Comments on: Original EMI-modified Altec compressor on eBay: UPDATE

By: weiss

weiss — Sat, 08 Jun 2019 19:06:20 +0000

I wonder if anyone still has got the this file: http://www.dripelectronics.com/media/kunena/attachments/69/EMI_RS124_schematic.pdf

the website is down and i don’t find it elsewhere.

thanks!

By: chris

chris — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 22:49:48 +0000

In reply to Mark. sure email a buncha pix

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 20:15:56 +0000

Hi Chris.

I was wondering if you could help me identify an old Altec tan compressor that has basically the same layout as the back of this unit, but different front knob position and. No ,idle number to be found on the unit. I have had it some Altec mic pre Amps and an old Klein and Hummel tube Eq in storage for some years. Finally dug them out.

By: alex

alex — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 18:14:52 +0000

plus Eric Clapton, The Eagles, Led Zeppelin, The Who and more

By: alex

alex — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 17:53:50 +0000

Got the 438c one from Olympic studio owned by Keith Gran…it has recorded beatles rolling stones jimmy hendrix Bowie pink floyd queen t rex elton john etc tec and all absolutly all the most famous bands and artist… if the buyer of this one can contact me i ll be happy to sale same kind of price

By: Gabriele

Gabriele — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 10:04:54 +0000

I remember seeing that auction.
Isn’t that the relay to remotely control (footswitch?) the HOLD function of release time? Pretty cool feature!
There’s a RS124 thread on groupdiy.com where you can get this bit of info from.
Gabe.

By: Mike Craig

Mike Craig — Wed, 19 Feb 2014 10:10:16 +0000

Hi Tom,
The unit above above the 6AL5 is a relay, how and what it does is open to speculation.
My guess is its a total bypass relay. We had two of these comps at Chalk Farm studios in 1970 ish. Wish I’d thought of the balance ‘tick’ idea.. Well not got the experience I’ve now. BTW EMI bought 3 Chiswick Reach compressors (based on the Altec designs) which Vic Keary (Thermionic Culture) and I designed, because, apparently they were the nearest thing the could get in to the Altecs when re-mixing Beatles stuff. They wouldn’t tell us at the time why.. it was a secret project.. “can’t tell you”..

By: Tom Fine

Tom Fine — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 23:18:09 +0000

$35k will buy a lot of music lessons, and the buyer still won’t sound like the Beatles!

By: Wilson

Wilson — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 01:09:29 +0000

That little bijou of which you inquire above the 6AL5 looks quite like an old ‘heater-oven” for a crystal (inside the oven) oscillator of some type. Hope this helps, Wilson

By: Bafflegab

Bafflegab — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:40:12 +0000

Usually gear used in Britain stayed 120 volt because in that country 2:1 isolating center tapped isoformers were common. British law specified the use of 110V balanced power for outside electric hand tools with a grounded center tap so that if the tool shorted to the use he would be only zapped with 55-60 volts. So the stepdown transformers were readily available and gave balanced power which quieted things down.

In Germany, this wasn’t the case, but they bought little American equipment. The Germans were largely self sufficient, but their stuff never left Europe, because of tariffs and Steven Temmer of Gotham Audio tied their distribution up in the US, What the French, Dutch, Spanish and Scandinavians did would be interesting to know.