Black Lion Audio 002 mod

[Pizzahands]

Originally Posted by Gear Tramp

If you cannot immediately hear the difference, even in monitoring (D/A) a previously tracked mix, you need to get your ears checked, you may have damage, no offense. Many people are putting the horse before the cart these days. If your ears & room aren't developed enough to hear improved conversion and analog staging, then you don't need it yet. Spend the money where you will hear a difference until you can develop the ability to discern more. Listening is something that you can develop. Not everyone is born with golden ears.

When they perform the modification they replace the clock and the analog stages. Open it up and take a look at the analog inputs and outputs. They are all completely replaced. To suggest that BLA is not even performing the modification and charging you for it on a public forum is pretty slanderous, and wildly unnecessary. Did you even bother to contact BLA with your questions before coming here?

Again, the difference in the unit after the mod is very, very apparent. No scientific testing is needed. It is immediately apparent if your monitoring and room are in order.

Whoa easy there stud. First off I never accused BLA of doing anything I was being neurotic needless to say. However slanderous is I word I will not accept. Now I had planned on getting in touch with BLA on monday (today) but had the weekend to obsess and thought it couldn't hurt to drop in and voice a bit of initial freak out in hopes of being put at ease by rad guys like you. Low and behold Jim Jedlicka from BLA hit me up and had me send a couple of pics of the inside of the 002 and thus irradicated that very slim possiblity. It seems the real culprit in this situation was the Command 8 for one and also not having had done a mix through it yet. That I did today and this thing began to show its colors. Very improved as all others have experienced. Clearer more defined when eq'ing and dealing with verbs etc. Also got a chance to record some acoustic through the pre and those just sound plum good. I am thrilled and just logged on to update anyone who had cared to follow my silly little journey and saw your post. Now that being said, my hearing may be damaged but not as damaged as my heart is from you cyber yelling at me.

[Dirty Halo]

Perhaps already discussed, but at what point does ""suppin'" up the sound of an entry level DA and pre really do you that much good?

Maybe patetience and saving for better converters and pres may be the better long-term strategy?

-a

[Gear Tramp]

Originally Posted by Pizzahands

It feels like maybe they just unpacked this thing turned it upside down repacked it and shipped it back off to me.

3. (this one is a little crazy) anyone who can tell me if I was to open up the 002r what to look for in order to confirm that all the modifications have been done.

This is what stood out to me. If stating this is a public forum isn't an accusation of sorts, then I guess you were just foolin' around. Thanks for calling me a stud, but I'm actually a tramp. I'm honestly sorry to have hurt you, though. One day, I hope to redeem this bad karma. It's obvious that your ears work great, and of course Jim contacted you to prove to you that they didn't just "turn it upside down and ship it back". He doesn't want people spreading this kind of information. I can't blame him. Best of luck!

[AlexLakis]

Originally Posted by Dirty Halo

Perhaps already discussed, but at what point does ""suppin'" up the sound of an entry level DA and pre really do you that much good?

Maybe patetience and saving for better converters and pres may be the better long-term strategy?

-a

I hear what you're saying. Lots of people have all ready done that, tho. Right now I'm using a Rosetta 800 along with API, Chandler, and Manley pres. I wanted to turn my "dongle" into a piece of gear that might actually be usable (pres for things other than scratch tracks, TRS outs for clearer individual headphone mixes, better monitoring section so I can hopefully avoid all this Big Knob B.S..)

Also, the quality of the clock can affect the audio even when it's slaved to another better clock, right?

Originally Posted by Pizzahands

Now that being said, my hearing may be damaged but not as damaged as my heart is from you cyber yelling at me.

Well, at least now that you have the BLA mod, you can hear the world's smallest violin!

Just playin'. I'm glad your fears were quelled, and congrats on the mod! thumbsup

[Pizzahands]

Originally Posted by Gear Tramp

This is what stood out to me. If stating this is a public forum isn't an accusation of sorts, then I guess you were just foolin' around. Thanks for calling me a stud, but I'm actually a tramp. I'm honestly sorry to have hurt you, though. One day, I hope to redeem this bad karma. It's obvious that your ears work great, and of course Jim contacted you to prove to you that they didn't just "turn it upside down and ship it back". He doesn't want people spreading this kind of information. I can't blame him. Best of luck!

You know what dude You're right looking back at the way I wrote that it very well could have (and seemingly did) come off as accusatory. I didn't mean for it to. I was simply asking for other fellow BLA'D homies to tell me to calm down. I should have chosen my words better due to the lack of context or inflections in the ole' forum world. You were right to defend them and I probably would have done the same thing.

[Pizzahands]

Originally Posted by Dirty Halo

Perhaps already discussed, but at what point does ""suppin'" up the sound of an entry level DA and pre really do you that much good?

Maybe patetience and saving for better converters and pres may be the better long-term strategy?

-a

Patience ? Saving up for better stuff ? Are you crazy what kind of crackpot plan is that ?
Seriously though the "plan" is to like Alex and many others to ultimately run it in conjunction with a Rosetta or Aurora thus yeilding you 16 quality outs of an LE system which shy of going whole hog HD system is my best/my only option.

[Mackrochips]

2009 and Black Lion now offers 3 different tiers of their 002 mods, HD ($575), Tweakhead ($795), and Signature ($1250).

I've read almost every review on GS about this mod, but most of the posts are older.

Are there any comparisons between the different tiers? Do most of you who have BLA 002s have the Tweakhead?

Just looking for some up-to-date comments.

[worthweaver]

Originally Posted by Gerax

I started a similar thread a few days ago asking for some real world results of the mod; I'm mainly interested in the mixing and clocking part than the preamps (I don't track with the 002's pres, using outboard ones); Is there a real distinguishable improvement in the sound of a mix with the clock mod? Do you hear any differences? And if yes, of what kind? Do you feel the mix sounds better even in a ITB bounced file too? Is it a comparable improvement to clocking the 002 to, say, an Apogee Rosetta A/D?

Thanx

L.G.

You will most certainly dig the BLA002 pres. They are pristine in the topend and not to flubby in the bottom. Trust your ears man!
w

[Outlaw Hans]

Did some tracking with a modded 003 a week ago. I'm VERY impressed. I'm a tape guy buth those recordings ended up very nicely.

[O'Ryan]

Does anyone in Nyc Have the modd done, I kinda wanna hear it for myself.....