anyone knows Audio Design Recording gear?

[djanogil]

I've saved a compressor/expander from the bin, it's Audio Design Recording model F700X-R.
I can't find any info on it, it seems rather nice except that it distords with all settings,
so it's not exactly clean.
Any info welcome .
thx

[axismatt]

potentially great - you need a physics degree to set it up properly though!

[wwittman]

no you don't!

The A&DR compressor is a fet type compressor (like the 1176 and Daking) but with its own sound.

They can be great, i especially love them on piano, and I used the stereo version for YEARS as my main stereo buss compressor until the Daking came out with the same attack and decay settings I used on the Compex (Geoff and I had discussed it) but with Geoff's class A line amps.

[perun]

They're all great, especially F769X and 760X! Vocal stresser ( single channel compressor/limiter, stereo EQ ) and Compex ( stereo compressor/limiter ). They really rock. I use them both, they're great... Punchy, opened... they simply ROCK!

Even their broadcast limiters are great... simple design, great sound.

But the pots could be a problem... especially the clicking ones!!! But you can find them if you try! Condensers have to be replaced... you can find them, I could ask my tech where he found them... We've replaced them all a month ago! Be sure to find a proper ones! After that... you'll see/hear what I'm talking about- a MONSTER!!!

If you need any help, just say!

Regards...

[wwittman]

hmmm, well.. the "clicking ones" aren't POTS - they're switches...but you're right... they are what fail.

It can be cleaned up though and work fine, just takes some money and care.


and they are GREAT compressors... you really can use them on just about everything.

[Natural Mystic]

Yep, definatly a cool piece!!! Had one in my old studio and used it on just about everything. Great for electric guitars especialy. Also realy cool to use on the kick.

You might want to check if it is still pin 3 hot, I think they all origionaly were shipped like that.

[mykla]

love them

[brianroth]

Originally Posted by Natural Mystic

Yep, definatly a cool piece!!! Had one in my old studio and used it on just about everything. Great for electric guitars especialy. Also realy cool to use on the kick.

You might want to check if it is still pin 3 hot, I think they all origionaly were shipped like that.

Indeed....many Vocal Stressers and Compex limiters were sold without the optional input/output transformers, so XLR pins 1 and 2 are tied to circuit ground, with pin 3 hot. Obviously that won't work with many systems in this day and age!

Bri

[kjcoral]

Originally Posted by brianroth

Indeed....many Vocal Stressers and Compex limiters were sold without the optional input/output transformers, so XLR pins 1 and 2 are tied to circuit ground, with pin 3 hot. Obviously that won't work with many systems in this day and age!

Bri

speaking of the ADR line of compressors, i got a ADR F600 PCB with a Helios(!) line amp card attached to it! it wasn't racked or anything and i've had it hanging around meaning to get it racked one day. anybody had any experinece with this model?

[Natural Mystic]

I could be wrong... but I seem to remember that ADR did the compressors on some of the later day Helios boards. Could that be what its from?

[dlmorley]

I have an old rack with 2 F700 comps and 2 E800 EQ's and it is brilliant stuff. I had a compex and prefer the F700 but it's all good.
I've also got a huge paragraphic from them E950 I believe) which makes stuff sound better just by passing signal...

In short, I love it and it's cheaper than it should be (although my F700/E800 rack has had a couple of serious offers)

[kjcoral]

Originally Posted by Natural Mystic

I could be wrong... but I seem to remember that ADR did the compressors on some of the later day Helios boards. Could that be what its from?

actually, i think they were used on the earlier models. in fact, tony arnold said that the F600 was used in a few early models but most helios desks had the F700...

the weird thing is i found a manual on the F600 but it is a stand-alone rack mounted type.

i swear, trying to figure out some of this stuff is like being an audio indiana jones!

maybe brian could rack it up for me??

[echorec]

They are great. I have 8 of the F700 (one on each buss on my console) and they are fantastic! Great on everything and no reability/maintenance issues so far (mine are from 1974 I think).

[brianroth]

I was vaguely aware of Audio + Design gear back in the 1970's, but became immersed with them for a few years in the 1980's. Hence, my knowledge of the earlier gear is a bit sketchy.

In 1980, I was hired as chief engineer for a 24 track studio owned by an ad agency. We pitched, and won, the account for Audio + Design's USA marketing, and because of my studio knowledge, I ended up as the "account executive"! Kinda strange, since AEs usually wore fancy suits, vs t-shirts and Levis (and long hair!).

Nigel Branwell was the USA director of sales at the time and he brought me up to speed on the history/products. However, the "older" line they still manufactured consisted mainly of the Compex, its cousin the Vocal Stresser, and a few other holdouts from the earlier days. Here was their lineup circa 1981, from an ad we created:

http://www.brianroth.com/library/a+d-limiters1981.jpg

Of course, they were also pushing their SCAMP line as well:

http://www.brianroth.com/library/a+d-scamp1981.jpg

Hence, my experience with the products began a bit late in the game.


Bri

[dlmorley]

Nice to see those adverts
Yes, I remember the stressor being available for a long time. Kind of a standard to have. I sold mine though as I prefer the older E800/F700 rack.
I also have a pair of Compex 2 and they are very powerful indeed.
All of it is very well put together too (except for the shitty pots used!)

[brianroth]

From my stand point, the Stressers/Compex units had a bit of "DIY look and feel". They were all hand assembled, which meant the quality varied.

However, there are more than a few of those old boxes in my world, and they still pass signal!!

I have all of the original Compex schemos as well as access to original units....

maybe "someday" I'll build some reissues..........

Bri

[dlmorley]

Originally Posted by brianroth

From my stand point, the Stressers/Compex units had a bit of "DIY look and feel". They were all hand assembled, which meant the quality varied.

However, there are more than a few of those old boxes in my world, and they still pass signal!!

Bri

I agree the look was a bit "rustic" and they should have used better pots and switches, but they sound great and in my experience keep going (touch wood!)

I must say the E800 and F700 are built like brick s**thouses!

In any case, I wouldn't trade mine for anything...

[Arny]

Dear Brian,
You might be fixed up now, if not I also live in France, Montargis, 45230 area, I am English, I own the Company called Helios Electronics and we have fitted many of these in our consuls,My company also services them and we have all the parts and test gear to carry out callibration work.

Best Regards

Tony

Tony Arnold (Director)
www.helios-electronics.com.

[thethrillfactor]

ADR Panscan.thumbsup

[brianroth]

Tony!!! A welcome voice here. I believe we have also communicated via the Ampex mailing list.

Bri

[montanasan]

I just got my hands on a rack with 2 ADR S30, 2ADR S31, and 2 ADR S02 preamps. Anyone have any experience/knowledge they can share with me about them?

[djanogil]

Sorry I'm late,

Didn't know my thread had received all these responses,
good to know that's a good piece of gear.
However, it was really noisy and got the circuit cleaned, but there is still a problem which makes it almost unusable at the moment (unless you're really going for dirty sound);

I've inserted it on my bass input just behind the DI from my UA2108,
and I get saturation on the sound , whatever the levels and settings.

I don't know what to do and if that's something that can be fixed.
Can anyone advice?

Thx

[uk03878]

Sorry just seen this thread - the reason the ADR has a Helios amp card on it might be due to the fact that apparantly in the later models Helios outsourced the compressors for their desks to the dutch companu because they didn;t have the time to build them
It was apparantly based on a Urei design
Lot's of apprantly there because I was informed by one of Tony's collegues abotu this history in passing - and I think I wrote it down correctly

[dlmorley]

Originally Posted by uk03878

Sorry just seen this thread - the reason the ADR has a Helios amp card on it might be due to the fact that apparantly in the later models Helios outsourced the compressors for their desks to the dutch companu because they didn;t have the time to build them
It was apparantly based on a Urei design
Lot's of apprantly there because I was informed by one of Tony's collegues abotu this history in passing - and I think I wrote it down correctly

Hi there
Which dutch company?? ADR are UK as are helios, no?

[uk03878]

Just reading from my notes..
It says
"Developed and prototyped in Holland
Built in the UK"
Sorry - perhaps Tony can fill in more

[kjcoral]

Originally Posted by uk03878

Sorry just seen this thread - the reason the ADR has a Helios amp card on it might be due to the fact that apparantly in the later models Helios outsourced the compressors for their desks to the dutch companu because they didn;t have the time to build them
It was apparantly based on a Urei design
Lot's of apprantly there because I was informed by one of Tony's collegues abotu this history in passing - and I think I wrote it down correctly

hmmm, this is just adding to my confusion!

as i mentioned before, i am pretty sure the ADR F600 was an earlier limiter, perhaps before the F700, which we know were used in helios consoles.
so clearly ADR & helios had a relationship fairly early in helios' history, right?

the more i think about what i have it seems like somebody took out the guts of the F600 and an amp card from, perhaps, a non-working helios board and hooked them up together to use as an outboard unit.

i'm just trying to find out if and when the ADR F600 was used by helios.

[uk03878]

I am off to see one of the designers who told me this info next week - I will try and get clarification (see the pm on the sos site as well)

[84K]

I wish someone would remake the vocal stressors

[Isle of Weight]

Originally Posted by dlmorley

Hi there
Which dutch company?? ADR are UK as are helios, no?

Ok, slighty off the topic for one second...
dlmorley, your avatar is hillarious!

ok back to the business at hand.

[CAVU]

Originally Posted by 84K

I wish someone would remake the vocal stressors

I believe you can still get the Canadian-built Orange County Electronics equivalent units; I know that service and updates are available. Contact Michael at 204.788.4450 email: inbox(at)mmelec.com

Here are two older units recently acquired from a Nashville studio ... a VS-1 Stressor and a CLX-S-FM; later products were completely modular, ie. in one frame you could swap modules to create stereo/dual channel EQ or CLX or Stressor configurations. The EQs were also available in several types: swept (fixed Q like the ADR) or full parametric (like Orban) or constant-Q (like Little Dipper).