What is an API 528? The acoustic guitar track from Listening Sessions #1 blew me away but I can't find anything...and I mean ANYTHING...out about it on the boards or on the internet. Is it a pre module? Do any of the new API products emulate that sound? It's driving me nuts that I can't get any info about it.

Thanks.
Jim

Hi Jim, what other preamps have you used?

quote:

Originally posted by Dot:
Hi Jim, what other preamps have you used?

You're going to laugh at me. I have a Focusrite TwinTrak and Liquid Channel. It's the TwinTrak from which I'm looking to upgrade. I have a few pres on my short list, assuming I can't get the 528 sound. I think the ADesigns MP-2A is at the top of that list right now.

Dan let me help this friend!!Just get the same mic Dan used and the same guitar and go to your Liquid Channel and select API 528...Vwalla

quote:

Originally posted by mike@thecave:
Dan let me help this friend!!Just get the same mic Dan used and the same guitar and go to your Liquid Channel and select API 528...Vwalla

I think Mike just pitched a ball at my head. The LiquidChannel doesn't have an API 528 emulation. Although, I'll admit that when I read what he typed, I wasn't sure and had to go to the Focusrite site to be sure.

Use a 312 or 512 emulation then. The sonic differences between them is negligible, as the componentry is the same AFAIK (And the 312 is the preamp component of the 528).

The big diff is between the 212 and the rest of the API preamp line, as the transformers aren't physically as large as the transformers in the 312 or 512.

quote:

Originally posted by i.Combs:
Use a 312 or 512 emulation then. The sonic differences between them is negligible, as the componentry is the same AFAIK (And the 312 is the preamp component of the 528).

The big diff is between the 212 and the rest of the API preamp line, as the transformers aren't physically as large as the transformers in the 312 or 512.

The only API pre that is on the list is the 3124+ and that doesn't sound anything like the 528.

Dan, since you're the only person around here who's actually seen one, can you tell me what an API 528 is? Specifically, what were you using on that listening sessions #1 acoustic guitar track?

To everyone else...
Wile I appreciate input from others, simply saying "use the liquidchannel," or the like, isn't helpful nor does it answer my question.

Hi Jim, using the Liquid Channel for an API sound is a very poor solution.

Not that an API sound is going to make or break what you're doing...

More to the point is; what kind of sounds are you looking for?

Thanks for responding, Dan.

I have no desire to use the LiquidChannel for that, which is why I was standing on the side of the road waving my hands trying to get your attention. Thanks for responding.

I listened to all the "acoustic" mp3s from the Listening Sessions 1. To my ears, the 528 track is far and away the best of the lot (and it sounds nothing like the 3124). So I set out to find out what an API 528 is. I googled it and found nothing. I posted on various boards and no one was really able to tell me with any certainty although a lot of people had educated guesses.

You're the only person I know of who's actually worked with one and I want to find out what an API 528 is. I don't know how to very effectively use words to describe sounds but what I heard on that API 528 acoustic at LS#1 is exactly what I'm looking for.

So I go back to what I keep asking: What is an API 528 and is there anything close to it on the market today?

this module

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y181/josan1/api_528_1.jpg

Jim, I'll get the lowdown from the guy who chopped up the old API console and get back to you.

If you want that sound, you'll need to find an older 70's API preamp. And you'll have to deal with getting a hand-made chassis and power supply for it. Big PITA if you're not a tech.

A close second would be to get a new 512C or 312 and drop one of the older hand-made 2520 opamps in it.

quote:

Originally posted by josan:
this module

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y181/josan1/api_528_1.jpg

Josan, thanks very much for the image. Now I have some concept of what it is although I'm not sure what all the knobs are for. I'm guessing that the top board in the picture has the gain knob and eq... maybe compression on the bottom?

quote:

Originally posted by Dot:
Jim, I'll get the lowdown from the guy who chopped up the old API console and get back to you.

If you want that sound, you'll need to find an older 70's API preamp. And you'll have to deal with getting a hand-made chassis and power supply for it. Big PITA if you're not a tech.

A close second would be to get a new 512C or 312 and drop one of the older hand-made 2520 opamps in it.

Thanks Dan,

Between your post and Josan's picture, I finally have some sense of what this is.

I'm guessing it's going to be near impossible for me to get my hands on a couple of channels for reasons of scarcity. I'll keep my eye out though and hope that I happen upon them at a time when my bank account is overflowing with cash.

And thanks for the suggestion of swapping out the opamps on a 512c or 312. That probably makes the most sense in the short term.

So that brings me to a different set of questions...
Can the older vintage 2520 opamps be identified just based on the silver & black label with "Huntington, NY" printed along the bottom?
Is there anything I should know before shopping for a vintage 312?

I guess keep an eye on ebay and Dan Alexanders site for parts. The older 2520's come up
once in a while. While a good benchmark there are a lot of different ways to achieve a
similar sound. I like the simplicity of the API circuit I am not sold on the sound myself
as I prefer more transparency.The 528 card seems to be a dual gain or makeup gain circuit
possibly for the eq section I am not sure as the 312 card has only the single opamp. So a
dual gain opamp footprint card with transformers is what you might be in search of? The obvious
one is JLM audio. There are others perhaps already racked etc.

The 528C is the input strip module from the API 2248 console, which includes the preamp and a 550 EQ. The pre has one 2520 and the EQ has two. There are no API pres that I know of that ever had two 2520's.

http://www.recordingconsoles.net/consoles/api/2488_1.gif

On the 2520's that were handmade in places like Huntington and Melville, NY, they will be clearly labeled where they were made.

quote:

Originally posted by Dot:
The 528C is the input strip module from the API 2248 console, which includes the preamp and a 550 EQ. The pre has one 2520 and the EQ has two. There are no API pres that I know of that ever had two 2520's.

http://www.recordingconsoles.net/consoles/api/2488_1.gif

On the 2520's that were handmade in places like Huntington and Melville, NY, they will be clearly labeled where they were made.

I live about 15 minutes from both of those towns. I wonder if someone left a box of 2520s around for me to find?

First, thanks again to you and Josan for the great info.

So I'm wondering... if I take a 512c and 550b and replace the opamps in both with vintage 2520s, do you think that might get me close?

Jim

Look for early 312 cards. That has all the same components on it as the pre section of the 528. Brent averil had racked hundreds of these to fit 500 boxes. So look for early BA modules with the original API i/o transformers and opamps.

Nothing sounds like an original api 312 except the original...and the 528 channel card.

JD

quote:

Originally posted by Jacl Daniels:
So look for early BA modules with the original API i/o transformers and opamps.

Nothing sounds like an original api 312 except the original...and the 528 channel card.

JD

is there an easy way to tell the early BAE 312 units from the newer units?

It has a real API 312 card attached behind the faceplate of the 500 card. Or it will have a new pcb, but will have the three main componets from an API card removed and placed on the PCB. The opamp (2520) and the two transformers. The transformers will be 2503 and 2622/

This is the preamp only version of the same circuit. Brent just placed a 500 series faceplate on this card and rewired the pins to match a 500 box. Later he started removing the parts and placing them on his own pcb.

http://www.danalexanderaudio.com/ApiInfo/api312_01.jpg

http://www.danalexanderaudio.com/ApiInfo/api312_02.jpg