Posted by Harmony Central News on Aug 12, 2009 1:00:00 AM
sage ELECTRONICS® introduce its long-awaited SE-DOT5 RED and BLUE (pure class A and class AB) discrete opamps — direct replacements for the 2001 and 2003 opamps found in classic MCI 400 series consoles. Designed by sage ELECTRONICS founder / record producer Phillip Victor Bova — the SE-DOT5¿¿ opamps offer full rail ± 24V operation and direct plug in compatibility. “They have taken our beloved MCI JH-416 console to a whole new level” states Bova (who also owns and operates bova sound http://www.sage-2021.local/bovasound) — with ease. We’ve always cherished our 416 for its big iron sound and elegant functionality… but I have long felt that the original IC opamps limit the sonic potential of these great boards. It was this feeling that led me to develop our two new discrete opamps — the SE-DOT5s.” Any 2001 or 2003 opamp in any stock MCI 400 series console can be replaced with either the RED (class A) or BLUE (class AB) SE-DOT5 opamp. A good initial replacement strategy might include installation of 20 SE-DOT5s (10 RED and 10 BLUE) to allow replacement of all 2001 opamps in;
- two channel strips (total of 8 RED + 6 BLUE)
- the master section (front left and right only — for stereo mixers) (total of 2 RED + 2 BLUE)
- the left and right front output amps in the control room monitor strip (2 BLUE)
SE-DOT5 opamps are painless to install. They run on the same ± 24 Volts as the 2001 (and 2003) opamps and feature gold pins to match the premium gold contact octal sockets on the console circuit boards. There is no requirement to add messy, instability-prone long legged DIP sockets, nor to lower PSU supply voltage as some other upgrade approaches demand. “In my opinion” says Bova “upgrading with these discrete opamps moves the sound of our MCI consoles directly into the company of desks such as api, Spectra Sonics, Sphere and Quad-Eight.” Each SE-DOT5 (RED or BLUE) opamp carries a manufacturer’s suggested list price of CDN $59. (US $54.44 by today’s exchange rate.) and is available directly from the manufacturer below {also the makers of the exotic purple-heart faced SE-Pre1 mic pre, the well camouflaged D.I. JOE di box and the freakish SE-BB1 bova ball condenser microphone}