Sontec! Where is Burgess Macneal??

[WBM]

He is in the Islands drinking margaritas, with all the money that they pay him in advance for the new EQ's, and he is having a better life.

[Cellotron]

Originally Posted by switch1

I am trying to reach him over a month now with no success. What is the matter?

There is nothing the matter. You just need to adjust your schedule from the idea that most folks return messages almost instantly back to a time when people used to write letters, and then hope for a reply in a few months.

Maybe you could drop by for a visit?

100 Audio Dr Ripplemead, VA 24150 - Google Maps

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[tomasrangel]

Try here:

UA WebZine "Analog Obsession" December 04 | ITI, Sontec, and the History of Parametric EQ

Look at the end of the page.

Good Luck

[Cellotron]

Originally Posted by tomasrangel

Try here:

UA WebZine "Analog Obsession" December 04 | ITI, Sontec, and the History of Parametric EQ

Look at the end of the page.

Good Luck

That's an old page and is NOT his contact info.
try -
540-626-7202
888-410-4842
info at ITI-Audio dot com

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[tomasrangel]

Originally Posted by Cellotron

That's an old page and is NOT his contact info.
try -
540-626-7202
888-410-4842
info at ITI-Audio dot com

Best regards,
Steve Berson

yes, just trying to help seek him.
just in case
who is Ron Kramer?

[Peakly]

Edited post.

[crowatti]

In my opinion anyone dealing with Burgess Macneal should do so with EXTREAM CAUTION. In 1999 I bought a brand new Sontec MES 432 Mastering Equalizer from Sontec, Mr. Macneal. In 2001 I spoke to Burgess Macneal and requested a modification of my equalizer. He said he could do it and we agreed on a price, so I sent the unit to him. My equalizer when shipped was in absolutely mint condition! While my unit was being “modified” I was given a “demo” unit which while it functioned well, it clearly was not in the pristine visual condition of my equalizer. Burgess promised a turnaround time of a couple of months. Time passed no equalizer returned. After numerous phone calls, letters and even sending the local sheriff to his home, I have never seen my equalizer again. In the few instances when I have spoken to Burgess, I have had every phony excuse under the sun and continued promises of delivery, each promise clearly an out and out lie. While the equipment may be good, the unethical business practices exhibited by this person would drive me to one of several competitors offering similar equalizers. In my opinion, the products produced by any company are only as good as the people behind them.

[acorneau]

Damn, Carl, that sucks. Hope you get things sorted out soon and to your satisfaction.

[MattGray]

Originally Posted by crowatti

Time passed no equalizer returned. After numerous phone calls, letters and even sending the local sheriff to his home, I have never seen my equalizer again.

Carl do you know the serial number of your missing EQ? Would be interesting to post it and see if it was re-sold by mistake or something...

[shmasterer]

which begs the question, where does one go to get their Sontec 43x repaired in the US? I had Steve Firlotte replace some step attenuators in mine. He's otherwise very busy with Inward Connections, so not sure if he'd be available in the future.

_sh

[thermos]

Originally Posted by shmasterer

which begs the question, where does one go to get their Sontec 43x repaired in the US? I had Steve Firlotte replace some step attenuators in mine. He's otherwise very busy with Inward Connections, so not sure if he'd be available in the future.

_sh

Dan Zellman in NYC can do it.

[acorneau]

Originally Posted by shmasterer

which begs the question, where does one go to get their Sontec 43x repaired in the US?

My guess is Burgess, but Chris Muth also works on Sontec gear.

http://www.taloowa.com/tcsonrep.html

[Edit: link works now!]

[Waltz Mastering]

Originally Posted by acorneau

Chris Muth also works on Sontec gear.

http://www.taloowa.com/tcsonrep.html/

The link for Chris wasn't working. Here it is:

Taloowa Corp home

[shmasterer]

excellent, thank you

_sh

[GRUNTBOY]

Originally Posted by shmasterer

which begs the question, where does one go to get their Sontec 43x repaired in the US? I had Steve Firlotte replace some step attenuators in mine. He's otherwise very busy with Inward Connections, so not sure if he'd be available in the future.

_sh

That is very interesting.... that you had 'some' step attenuators replaced.... They are Mil Spec Shallco's... first I have ever heard of one or more having any issues.... during numerous discussions about the repairing of Sontecs/ ITI's a few snake oil salesmen have come to light and there are those who love to change parts needlessly ..... sometimes the springs will get worn but other than that nothing... and all that does is change the rotational feel.

[GRUNTBOY]

Originally Posted by MattGray

Carl do you know the serial number of your missing EQ? Would be interesting to post it and see if it was re-sold by mistake or something...

Seems I recall a conversation about Rowatti's unit.... very interesting... lol
It's probably laying around in the 'Gym' with a bunch of my junk piled on top of it or sitting in the hallway behind some rolls of roofing felt, paint and empty milk jugs.... or maybe it's being used as a door stop somewhere -
But chances are it got shipped somewhere else by mistake...or the mobster is making stuff up.... Bugsy is almost eighty years old and both of us started losing our minds pretty bad about then.... nobody except his wife knows when his birthday is

Anyhow, there will likely not be any more Sontecs produced... He is too old and we are both too crazy

[Ben F]

Originally Posted by GRUNTBOY

Seems I recall a conversation about Rowatti's unit.... very interesting... lol
It's probably laying around in the 'Gym' with a bunch of my junk piled on top of it or sitting in the hallway behind some rolls of roofing felt, paint and empty milk jugs.... or maybe it's being used as a door stop somewhere -
But chances are it got shipped somewhere else by mistake...or the mobster is making stuff up.... Bugsy is almost eighty years old and both of us started losing our minds pretty bad about then.... nobody except his wife knows when his birthday is

Anyhow, there will likely not be any more Sontecs produced... He is too old and we are both too crazy

How do you know Burgess? Or are you Burgess???

[dcollins]

Originally Posted by GRUNTBOY

That is very interesting.... that you had 'some' step attenuators replaced.... They are Mil Spec Shallco's... first I have ever heard of one or more having any issues.... during numerous discussions about the repairing of Sontecs/ ITI's a few snake oil salesmen have come to light and there are those who love to change parts needlessly ..... sometimes the springs will get worn but other than that nothing... and all that does is change the rotational feel.

I was just looking at a modded Sontec tonight. Good measured performance actually. Nothing earth-shattering. Had some AD845's and AD711 in place of the 5535's.


DC

[shmasterer]

Originally Posted by GRUNTBOY

That is very interesting.... that you had 'some' step attenuators replaced.... They are Mil Spec Shallco's... first I have ever heard of one or more having any issues.... during numerous discussions about the repairing of Sontecs/ ITI's a few snake oil salesmen have come to light and there are those who love to change parts needlessly ..... sometimes the springs will get worn but other than that nothing... and all that does is change the rotational feel.

sorry to take so long to get back about this, in fact I guess I lied a bit about it, not the attenuators, it was the bandwidth selectors, which kinda glitched when adjusted, very annoying. according to SF, these are hard to come by, he scraped up the required 6 from a couple sources, attaching a pic of one of the old ones returned with the unit, works real good now

_sh

[24-96 Mastering]

Originally Posted by shmasterer

sorry to take so long to get back about this, in fact I guess I lied a bit about it, not the attenuators, it was the bandwidth selectors, which kinda glitched when adjusted, very annoying. according to SF, these are hard to come by, he scraped up the required 6 from a couple sources, attaching a pic of one of the old ones returned with the unit, works real good now

_sh

That's happening with mine too. Does SF have 6 more of them by any chance?

[shmasterer]

Originally Posted by 24-96 Mastering

That's happening with mine too. Does SF have 6 more of them by any chance?

just PM'd you Robin,

_m

[mpdonahue]

This may be a stupid question, but that Shallco switch looks like a pretty standard form factor 1" panel mount switch. Are you telling me that there ins't a Grayhill or Elma part that could be a direct replacement with the same indexing? The replacement part probably won't have the exact same feel, but functionally and electrically they are identical.
All the best,
-mark

[shmasterer]

its a 5 position rotary at 10,11,12,1 & 2 o'clock ('ish), to match the panel legend, don't know but I assume thats the reason, have heard Shallco will make it, but a minimum order could be required, special order yada $$ yada.

[Paul Gold]

IIRC that's a Shallco J series switch. Try Electroswitch M5 series. Electroswitch doesn't have a minimum order and are available through the usual suspects.