![diy 500 series preamps diy 500 series preamps](http://avdaudio.com/images/product/1377_big.png)
Copper was the most popular of the Elements we tried. The BA512 op-amp is from Eisen Audio and is inspired by the BA440 op-amp found in some vintage BBC consoles. The custom I/O transformers come from Ed Anderson, a respected designer. It's that combination of caps, transformer, and op-amp that gets you far closer to a Neve than just copying a schematic. Drawing from Eisen Audio's years of servicing vintage Neve modules, Hairball dialed in perhaps the optimal capacitor configuration. Rather than copying the classic Neve circuit, Hairball worked with the transformer manufacturers to approach the British console sound through a different topology. We initially dismissed it as (yet) another 1073 clone, but inside, things are different. The result was a blown-out mess that sat above the mix better than if we had dialed it up with plug-ins.Ĭopper is the character preamp. For example, with a dynamic mic on a Danelectro practice amp, we cranked the Gold input gain to 9 and clamped the output trim low. Lest the Gold appear sterile or boring, we found a favorite use for it - guitar solos. Voiceover, brass, and acoustic-guitar sessions have a way of being recalled, and being able to bring back precise gain settings was a blessing. One last note: All of our test models had the optional Grayhill stepped gain switches - critical on the Gold line. If you do a variety of styles, Gold (or the Hairball Audio Lola ) could be your best bet. In a rock context, the Gold's transparent design is not as sexy or aggressive as other Elements, but you can't go wrong with this choice. When used with a tube mic in omni mode, the Gold preamp seemed perfect for a horn trio session, with a clear top that avoided edgy overtones. We liked it on voiceovers, vocals, and acoustic instruments. It goes toe-to- toe with our John Hardy M-1, providing tons of gain while maintaining a low noise floor. On almost any source, the Gold is realistic and true. Transformers are custom built by Jensen (to accommodate the 500-series format height). It is based on the 990 discrete op-amp detailed in Deane Jensen's JE-990 AES paper, which set a standard as a workhorse high-fidelity design. Gold is a clean preamp that we informally started calling the reference preamp. But first, I want to cover the preamps in use. The Silver kit is unique, and I'll discuss that in its own section. You'll also receive an appropriately colored anodized aluminum faceplate.
Diy 500 series preamps Pc#
The kits come with everything you need to complete the build, including a PC board, fully shielded enclosure, phantom power, customizable pad, polarity switch, DI input (thank you!), and choice of variable or stepped input. If you are not comfortable building your own preamp, Hairball offers the Gold, Copper, and Bronze models fully assembled as a cost option. The op-amps use the standard 2520 format made popular by API, John Hardy, et al., and because they're socketed, it's easy to swap them and experiment with more sounds. Available in kit form, all of the preamps share a similar topology of a single op-amp coupled with input and output transformers. The Elements line-up of preamps includes four models: Gold, Copper, Bronze, and Silver.
![diy 500 series preamps diy 500 series preamps](http://www.fivefishaudio.com/images/nk72di/nk72di-profile.jpg)
![diy 500 series preamps diy 500 series preamps](https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--4a7YT57X--/t_card-square/v1622434418/fkhlnd3ijbbzb5cpodc7.jpg)
Seattle's DIY Wizards are at it again - this time with more preamps taking advantage of the 500-series format.