Scully 280s as preamps

alkooloid · 8th April 2009

This is something I posted at TO
without much luck - anyone?
Thanks

I have 6 of these - 2 for parts and 4 that should be back
from my tech any year now (see this Woody?).

Two things -
Is there a difference really between the germanium transistors
and the silicon?

Is there a little dishing/secret uses/tips for old Al here?
This collecting old gear, sending it to my tech, waiting a lifetime,
and eventually being really happy, or rather underwhelmed(Ampex 351s)
is not like the old days, where I'd go into Guitar Center(I know)
and walk out with my new shiny POS. No Roger Nichols to tell me
how much I'll like my new ADAT.(punk) I know it's more rewarding
but it's like falling in love with a woman who wants to "let our
relationship develop for a while" before doing it. Meanwhile I'm
dyin' here. Hey - at least I'm not dating women as old as this
gear I'm using! Wait, I resemble that remark!

Update - got the Scullys back from my tech TODAY!
Plugged them up and WOW!
This whole time I've been kicking myself thinking "I could
have filled up the other 6 slots of my SCA rack in style with the money I've
spent in total on these pups - they better be good!"
Well - they are. Amazingly clean for being from the '60s -
and definitely have the same vibe as my Langevin AM-4s,
but a little more balls. Real forward and clear - top end is nice -
with a lot of vroom in the mids. Now I'm happy I persevered.

"One weird thing I forgot to mention -- the circuit in those Scully preamps is very unusual in one respect. Namely, the mic signal always goes thru three transformers.

There are two odd reasons this happens. One is that in this amp both the mic and line inputs have separate transformers. The other is that the circuit is set up in an unusual way. Where normally the mic and line inputs would be separate until they meet up at the output stage, in this case only the line input is connected to the output stage. So they bump the mic signal to line level and then feed it to the line input. And it therefore has to pass thru both input transformers. "

This from my tech.

1967 Sound Lab · 2nd June 2009

I just bought a 1" 8 track Scully a few months ago and I finally got it over to a tech. I'm very pleased to hear that they sound good because I was concerned about having to get external pres. I know that these machines were used on a lot of great old recordings, but I don't know to what extent the pres were used. Do you have any idea about that?

8th April 2009	#1
alkooloid Gear addict Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 443 Thread Starter	Scully 280s as preamps This is something I posted at TO without much luck - anyone? Thanks I have 6 of these - 2 for parts and 4 that should be back from my tech any year now (see this Woody?). Two things - Is there a difference really between the germanium transistors and the silicon? Is there a little dishing/secret uses/tips for old Al here? This collecting old gear, sending it to my tech, waiting a lifetime, and eventually being really happy, or rather underwhelmed(Ampex 351s) is not like the old days, where I'd go into Guitar Center(I know) and walk out with my new shiny POS. No Roger Nichols to tell me how much I'll like my new ADAT.(punk) I know it's more rewarding but it's like falling in love with a woman who wants to "let our relationship develop for a while" before doing it. Meanwhile I'm dyin' here. Hey - at least I'm not dating women as old as this gear I'm using! Wait, I resemble that remark! Update - got the Scullys back from my tech TODAY! Plugged them up and WOW! This whole time I've been kicking myself thinking "I could have filled up the other 6 slots of my SCA rack in style with the money I've spent in total on these pups - they better be good!" Well - they are. Amazingly clean for being from the '60s - and definitely have the same vibe as my Langevin AM-4s, but a little more balls. Real forward and clear - top end is nice - with a lot of vroom in the mids. Now I'm happy I persevered. "One weird thing I forgot to mention -- the circuit in those Scully preamps is very unusual in one respect. Namely, the mic signal always goes thru three transformers. There are two odd reasons this happens. One is that in this amp both the mic and line inputs have separate transformers. The other is that the circuit is set up in an unusual way. Where normally the mic and line inputs would be separate until they meet up at the output stage, in this case only the line input is connected to the output stage. So they bump the mic signal to line level and then feed it to the line input. And it therefore has to pass thru both input transformers. " This from my tech. __________________ Don't believe everything you think.tutt

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2nd June 2009	#2
1967 Sound Lab Gear interested Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 4	I just bought a 1" 8 track Scully a few months ago and I finally got it over to a tech. I'm very pleased to hear that they sound good because I was concerned about having to get external pres. I know that these machines were used on a lot of great old recordings, but I don't know to what extent the pres were used. Do you have any idea about that?