MCI 400 series

[philip shaw bova]

I'm looking for an MCI 400 series console to purchase. I've heard good
and bad things said about these boards, but I've also heard many good
recordings done on them. Any info about them would also be
appreciated....

thanks,

Phil

[umbriaco]

in article , philip shaw bova
at wrote on 9/13/03 2:28 AM:

> I'm looking for an MCI 400 series console to purchase. I've heard good
> and bad things said about these boards, but I've also heard many good
> recordings done on them. Any info about them would also be
> appreciated....

You should talk to Randy Blevins
http://blevinsaudioexchange.com/

Lots of versions of the board. Production ended in 1982 when the JH 600 was
introduced, so even the newest version (JH 428B) is over 20 years old. An
early JH 416 will be pushing 30. Be wary of any modifications.
They are relativly easy to troubleshoot and work on. Build and component
quality is pretty good. Expect to find cruddy ITT/Schadow assign switches.
Original electrolytic caps will need replacement. The 2001 / 2002 IC's are
hard, but not impossible, to find (Randy can help you there). The 2003 IC's
(on later versions) are 5534's in a can package. The 2 motherboards are
joined by bus wire jumpers. These joints like to open up if the boards are
flexed.
Channel inserts are unbalanced. Insert returns are a 600 ohm load.
Nice mic pre amps w/ Jensen transformers. The eq sounds good but the HF & LF
sections do not offer lots of boost / cut. The filter does almost nothing.
Only 4 aux groups. The tape monitor inputs are not available for additional
inputs during mixdown. Comprehensive monitor / communicaton. Mixdown machine
monitor inputs are unbalanced.
My 428B can drive +25dBu into a 600 ohm load without clipping, has a noise
floor around -70dBu and sounds good. They are not everyone's cup 'o tea.
Happy hunting!

[philip shaw bova]

Thanks for all the info guys. Can anybody tell me the difference
between a jh 416 and a jh 428?

thanks again,

Phil




(Galen) wrote in message >...
> (philip shaw bova) wrote in message >...
> > I'm looking for an MCI 400 series console to purchase. I've heard good
> > and bad things said about these boards, but I've also heard many good
> > recordings done on them. Any info about them would also be
> > appreciated....
> >
> > thanks,
> >
> > Phil
>
> Hi Phil
> I've got a 428b in the process of being refurbished. Give me a shout.
> Galen

[LeBaron & Alrich]

philip shaw bova wrote:

> Thanks for all the info guys. Can anybody tell me the difference
> between a jh 416 and a jh 428?

Start with the size of the console mainframe, the number of input
channel slots available.

--
hank alrich * secret mountain
audio recording * music production * sound reinforcement
"If laughter is the best medicine let's take a double dose"

[EggHd]

<< Thanks for all the info guys. Can anybody tell me the difference
between a jh 416 and a jh 428? >>

I seem to recall that some 416 models (maybe all?) were black and 428s were
that creme color.

What was different other than that I don't know.



---------------------------------------
"I know enough to know I don't know enough"

[AT]

i think there was also a dif in tthe eq section.

can not say for sure it has been 25 years !!!!

also ithink i remember the amount of busses.



"EggHd" > wrote in message
...
> << Thanks for all the info guys. Can anybody tell me the difference
> between a jh 416 and a jh 428? >>
>
> I seem to recall that some 416 models (maybe all?) were black and
428s were
> that creme color.
>
> What was different other than that I don't know.
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------
> "I know enough to know I don't know enough"

[Mike Caffrey]

The 416 is a pretty decent console. It's big though.

Also, they don't make the 2001 op amps or the replacemtn Hariis 911
anymore, so unless it's been modified to take another
type of op amp, make sure you get a good deal. Keeping it in great shape
will be some work.




In article >, " AT"
> wrote:

> i think there was also a dif in tthe eq section.
>
> can not say for sure it has been 25 years !!!!
>
> also ithink i remember the amount of busses.
>
>
>
> "EggHd" > wrote in message
> ...
> > << Thanks for all the info guys. Can anybody tell me the difference
> > between a jh 416 and a jh 428? >>
> >
> > I seem to recall that some 416 models (maybe all?) were black and
> 428s were
> > that creme color.
> >
> > What was different other than that I don't know.
> >
> >
> >
> > ---------------------------------------
> > "I know enough to know I don't know enough"



www.monsterisland.com

[Mike Caffrey]

I was going to try to get on of these cut up and rackmounted and use it
for tracking. They're definitely good sounding boards but the've got a
little baggage that you have to manage.



In article >, Gary Koliger
> wrote:

> regular edge connector cleaning is a good idea too - I used to use a pencil
> eraser to get the crud that accumualktes on 'em - they're not as wide or
> deep as newer ones so its best to make sure they're always clean - mic pres
> are nice sounding - eq is virtually non-existant compared to newer boards
> too - definitely far nicer sounding than the 5 or 600 series - with the
> original 2001 op amps its a little on the noisy side but that never bothered
> my musical leanings - I think the 5534 upgrade betters the s/n ration but
> don't know for sure - Trooper made their second CD on my 428 produced by
> Randy Bachman back in 1975 - mine came with joysticks for quad panning -
> remember quad? the surround of the 70s that never caught on - these things
> were also made to be retrofittablefor the tape based automation MCI made
> back then - I sold mine for $6000CAD in 1994 and still miss it for some
> things. You'll undoubtedly have to burnish the patch bay jacks too. Blevin's
> Audio Exchange in Nashville is the best all around source for parts that I
> know of. Not as heavy as an SSL but you'll need at least 4 or 5 guys to move
> it
>
> Gary
>
> Mike Caffrey wrote:
>
> > The 416 is a pretty decent console. It's big though.
> >
> > Also, they don't make the 2001 op amps or the replacemtn Hariis 911
> > anymore, so unless it's been modified to take another
> > type of op amp, make sure you get a good deal. Keeping it in great shape
> > will be some work.
> >
> > In article >, " AT"
> > > wrote:
> >
> > > i think there was also a dif in tthe eq section.
> > >
> > > can not say for sure it has been 25 years !!!!
> > >
> > > also ithink i remember the amount of busses.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > "EggHd" > wrote in message
> > > ...
> > > > << Thanks for all the info guys. Can anybody tell me the difference
> > > > between a jh 416 and a jh 428? >>
> > > >
> > > > I seem to recall that some 416 models (maybe all?) were black and
> > > 428s were
> > > > that creme color.
> > > >
> > > > What was different other than that I don't know.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > ---------------------------------------
> > > > "I know enough to know I don't know enough"
> >
> > www.monsterisland.com



www.monsterisland.com

[umbriaco]

in article , Mike Caffrey at
wrote on 9/15/03 5:44 PM:

> I was going to try to get on of these cut up and rackmounted and use it
> for tracking. They're definitely good sounding boards but the've got a
> little baggage that you have to manage.

Don't forget the output transformers are on the motherboard.
If you really go through with it, let me know what leftovers you may have.

[Analogeezer]

(Mike Rivers) wrote in message news:<znr1063457033k@trad>...
> In article > writes:
>
> > I'm looking for an MCI 400 series console to purchase. I've heard good
> > and bad things said about these boards, but I've also heard many good
> > recordings done on them.
>
> Yeah, but that was back in the day when every studio had a maintenance
> engineer on staff. Is that you?


Well Mike, I went to this link in his post:

http://www.sageelectronics.com/

I imagine that if the guy is designing and building electronics (mic
pres and such) that he knows the correct end of a soldering iron.

Plus he has a studio with an old Ampex....I don't think having to work
on an MCI is gonna scare him that much.

Hope the storm wasn't too unkind to you...

Analogeezer