like but not aggressive either.. somewhere in the middle for me. Its a 'solid' sound and coz of the proportional Q has a unique influence on the sound with extreme settings.

Not sure I understand what that means.

Is the Q sharper or broader at higher settings?

[AllAboutTone]

Originally Posted by tonnu

not to hog the thread but to further expand on the OP's post, how would the sound of the various 550 eq's be described?

let's focus on the available ones, the handwired 550a, reissue 550a, and the 550b. what's the sound like?

modern or vintage? aggressive or smooth? hifi or more "raw"?

which applications / genres would it excel on? ie just to be in the chain to add mojo, tracking / mixing, surgical / broad?

heard someone said the 550a (reissue) is "instant indie rock" and if it fits that description, that's certainly what i'd get.

also, how does it compare to other highly colored eq's for example the purple ODD?

many thanks!

The ODD is great on the top, that's about it, Api is dope on all, I even have a older 554 and it's a great eq.

[tekis]

Originally Posted by bluejbill

Not sure I understand what that means.

Is the Q sharper or broader at higher settings?

Sharper at higher settings on 550A/B. It's referred to as "proportional q". To my knowledge, the 550A-1 lacks this characteristic. I don't hate A-1's though, just prefer A's and B's to them.

[GREENFENDR]

Originally Posted by noamusic

Hi all

I'm in a search of my first and last eq!

thanks

The API stuff is great, but If you're looking for a be-all Eq I'd try to find something that has a HPF. I know the Little Devil has one, thats' a very cool sounding eq too. Different then the Api, but IMHO more versatile.

[tonnu]

Originally Posted by AllAboutTone

The ODD is great on the top, that's about it, Api is dope on all, I even have a older 554 and it's a great eq.

hey i've read this comment from you before but i'm confused as many in other posts says it's also great for lowend

confused

[Doc Mixwell]

I find the ODD VERY different from the API stuff....softer, really smooth. Colorful like the rainbow. A Glazed Donut that is made out of Jello. It has a very silky quality. A Sheen, glassy warmth that is pristine, and in action it is still very clear sounding, with boosts and cuts. Inductor EQ sounds very out of the way to me, and really musical. I don't find the bottom lacking or whatever, I find it pretty elegant sounding and I can really build low mid/bottom body without obscuring/masking anything with the ODD. You can make things rounder with it, and the top boost is "lovely"...

[MIKEHARRIS]

Stay away from the A-1. It has only 1 2520

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by MIKEHARRIS

Stay away from the A-1. It has only 1 2520

Agreed...

Datatronics era API (they really messed this one up trying to save money).... It has a different Q.. so, they sound functionally different when boosting/ cutting.

[jsteiger]

Sure the A-1 is no A, but it's not exactly an unusable POS either. I think the biggest problem is when guys pay for an A and get an A-1. I still think the original 550 has some beef and thickness to it that was lost with the A version.

[drBill]

I have A-1's and like them just fine. As said, they are different than A's, but still have the "API" sound to me. The difference issue is not really another 2520 in the path, but the way the proportional Q sounds at higher boosts. It's easy to get more 2520's in the path. (for me, see Jeff's "Missing Link" modules) Not easy to get the proportional Q without an A or B.

A normal input pathway for me is vp-26, 550A-1, Missing Link. Plenty of Iron, plenty of discrete op-amps, lots of love. As they say, YMMV.

[rogerbrain]

Originally Posted by Roc Mixwell

I find the ODD VERY different from the API stuff....softer, really smooth. Colorful like the rainbow. A Glazed Donut that is made out of Jello. It has a very silky quality. A Sheen, glassy warmth that is pristine, and in action it is still very clear sounding, with boosts and cuts. Inductor EQ sounds very out of the way to me, and really musical. I don't find the bottom lacking or whatever, I find it pretty elegant sounding and I can really build low mid/bottom body without obscuring/masking anything with the ODD. You can make things rounder with it, and the top boost is "lovely"...

gotta agree..I would call the mids dark chocolate... I love that I can boost the midrange on a voice and not get honk or boxiness

[Jim Williams]

I just rebuilt a set of them. Most had one one 2520 with a set of 2N5088/5089 transistors. A couple had dual DIP opamps with one 2520 on the output.

I prefered the sound of the DIP opamp version once replaced with quality chips, it was also quieter. I didn't run Audio Precision sweeps to look at EQ curve differences, I should have. I also replaced many of the top band EQ caps with Wima FKP-2's.

[AllAboutTone]

Originally Posted by tonnu

hey i've read this comment from you before but i'm confused as many in other posts says it's also great for lowend

confused

I never said I liked the low end on the ODD, the highs are great though. However the 554 is great all round.

[rob S]

550's have the original version of the 2520.
i think they are a little thicker or fuzzier or something compared to A's.
they also have two less freq's on the low band and one less on the top.

i prefer 550's and 550A's over the other versions.
i never compared the new surface mount to the saul walker.
gees, i dont know if im even interested to tell you the truth...