Trident A Range vs. Trident 80B

[echo]

Just a general question here...

Next month I'm doing an album on a Trident A Range console. I've used an 80B many times and just wondering how they compare sonically?

I love the 80B and have heard nothing but good stuff about the A range.

Are the master sections close to the same?

Thanks.

[superburtm]

I'd like to know this too

[Jeff Goodman]

They are not close in any way.

While the 80's are fine consoles, the A range is in a different class. Much different (and in my opinion) better sounding.

The EQ is among the best ever (again IMHO). Not surgical, very wide q's. You can't make things sound bad with it. It just always sounds right.

The mic amps are awesome. This is an easy console to cut tracks on. Everything that goes through it sounds better.

Of course this all depends on how well the console has been taken care of.

Routing is kinda limited, and not alot of Aux busses compared to newer consoles, but that never bothered me.

Obviously, I'm kinda partial to 'em. I have 2 A range modules that I've owned for years. I've put 'em up head to head with all sorts of different mic pres and nothing ever beats them. Some others have held their own, but nothing ever downright beats 'em.

Your gonna have a great time on an A Range, it's a no brainer.

What studio are you going to?

Jeff

[Slipperman]

A great cutting desk.

Tough to beat for basic tracking if it's in good working shape.

I have never had the nerve to try to mix a full record on one.

I hope to try someday with something that doesn't require the usual amount of malarky I always seem to get ensnared in.

Best regards and good luck,

SM.

[jayfrigo]

A-Range is definitely a step up from 80. The 80 is a great workhorse and I like it, but the A-range is more in the class of a Neve 80XX or an API. It's "Gearslutz worthy". Not that any of those three sound exactly like one another, but they're probably the best tracking desks out there (for most popular music styles).

[Larrchild]

If anything dusts a Neve 1073 on a snare drum, it may be that eq.

Don't let the way it's made scare you. It has slider pots that look like a 1970 eletrophonic hi-fi. But the B R O A D Eq is sweet.

[wwittman]

In my books, the BEST sounding recording desk ever built.

Don't be afraid of the EQ... it's part of its magic that more is MORE on that desk.

[allaccess]

Never worked on an 80B, but the A-range is also at the top of my list for consoles. I tracked a bunch of stuff on the one at Smart in Madison, and it was unbelievable! The preamps were amazing, and the EQ was so sweet! I'm not partial to cold, but I'd go back there any day (and any season) to do another record! The tracks that I walked away with were fantastic!

I'd be stoked to mix on it too (as long as I have my tonelux EQ's for anything surgical...)

Cheers,

Ryan Hewitt

[echo]

Thanks for the advice.

I must say that the Trident A range is amazing. Just finished three days of tracking on one. I must say that i was a little worried when i looked at the eq at first. I like to really tweak drums when tracking so the slider eq scared me a bit. But after about 10sec after putting the eq in i was sold. Never have I had such an easy time getting a drum sound that I loved and made everyone happy.

Only two instances came up where we choose an outboard pre.

[Larrchild]

testify, brother!

[echo]

Hey Jeff, I forgot to mention it was Soma Studios in Chicago

[squeeks555]

i have an A-Range for sell if any one is interestred.

[seaneldon]

already been said a number of times, but what the hey:

a-range = hilariously delicious BROAD q equalizer, mighty-morphin'-mic-pre.

[patrox247]

Originally Posted by seaneldon

already been said a number of times, but what the hey:

a-range = hilariously delicious BROAD q equalizer, mighty-morphin'-mic-pre.

A Range = Best sounding recording console ever!

[Pomello]

I have some Trident B-Range 1150 pre/eq in the classifieds section,they're very close to A-Range fully discrete class A just different eq (3 band).

[raal]

80Bs sound nice (we had 2 at one point) but i've never heard anything that sounds like an A Range.

Originally Posted by Jeff Goodman

Everything that goes through it sounds better.

i'll just add that everything sounds alot better.

[vernier]

squeeks555 ..."Is Yours Is Mine" ..cool recording! thumbsup


'

[huh?]

Isn't the Trident 80B the same mixing console that Dr. Dre used for NWA?

not sure but check out this video of him by it

YouTube - N.W.A. Home Video

it starts at 1:26

correct me if I am wrong

[Stitch333]

The lack of recall on the A-range I worked on makes it great for tracking and mostly box type mixing. I'd just set the faders at nominal and do all the auto in PT.
The thing about the A-range to me is clarity: There is beautiful imaging and fairly subtle tonal character (until you start sliding the eqs around) next to a Neve 80xx or API but mucho, mucho more flavor/life than an SSL.

For some reason the 80b always kinda sounded like a soft API: punchy and mid-forward (especially in the EQ) but def no where near the velvety quality of the A-range.

I can't ever put myself to mix on either one again tho due to that no-recall thingy...its just too tempting to start sliding eqs all over the place with no chance of having it get back to that exact spot once the recall is asked for...

There is almost no way to not LOVE a (properly maintained) A-range.

[tubehead]

If you can't get an A-Range but need that flavor... There's always Daking.

[Jim Williams]

Does it do 200k hz? The A range I maintained at Group 4 in Hollywood did do 200k hz. It was modified with Jensen JK-115 input transformers, you can hear this console on many Hollywood movie releases in the 80's. It had air. Those slide EQ pots are crap though, many times they cut out or give messy EQ curves.

A stock 80 sounds very small in comparison.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

[ITJ]

The A Range at Cherokee is fantastic.

[Mike Brown]

Like everyone else said:

80B kicks ass... but the A-range is amazing.

[Benmrx]

Not that I have TONS of experience with both, but I have tracked and mixed on an A-Range (at Cherokee), and mixed on a couple different 80B's....never tracked through an 80B though.

That A-Range is still to this day my favorite console I've ever worked on (the one in studio 3, not studio 4). IMHO it smoked the API Legacy+ in Cherokee's studio 1 for tracking, but that's just me. Although Studio 1's tracking room was nothing short of amazing. Also an A-Range with a good ol' Uptown Automation system can be a great mix desk, as long as you're not expecting the wizard routing of an SSL.

80B's can be killer depending on what you're doing. If you doing brute rock stuff, it's great. If you're doing something a little more vibey and open, it's "muscular" character can be an uphill battle....and personally, I could never really find the sweet spot with the 80B's mix buss.

[colinmiller]

I can't use a console that doesn't do 200kHz.

[jchadstopherhuez]

Originally Posted by allaccess

Never worked on an 80B, but the A-range is also at the top of my list for consoles. I tracked a bunch of stuff on the one at Smart in Madison, and it was unbelievable! The preamps were amazing, and the EQ was so sweet! I'm not partial to cold, but I'd go back there any day (and any season) to do another record! The tracks that I walked away with were fantastic!

I'd be stoked to mix on it too (as long as I have my tonelux EQ's for anything surgical...)

Cheers,

Ryan Hewitt

ryan.....just stay away in dec and january !! otherwise...the weather can be KILLER up in madison !!

oh...and the cheese is quite good too !!

a-range is just an amazing desk. eqs are COOOOOOLLL !!!! (of course...EVERYTHING at smart is pretty awesome !!)

i had a 80b for years...GREAT tracking desk...great mixing desk for rock. i always loved the low end on my trident 80. just THICK. probably would not be my first choice for EVERY mix.

a-range is a totally different beast. i could mix ANYTHING on the a-range.

easy.

it has headroom for YEARS. i am not sure if you could actually clip the trident a-range !!!! everything just has a wonderful TONE on the a-range.

hit it hard...sounds great....still OPEN.

plus...having faders for the eq is pretty cool !!

so far, i have only mixed on the a-range at smart...hope to track stuff there soon now that i live nearby (in milwaukee)

for what its worth...the daking modules are VERY similar...but a bit different. i have several daking modules and REALLY love them. comparing the daking eqs to the a-range was interesting. VERY similar sound....yet, a bit different. i felt that EXTREME boosts with the a-range were a BIT smooother....especially in the top and bottom end. i actually PREFER the midrange of the daking modules a bit...particularly on guitars.

this is splitting hairs...they BOTH sound amazing.

as i have not tracked much on the a-range....i cannot comment. i LOVE tracking rock on 80b's. just something SO cool to me about those pres and eqs on drums and guitars.

best,

jchristopherhughes

[sctt_stone]

How do the Daking Pres hold up against the A Range?
I am trying out an API 7600 and finding the Pre to be a little too closed off. I have been thinking about sending it back and getting a pair of Dakings.
Thanks.

Originally Posted by mixman499

ryan.....just stay away in dec and january !! otherwise...the weather can be KILLER up in madison !!

oh...and the cheese is quite good too !!

a-range is just an amazing desk. eqs are COOOOOOLLL !!!! (of course...EVERYTHING at smart is pretty awesome !!)

i had a 80b for years...GREAT tracking desk...great mixing desk for rock. i always loved the low end on my trident 80. just THICK. probably would not be my first choice for EVERY mix.

a-range is a totally different beast. i could mix ANYTHING on the a-range.

easy.

it has headroom for YEARS. i am not sure if you could actually clip the trident a-range !!!! everything just has a wonderful TONE on the a-range.

hit it hard...sounds great....still OPEN.

plus...having faders for the eq is pretty cool !!

so far, i have only mixed on the a-range at smart...hope to track stuff there soon now that i live nearby (in milwaukee)

for what its worth...the daking modules are VERY similar...but a bit different. i have several daking modules and REALLY love them. comparing the daking eqs to the a-range was interesting. VERY similar sound....yet, a bit different. i felt that EXTREME boosts with the a-range were a BIT smooother....especially in the top and bottom end. i actually PREFER the midrange of the daking modules a bit...particularly on guitars.

this is splitting hairs...they BOTH sound amazing.

as i have not tracked much on the a-range....i cannot comment. i LOVE tracking rock on 80b's. just something SO cool to me about those pres and eqs on drums and guitars.

best,

jchristopherhughes

[robmix]

Originally Posted by sctt_stone

How do the Daking Pres hold up against the A Range?
I am trying out an API 7600 and finding the Pre to be a little too closed off. I have been thinking about sending it back and getting a pair of Dakings.
Thanks.

I don't know anyone that's done a direct, in the same room comparison. if you do a search on GS you should be able to find quotes from Geoff on the exact difference between the two buildwise.

If someone's got a pair of A-range pre's racked in L.A. they're welcome to drop by my place for a shootout with the Daking.

[echo]

It's funny how these things pop up... I saw the thread "A range vs. 80B" and just clicked on it due to my lust affair with the Trident A range. About three or four post in I realized it's the same thread I started over two years ago.

I thought I would reply to the question about the sound of the Daking compared to the Trident. After working on the album mentioned at the start of this thread I REALLY wanted a racked pair of A-Range pre/eq's. Well I found a pair on Ebay but they were something like $8000. So I passed but picked up a pair of the Dakings. Turns out while mixing a couple months later a vocal track for some reason needed to be redone. So obviously I used the new Daking pre and it sounded great! Fit right into the mix perfectly. I was really kinda worried the change would be obvious but it wasn't.

That being said I do believe the Daking is a bit more clean all around than the Trident. But it sounds great and will get you in the same ballpark. The eq is also great on just about everything including the mix.

[Jim Williams]

Originally Posted by colinmiller

I can't use a console that doesn't do 200kHz.

Me too. My cats don't get into the mix without the ultra high frequencies. It also helps keep the bats at bay.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades