STUDIO PROJECTS VTB-1 MODS

[RoKKo]

HI everyone. I bought a VTB1 last year and haven't been using it a lot
because I actually dind't find it much better (if any) than some
Behringer stuff i had. After a while I look inside the VTB1 and found
2 infamous JRC4580 opamps. as well as a JRC2114 and JRC2082. Knowing
how Behringer stuff relies on these opamps I decided to replace them
with something different. After some testing with some common opamps i
had arround this is how IMO it sounded better:

2 TI NE5532 for the JRC4580s
1 LM833N for the JRC2114
1 LM353N for the JRC2082

As I were there I replaced the "no name" tube for something better.

I found that as a matter of fact the JRC4580s impart a very unpleasant
characteristics: cold, brittle, hollow are just a few terms that may
well define their behaviour. Why do they use them? The ICs i have used
as replacement cost the same yet they provide a more musical response
(specially HF).

Well, i'm not an expert at all, just wanted to share this
experience...


Regards

Rocco Flores Oneto

[BlacklineMusic]

cool stuff, rocco. I have one of those mics in my pile of China mics. I'll
try your mods. I too find the SP mics have that cold brittle hollow sound you
talk about. Do you know if all the SP mics use those opamps?
Steve

[BlacklineMusic]

cool stuff, rocco. I have one of those mics in my pile of China mics. I'll
try your mods. I too find the SP mics have that cold brittle hollow sound you
talk about. Do you know if all the SP mics use those opamps?
Steve

[Mike]

(BlacklineMusic) wrote in
:

> cool stuff, rocco. I have one of those mics in my pile of China
> mics. I'll try your mods. I too find the SP mics have that cold
> brittle hollow sound you talk about. Do you know if all the SP mics
> use those opamps? Steve

Errr...it's a pre-amp, not a mic...

[Mike]

(BlacklineMusic) wrote in
:

> cool stuff, rocco. I have one of those mics in my pile of China
> mics. I'll try your mods. I too find the SP mics have that cold
> brittle hollow sound you talk about. Do you know if all the SP mics
> use those opamps? Steve

Errr...it's a pre-amp, not a mic...

[BlacklineMusic]

>Errr...it's a pre-amp, not a mic...
>

my fault, I have two of the preamps in my pile of Chinese crap. What I meant
to ask was if all the VTB preamps use these opamps or do you know if there is
different brands of opamps in different runs of the preamp? We tried these
cheapie pres on toms and they still sounded crappy, hollow being a good word.
I'm looking to mod them so I'll try your mods.
Steve

[BlacklineMusic]

>Errr...it's a pre-amp, not a mic...
>

my fault, I have two of the preamps in my pile of Chinese crap. What I meant
to ask was if all the VTB preamps use these opamps or do you know if there is
different brands of opamps in different runs of the preamp? We tried these
cheapie pres on toms and they still sounded crappy, hollow being a good word.
I'm looking to mod them so I'll try your mods.
Steve

[Scott Dorsey]

BlacklineMusic > wrote:
>>Errr...it's a pre-amp, not a mic...
>
>my fault, I have two of the preamps in my pile of Chinese crap. What I meant
>to ask was if all the VTB preamps use these opamps or do you know if there is
>different brands of opamps in different runs of the preamp? We tried these
>cheapie pres on toms and they still sounded crappy, hollow being a good word.
>I'm looking to mod them so I'll try your mods.

They have a tube distortion stage with a tube running in starvation mode.
Perhaps bypassing this would improve the sound for you.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Scott Dorsey]

BlacklineMusic > wrote:
>>Errr...it's a pre-amp, not a mic...
>
>my fault, I have two of the preamps in my pile of Chinese crap. What I meant
>to ask was if all the VTB preamps use these opamps or do you know if there is
>different brands of opamps in different runs of the preamp? We tried these
>cheapie pres on toms and they still sounded crappy, hollow being a good word.
>I'm looking to mod them so I'll try your mods.

They have a tube distortion stage with a tube running in starvation mode.
Perhaps bypassing this would improve the sound for you.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[RoKKo]

You're right Scott. The tube blend is somthing that has to be used
with great care. It tends to distort in an unplesant way if overused.
I don't think this preamp is total crap and I like it a lot better
after this simple opamps replacement. I'd like to try other opamps but
they are not easily available where i live. Of course i know that not
all the sound comes from opamps and tubes...there's design and other
components quality too that determine how good a preamp can perform. I
regret not to have better preamps arround so i'm trying to squeeze the
most of what i own.

Regards

Rocco Flores Oneto

[RoKKo]

You're right Scott. The tube blend is somthing that has to be used
with great care. It tends to distort in an unplesant way if overused.
I don't think this preamp is total crap and I like it a lot better
after this simple opamps replacement. I'd like to try other opamps but
they are not easily available where i live. Of course i know that not
all the sound comes from opamps and tubes...there's design and other
components quality too that determine how good a preamp can perform. I
regret not to have better preamps arround so i'm trying to squeeze the
most of what i own.

Regards

Rocco Flores Oneto

[Chris Del Faro]

As long as you keep the "tube blend" dial all the way over to the
left,
the Studio Projects VTB-1 is solid state, without ANY starved plate
tube distortion.

I prefer using its low cut filter on vocals BTW, as it is somewhat
"dark/smooth" in tone. Not a criticism as that could be a plus working
with many of the budget LD condensers around today, to help mellow
them out.

You can read Harvey Gerst's (positive)review of it at
www.studioprojectsusa.com

Chris

P.S. Harvey indicates it kills on the RCA 77DX.

[Chris Del Faro]

As long as you keep the "tube blend" dial all the way over to the
left,
the Studio Projects VTB-1 is solid state, without ANY starved plate
tube distortion.

I prefer using its low cut filter on vocals BTW, as it is somewhat
"dark/smooth" in tone. Not a criticism as that could be a plus working
with many of the budget LD condensers around today, to help mellow
them out.

You can read Harvey Gerst's (positive)review of it at
www.studioprojectsusa.com

Chris

P.S. Harvey indicates it kills on the RCA 77DX.

[BlacklineMusic]

I just started using it on toms with no tube blend and I must say, worlds of
improvement. The tube blend thing made things take on a hollow harsh
character. This pre is decent as a solid state pre goes. They should take
that tube blend knob off.
Steve

[BlacklineMusic]

I just started using it on toms with no tube blend and I must say, worlds of
improvement. The tube blend thing made things take on a hollow harsh
character. This pre is decent as a solid state pre goes. They should take
that tube blend knob off.
Steve

[Scott Dorsey]

In article >,
BlacklineMusic > wrote:
>I just started using it on toms with no tube blend and I must say, worlds of
>improvement. The tube blend thing made things take on a hollow harsh
>character. This pre is decent as a solid state pre goes. They should take
>that tube blend knob off.

So, does it sound any better with the tube removed from the socket? If you
aren't using the tube stage at all, take the thing out and see if the power
supply gets any stiffer. With less load on the supply the rest of the thing
might sound better too.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Scott Dorsey]

In article >,
BlacklineMusic > wrote:
>I just started using it on toms with no tube blend and I must say, worlds of
>improvement. The tube blend thing made things take on a hollow harsh
>character. This pre is decent as a solid state pre goes. They should take
>that tube blend knob off.

So, does it sound any better with the tube removed from the socket? If you
aren't using the tube stage at all, take the thing out and see if the power
supply gets any stiffer. With less load on the supply the rest of the thing
might sound better too.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[RoKKo]

Wouldn't that be a bit too radical? I mean the tube effect isn't a
great feauture but a subtle ammount of harmonics or distortion can be
occasionally useful. Anyway i suspect i wont work without the
tube...let me try...i'll let you know what happens. BTW. Scott what's
your opinion about the NJR4580 opamps?
Regards

Rocco Flores Oneto

[RoKKo]

Wouldn't that be a bit too radical? I mean the tube effect isn't a
great feauture but a subtle ammount of harmonics or distortion can be
occasionally useful. Anyway i suspect i wont work without the
tube...let me try...i'll let you know what happens. BTW. Scott what's
your opinion about the NJR4580 opamps?
Regards

Rocco Flores Oneto

[Scott Dorsey]

RoKKo > wrote:
>Wouldn't that be a bit too radical? I mean the tube effect isn't a
>great feauture but a subtle ammount of harmonics or distortion can be
>occasionally useful. Anyway i suspect i wont work without the
>tube...let me try...i'll let you know what happens. BTW. Scott what's
>your opinion about the NJR4580 opamps?

The 4580 is one of the cheapest op-amps you can get in China. They are
fine in some circuits but they can take some tinkering to sound right
and they are very prone to being grainy if you don't fiddle with the DC
operating points a bit. I'm not really a big fan of op-amps in general,
though.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Scott Dorsey]

RoKKo > wrote:
>Wouldn't that be a bit too radical? I mean the tube effect isn't a
>great feauture but a subtle ammount of harmonics or distortion can be
>occasionally useful. Anyway i suspect i wont work without the
>tube...let me try...i'll let you know what happens. BTW. Scott what's
>your opinion about the NJR4580 opamps?

The 4580 is one of the cheapest op-amps you can get in China. They are
fine in some circuits but they can take some tinkering to sound right
and they are very prone to being grainy if you don't fiddle with the DC
operating points a bit. I'm not really a big fan of op-amps in general,
though.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."