I was thinking about having Mike build a brand new elan for me. Does anyone have opinions about these new elans?

Thanks.

AFAIK the current Elan is exactly the same as the second generation Elan, or Elan II. The difference between the Elan and Elan II was better grounding, and a quieter circuit. I have an Elan from '96. I love it. The pres sound very nice and the EQ is incredibly musical. The mid-bands have a wide Q that works well, even with large boosts. All four bands have sweepable frequencies--tre-cool.

I do wish the EQ could be switched between the main and monitior path. If you reverse the faders for tracking, you can't EQ to tape. Also you can't switch the EQ to the monitor to try mix ideas. There is also no solo-in-place, or tape trims. Those are my only real bitches. My old console had those features, and I miss them. The Elan on the other hand sounds better.

I took a look at your photos. Looks like a nice board! Did Mike at Sytek build it for you?

Thanks for looking. It's a great board. I didn't get it from Mike, I bought it used from Reel Time Audio in Denton TX. Mike and his crew have been very helpful though. I've not spent a dime with them, yet they have helped me trouble shoot a couple little things, and given me some good advice. If I find myself in the market for a new console, I'd get an Elite unless I can get into the large cash range.

Are you in Bellville IL? I'm only a few hours from you. You should come up and hang.

I'm actually just outside NYC in Belleville, NJ. Thanks for the offer though.

What would you compare the eq on the elan to?

-ray

I don't know what to compare the EQ to as far as known EQs. I can try to describe it a bit. First off all four bands have sweepable frequencies. This is very helpful in a lot of ways. The mid bands have wide Qs and are very musical as a result. I can do fairly large boosts on the upper mid (1-5k) and it doesn't get harsh. The low end can get cleaned up nicely by having sweepable frequency on the low shelf. By using the sweep on the high shelf you can just add a bit of air by setting it high or lift the highs more like on a home stereo or older piece.