pan60
08-13-2009, 09:14 PM
JLM AUDIO TG500, the DUAL99V500, and the PEQ500!
Interview with Joe Malone
of
JLM AUDIO
by
pan60
pan60 So, let’s start with some of the basics. : )~ What was it, in your younger years, that drew you into the wide, wide world of audio? Was it a necessity, as with so many, a love for audio, or a fascination with just how electrical things work?
Joe I loved doing live and studio engineering for bands. I also had a love for electronics.
pan60 Did you get a formal education in the field or study under some as an apprentice?
Joe In my electronics field, I worked as a senior technical officer for Telecom (later Telstra) for 16 years.
pan60 Tell us a bit about yourself, hobbies, cars, motorcycles, or maybe just fishing?
Joe I was a bit of a car nut in my younger days. I built several cars from the ground up and did a lot of electronics for high tech cars... my rx7 was used in a movie called “all my friends are leaving Brisbane.” Also, have a 2-yr old little boy who keeps me very busy these days.
pan60 You have an awesome and great following there in Australia - a reputation for great work and service. How many years have you been doing this?
Joe Full time, since leaving Telstra over 10 years ago, and a good decade or so before that with the bands. I was working and touring with while still at Telstra.
pan60 You have been known for some of your DIY (do it yourself) projects. How do you manage to do your DIY projects without the specialized knowledge, we are all told, is required to really be doing it?
Joe We’ve made it so simple that most people who can solder can do it. But, the skill lies in whether someone has the patience. Electronics requires a lot of patience. With the use of a digital camera to provide some large clear photos and some questions delivered by email, we can usually get 99% of the kits going quickly, if someone has a problem.
pan60 What drew you to the API 500 format?
Joe I could see it was going to be a popular format with its plug-and-play flexibility. I also liked the challenge of trying to get high output levels and vintage circuits to work on the limited +/-16v power rails.
pan60 What made you want to add the special features to the PEQ500, as it seems to be based around the Pultec design, as opposed to just sticking with the straight-ahead Pultec style EQ?
Joe Our PEQ500 is based on our PEQ1 rack versions, which we have been making for the past 20 years. The PEQ1 had the extra frequencies since it was first developed in the late 1980s. Adding frequencies was obvious, even 20 years back, as the switching was already there. The added cost was minimal for the great flexibility it added.
Most Pultec owners we provided serviced for back then always loved their EQ, but wished it could do more. So, it has always been a “no brainer.” It also doesn’t change the standard frequencies of the Pultec, which we have kept for those who are familiar with the original Pultec EQP-1A.
We have lots of high-end users who use the PEQ1 for tracking and stereo mastering / buss applications who love the greater range in frequencies. So, bringing that to our PEQ500 was a must! Our PEQ500 also is the only EQ that can do high shelf boost like the very rare PEQ-1R eq.
pan60 Cool! Where did you get the idea for the look? Which, by the way, I love. I am a sucker for the vintage vibe. : )
Joe I have always used and liked the look of chicken head knobs. The rest of the black and white look is driven by my preference for minimalism and long-lasting products. This leads us to use industrial lasered text which turns the black anodizing white and can never be worn off like screen printing.
pan60 I also love the chicken head knobs, Gerald Weber (Kendrick Amplifier), once made me what was, at the time, a one-off amp (probably still is?), with three tens, (awesome little amp by the way), and I have some cool vintage red chicken head knobs on it.
I also replaced the black ones on my 54 tweed super with red ones. I cannot remember where I got them. They are very cool, though.
You have a cool harmonic distortion, or maybe better put - a cool vibe going on with your gear, Is that a functional part of the transformer design, or some other choice of circuit, or a choice of some other component being used?
Joe The 2nd harmonic fatness is due to the 99v opamp which is a low gain type opamp. It gives similar tone to a single-ended tube gain stage with silky high frequencies and fatness. This is due to the high 2nd harmonic and lower dampening. But, we also have our Hybrid opamp which is pure. It makes the PEQ500 as tight and super low THD for those doing mastering or after pure buss eq, instead of tracking.
pan60 I'm glad you mentioned that. I made the mistake of using the term noise on a forum, and took a bit of slack when I did not intend it to be a negative. I like the fat sound.
So, if someone wanted one a bit tighter would they just need to let you know up front?
Joe The PEQ500 can be changed from 99v opamps (big fat) to Hybrid opamps (fast and tight) anytime... easily... as they are just plugged into sockets for simple plug- and-play.
pan60 Now, before everyone starts calling Joe and asking for something tighter, I would recommend, give this a roll first! I find the fat, smooth sound to be a very welcome tool, and personally would not make the change.
I notice your transformers are a bit large and as a result, they need to be positioned next to the power supply in the API lunchbox or next to something that allows for the amount they protrude into the other space. I personally have not had an issue with this, it has been no problem finding a place for these to fit. Have you had any issues come up from your customers as a result? (I just wanted to touch on this so people are not surprised when they get one).
Joe No. Only the first run of some of the metal support brackets, which had the transformer mounting holes out by a millimeter. This made the transformer sit at a bit of an angle.
All our modules conform to the API standard dimensions, but our output transformer has a core size 4 times the size of a normal API output transformer. So, it uses the whole width. We always recommend removing any module to the right while fitting our modules.
pan60 Cool, good to go.
Tell us about some of the other gear you have lined up for the 500 format. I hear you are working on a tube pre and compressor. Would you care to chat about those?
Joe Yes. We have a Tube Mu compressor in the final stages with a fet (1176 style) and opto (LA3A style) compressor to follow, over the next few months in the lead-up to the 2009 AES in New York. All the compressors have been prototyped and finalized and are just waiting for the 1000 lot parts and final testing. We are working on a tube pre but it is not in finalized yet.
pan60 Sounds very, very cool! I think the guys at AES will be stoked to see these! : )~ A Mu comp will be a welcome addition! Make sure you get me some photos to post. I will hold them back until the night before, then post them.
Joe OK will do.
pan60 You are making your own rack as well, correct?
Joe We are testing 3 rack designs, but nothing has gone into production at this stage.
pan60 Keep me posted. You are also doing a Neve style pre?
Joe Yes the NV500 has been out since the end of last year and selling very well.
pan60 Cool. How will it differ from your current lineup?
Joe Physically, the use of controls are identical to our Dual99v500 and Tg500 front panel. But, internally, it is a highly modified 1073 style mic pre redesigned to have variable impedance. It runs directly without inverters from the +/-16v API power rails. The variable impedance and transformer combination give the pre a large range of tonal balance. This ranges from a dull original 1073 (which has never been a recapped tone) right up to a balanced New 1073 tone in the Z position, and further up to (what a lot of users describe as) the Neve with Neumann U87 smooth sheen highs with the impedance heading towards fully clockwise.
Interview with Joe Malone
of
JLM AUDIO
by
pan60
pan60 So, let’s start with some of the basics. : )~ What was it, in your younger years, that drew you into the wide, wide world of audio? Was it a necessity, as with so many, a love for audio, or a fascination with just how electrical things work?
Joe I loved doing live and studio engineering for bands. I also had a love for electronics.
pan60 Did you get a formal education in the field or study under some as an apprentice?
Joe In my electronics field, I worked as a senior technical officer for Telecom (later Telstra) for 16 years.
pan60 Tell us a bit about yourself, hobbies, cars, motorcycles, or maybe just fishing?
Joe I was a bit of a car nut in my younger days. I built several cars from the ground up and did a lot of electronics for high tech cars... my rx7 was used in a movie called “all my friends are leaving Brisbane.” Also, have a 2-yr old little boy who keeps me very busy these days.
pan60 You have an awesome and great following there in Australia - a reputation for great work and service. How many years have you been doing this?
Joe Full time, since leaving Telstra over 10 years ago, and a good decade or so before that with the bands. I was working and touring with while still at Telstra.
pan60 You have been known for some of your DIY (do it yourself) projects. How do you manage to do your DIY projects without the specialized knowledge, we are all told, is required to really be doing it?
Joe We’ve made it so simple that most people who can solder can do it. But, the skill lies in whether someone has the patience. Electronics requires a lot of patience. With the use of a digital camera to provide some large clear photos and some questions delivered by email, we can usually get 99% of the kits going quickly, if someone has a problem.
pan60 What drew you to the API 500 format?
Joe I could see it was going to be a popular format with its plug-and-play flexibility. I also liked the challenge of trying to get high output levels and vintage circuits to work on the limited +/-16v power rails.
pan60 What made you want to add the special features to the PEQ500, as it seems to be based around the Pultec design, as opposed to just sticking with the straight-ahead Pultec style EQ?
Joe Our PEQ500 is based on our PEQ1 rack versions, which we have been making for the past 20 years. The PEQ1 had the extra frequencies since it was first developed in the late 1980s. Adding frequencies was obvious, even 20 years back, as the switching was already there. The added cost was minimal for the great flexibility it added.
Most Pultec owners we provided serviced for back then always loved their EQ, but wished it could do more. So, it has always been a “no brainer.” It also doesn’t change the standard frequencies of the Pultec, which we have kept for those who are familiar with the original Pultec EQP-1A.
We have lots of high-end users who use the PEQ1 for tracking and stereo mastering / buss applications who love the greater range in frequencies. So, bringing that to our PEQ500 was a must! Our PEQ500 also is the only EQ that can do high shelf boost like the very rare PEQ-1R eq.
pan60 Cool! Where did you get the idea for the look? Which, by the way, I love. I am a sucker for the vintage vibe. : )
Joe I have always used and liked the look of chicken head knobs. The rest of the black and white look is driven by my preference for minimalism and long-lasting products. This leads us to use industrial lasered text which turns the black anodizing white and can never be worn off like screen printing.
pan60 I also love the chicken head knobs, Gerald Weber (Kendrick Amplifier), once made me what was, at the time, a one-off amp (probably still is?), with three tens, (awesome little amp by the way), and I have some cool vintage red chicken head knobs on it.
I also replaced the black ones on my 54 tweed super with red ones. I cannot remember where I got them. They are very cool, though.
You have a cool harmonic distortion, or maybe better put - a cool vibe going on with your gear, Is that a functional part of the transformer design, or some other choice of circuit, or a choice of some other component being used?
Joe The 2nd harmonic fatness is due to the 99v opamp which is a low gain type opamp. It gives similar tone to a single-ended tube gain stage with silky high frequencies and fatness. This is due to the high 2nd harmonic and lower dampening. But, we also have our Hybrid opamp which is pure. It makes the PEQ500 as tight and super low THD for those doing mastering or after pure buss eq, instead of tracking.
pan60 I'm glad you mentioned that. I made the mistake of using the term noise on a forum, and took a bit of slack when I did not intend it to be a negative. I like the fat sound.
So, if someone wanted one a bit tighter would they just need to let you know up front?
Joe The PEQ500 can be changed from 99v opamps (big fat) to Hybrid opamps (fast and tight) anytime... easily... as they are just plugged into sockets for simple plug- and-play.
pan60 Now, before everyone starts calling Joe and asking for something tighter, I would recommend, give this a roll first! I find the fat, smooth sound to be a very welcome tool, and personally would not make the change.
I notice your transformers are a bit large and as a result, they need to be positioned next to the power supply in the API lunchbox or next to something that allows for the amount they protrude into the other space. I personally have not had an issue with this, it has been no problem finding a place for these to fit. Have you had any issues come up from your customers as a result? (I just wanted to touch on this so people are not surprised when they get one).
Joe No. Only the first run of some of the metal support brackets, which had the transformer mounting holes out by a millimeter. This made the transformer sit at a bit of an angle.
All our modules conform to the API standard dimensions, but our output transformer has a core size 4 times the size of a normal API output transformer. So, it uses the whole width. We always recommend removing any module to the right while fitting our modules.
pan60 Cool, good to go.
Tell us about some of the other gear you have lined up for the 500 format. I hear you are working on a tube pre and compressor. Would you care to chat about those?
Joe Yes. We have a Tube Mu compressor in the final stages with a fet (1176 style) and opto (LA3A style) compressor to follow, over the next few months in the lead-up to the 2009 AES in New York. All the compressors have been prototyped and finalized and are just waiting for the 1000 lot parts and final testing. We are working on a tube pre but it is not in finalized yet.
pan60 Sounds very, very cool! I think the guys at AES will be stoked to see these! : )~ A Mu comp will be a welcome addition! Make sure you get me some photos to post. I will hold them back until the night before, then post them.
Joe OK will do.
pan60 You are making your own rack as well, correct?
Joe We are testing 3 rack designs, but nothing has gone into production at this stage.
pan60 Keep me posted. You are also doing a Neve style pre?
Joe Yes the NV500 has been out since the end of last year and selling very well.
pan60 Cool. How will it differ from your current lineup?
Joe Physically, the use of controls are identical to our Dual99v500 and Tg500 front panel. But, internally, it is a highly modified 1073 style mic pre redesigned to have variable impedance. It runs directly without inverters from the +/-16v API power rails. The variable impedance and transformer combination give the pre a large range of tonal balance. This ranges from a dull original 1073 (which has never been a recapped tone) right up to a balanced New 1073 tone in the Z position, and further up to (what a lot of users describe as) the Neve with Neumann U87 smooth sheen highs with the impedance heading towards fully clockwise.