Tuesday 21 December 2010

Another 8108

OK, and heres one for sale by Sonic Circus at the moment, I love the look of this thing!





From the Sonic Circus website:

Save considerable time and money because of the existing monster cabling to effects and machines already wired to the patchbay.  This is a highly modified 48 frame with 36 modules and 32 multi busses.  Necam 1 automation.  Most audio paths have Roterstein caps and MA 332 amps (replacing the 5534s).  This 8108 passes a square wave and has won many listening tests.

Modifications for flexibility include the following:
•  The channel path allows for signals to be routed directly to the mix buss while the mixdown section of the same module sends to the mix buss, making 72 returns possible.
• The mixdown section can also send to the multi buss for 32 additional effect sends without worry of the pan pot position. 
• A mixdown solo was added to the existing program solo.
• The A/B mutes also double as solo safes capability on all returns.
• The patchbay has an extra tower of 224 points.
• There is a custom "piece of wire" monitor section with 16 returns for both Control Room and Studio.
• The active electronics were removed from the patchbay regarding the inserts, which are now at unity gain.
• Monster cabling was used throughout.
8108 COMPONENT UPGRADES:
 
The following were used throughout most of the main module, the Mix Buss, Multi Busses 25-32, the Monitor section and most long throw faders:
 
1) CAPS - Roterstein (labeled EKU) caps were used for their sonic quality and reliability.  Larger values and non polarized to increase low frequency response where the application allowed.  In some areas polystyrene caps were used for the high frequency.
 
2) OP AMPS - The MA 332 series was used to replace the 5534's in most areas except the Aux's and Filter section.  While thought by some to be nothing more than hand picked high performance 5534's, their sonic quality cannot be disputed.  For the record their cost was approximately $4.25 verses $.50 for 5534's.  Another Analog Systems high grade quad op amp was used in three places in the equalizer for improved high frequency performance.
 
3) PATCHBAY - The "white" patch points, legendary for their problems were replaced.
 
8108 GENERAL MODIFICATIONS / ADDITIONS:
 
1) A Mix Solo was added while maintaining the standard Program Solo.
 2) The A/B Mutes now double as solo safes.  The A's affect the Channel side, the B's the Mixdown, allowing any return to the Mix Buss to be solo safed.
 3) The Channel pot is always active.  When the pan switch is up, the pan pot pans between Multi Busses in the standard odd/even configuration.  When the pan switch is depressed the Channel signal is routed directly on the module (not through more busses) to the Mix Buss giving a potential of 72 returns to the Mix Buss.
 4) The Quad switch when depressed sends to the Mixdown signal (post the fader and any mutes) to the module's Multi Buss assignments.  The front to rear pan now serves as a level send control.  This means you can use all 32 Multi Busses as effect sends (in addition to the 6 Aux's) while utilizing both Mixdown and Channel signals to the Mix Buss.
 5) The inserts are now at unity gain and all active electronics at the patchbay were removed.  The module has added connectors to eliminate the ribbon cable and allow Monster Cable.
 6) The Monitor section was replaced with a "piece of wire" design for sonic improvement, located near the patchbay where it should be for cable runs, and for better engineer positioning.  Also this new design has 16 returns (versus the standard 4) with separate assignment and level control for Control Room and Studio.  You can also listen to two sources at once by depressing two selections at the same time.
 7) Faders 37-40 are accessible by the corresponding Channel insert patch points.  These are unbalanced inputs and will not work with all sources.
 8) Faders 41-48 are accessible through free standing TT cabling.  These are balanced inputs and can be used with any source.
 9) The Quad Rear Meters can be fed signal at the patchbay.
 10) The Echo Return channels were modified to eliminate the various routing options.  They were made as close as possible to standard Channel inputs as the mod to increase the mix inputs to 72 made them redundant and unnecessary in their standard form.
11) An additional patchbay tower of 224 points was added.
12) The Mixdown pan pot was replaced with a different version so that when you lift up on the pot, the signal to the Mix Buss is eliminated.
13) Lowered console height for better visual to studio.  Custom wood trim done for Meter Bridge, Mix Meters, side panels, custom patchbay addition and Engineer's desk.

8108 REMOVED FOR IMPROVED AUDIO:
 
The primary goals for the modifications of this console was sonic integrity, improved frequency response, and greater signal flexibility.  The laws of cause and effect are the more electronics you put a signal through, the more altered it becomes through distortion, loss of frequency response, and group delay.
 
BUSSES - The Buss signals are now taken at the first available point and put on cabling to the patchbay. The Mix Buss had an extra card of signal routing which was eliminated.  The Multi Buss Trims are bypassed to avoid crosstalk from the Meters.
 SOLO STATUS - The former Multi Meter select switches were used for selecting the solo(s).  Tape In is Mix Solo, Tape Out is Program Solo.
 REV RETURN MODULES - The various re-routing paths were bypassed to make it operate as close to a standard Channel path as could be done.
 MODULE OVERLOAD SIGNALS - These were bypassed.
 MODULE TRIMS - The small internal module trims for "ch", "sig" and "mix" were bypassed.

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