Ashton Audio & Classic Audio Products of Illinois present the VP312 Mic Pre

[MattiaS]

Hey Guys! Congrats for your new pre amps!!!! Sounds awesome!!!!

Well, I'm very interested in the 312 pre amps from Classic Audio Products.... BUT!!!.. I need to know how can I install the pre amps into a classic rack case... I mean, I know that you can install 4 PCB into a single standar 19" 1u rack.... but I don't understand how you do the connections from the PCB to the XLR Connectors, Power Supply, etc...

Do you wage cables direct to the PCB or you use some kind of Slot???... If you wage cables direct... in which traces??? I was looking the Schematic from the web page of Classic Audio but I don't understand how do you do the Balanced connections...

About the PS.... Any kit that works for those purposes???

I sent an e-mail to Classic Audio Products last week asking the same... but the answer wasnt what I Need... really cool guys btw....

Well guys, congrats again.... and from now... Thanks for your Help

cheers

[matta]

Hi MattiaS,

Thanks for the compliments.

The VP312 in kit form is available through Jeff @ CAPI, this isn't really a thread about those as this is a commercial, ready made venture between Jeff and myself, but I'll help where I can RE your questions.

Firstly these kits are NOT paint by numbers, I think Jeff's documentation is fine indeed, but it presupposes you have SOME kind of understanding of the workings of electronics and how to use basic tools like a soldering iron and multimeter, esp. if you are planning on building your own power supply!

In order to get 4 VP312's into a single 1 or 2U case you will need to trim the boards down to size, there is a white line on the silkscreen to indicate where to cut it, but it is somewhat labour intensive.

RE the connections, it is best to familiarize yourself with the API 500 series pin-out, Eddie Ciletti wrote a great article on the 500 system, including pin outs, which can be found here: API 500 Series Eddie Ciletti Tech's Files | February Tech's Files in Mix magazine focuses on API 500 Series if mounted in a rack you will need to fly leads to the appropriate traces.

There are MANY power supplies that would work in this situation, one that springs to mind is the JLM Audio AC/DC, you need a bi-polar +16VDC and +48VDC for Phantom Power, which it has and is a beefy, well filtered supply and available in kit form or PCB only.

Again, this is NOT a help thread, I'm just pointing you in the right direction, if this seems in any way overwhelming I'd suggest you have a suitable tech do it for you, and remember electricity is to be respected and in the words of Andrew from Purple Audio 'Death is permanent'.

Kind Regards

Matt

Originally Posted by MattiaS

Hey Guys! Congrats for your new pre amps!!!! Sounds awesome!!!!

Well, I'm very interested in the 312 pre amps from Classic Audio Products.... BUT!!!.. I need to know how can I install the pre amps into a classic rack case... I mean, I know that you can install 4 PCB into a single standar 19" 1u rack.... but I don't understand how you do the connections from the PCB to the XLR Connectors, Power Supply, etc...

Do you wage cables direct to the PCB or you use some kind of Slot???... If you wage cables direct... in which traces??? I was looking the Schematic from the web page of Classic Audio but I don't understand how do you do the Balanced connections...

About the PS.... Any kit that works for those purposes???

I sent an e-mail to Classic Audio Products last week asking the same... but the answer wasnt what I Need... really cool guys btw....

Well guys, congrats again.... and from now... Thanks for your Help

cheers

[MattiaS]

Thanks Matt!!!

Yep, I know a couple of things of electronics... And i have practice with soldering Iron....

So I'm gonna read the info about the 500 series pinout.... that help me a lot... THANKS!!!!

And.... well.... good luck with your products.... looks and sound awesome!

CheerS!

P.S: Sorry for my questions on your products threat

[dandeurloo]

These pres do sound amazing! I've used them on a number of projects now. You can't go wrong here.

[rob61]

Can anyone comment on the sonic differences between the 312 kits and the VP26 kit? I know that the output transformer is different, and the VP26 uses the transformer found in the console pres. But what is the difference sonically between the two?

[MattiaS]

Originally Posted by rob61

Can anyone comment on the sonic differences between the 312 kits and the VP26 kit? I know that the output transformer is different, and the VP26 uses the transformer found in the console pres. But what is the difference sonically between the two?

Yep!... I'm interested in that too..... what are the differences???... In sound...

Cheers

[dandeurloo]

The differences are subtle. I could use either in any application and be extremely happy with the results. Overall great sounding pres. Not many pres that can do everything great like these! This was not the case at all with the API 512c's I had previously. If you like the 512's I would bet you would love the Classic API's.

I have found the 312's to be a little more open sounding then the VP26. I didn't expect that at all because of the bigger transfomer on the 312. I thought the 312 would sound alittle more fat or something. Instead I hear it as actually more open because of the bigger transformer. The Vp26 I think goes into transformer saturation a little quicker because of the slightly smaller transformer. Both pres sound fatter and warmer/richer then the current API pres. Honestly it's not even close. They have great detail without the hash sound I have heard in modern API's. Plus the output atten is super cool!

I do think that the transfomers are the biggest difference between the 2 versions. Either way i'm glad I have both!