FiveFish Studios: X-12mk500

[diy2]

More info here:
http://fivefishstudios.com/index.php/X-12mk500-Mic-Preamp-Kit.html

http://www.fivefishstudios.com/ffimages/X12mk500-Pair.jpg

http://fivefishstudios.com/ffimages/X12Preamp.jpg

[pan60]

a bump for the DIY guys and gals!
:D
i have a unit here to build, the plan is to do a article as i build, just need to get caught up a bit, :eek:

[futur2]

if it's as good as the sc-1 it's gonna be fabulous!

[bendymusic]

These kits look great, and the building instructions are ultra easy to follow. But I don't see a schematic anywhere. I think some less novice builders would like to see a schematic. Maybe I missed it somewhere.

&e

[Denyle]

That Carnhill version looks really great. ;)

[diy2]

These kits look great, and the building instructions are ultra easy to follow. But I don't see a schematic anywhere. I think some less novice builders would like to see a schematic. Maybe I missed it somewhere.&e

Schematics are included in the kit package.

[bendymusic]

Just got my pre-built x12.. its totally rock solid. Messed around with it a little today, great addition to any collection of preamps. I compared it directly between the API 512c, and Purple Pants. Its somewhere between the two sonically. The 512 is a little more raspy, with those signature grainy upper mids, the x12 had a little of that with a more focused bottom end like the Pants. No DI included, but it loves to amp the Countryman DI, and was very similar to the API in sonics with this test. I like the meter, its handy. The construction is top-notch, solid knobs and switches, good illumination. You can get in there and swap out the IC for a DOA, etc.. but I think the transformers are making the "sound". Oh yeah, its quiet too. What else.. I noticed that some mics sounded almost the same between 512 and x12, others sounded very different. I'll have to do more extensive testing on this to figure out which mics work well, and which ones don't. Maybe its an impedance thing. Anyway, I am really interested in the x72 now, could also be a winner!!

&e

[bendymusic]

Just got through a tracking session with a jazz trio today, finally pressed this pre into use. Had the bass into a TLM170 into this pre and it was kinda thin, so I switched it to the combo amp the guitarist was using through an Audix SCX25 but I was getting some distortion that sounded like the amp breaking up. I switched the mic to a KEL hm-1 with similar issues. The levels were looking fine but my problems went away when I engaged the pad on the mic pre and compensated the gain adjustment so I guess the mics were overloading the input of the pre?! I generally try and avoid pads because it usually seems to adversely affect the sound. Yes I've heard that I'm crazy. I feel like the X12 has a sweet spot where it sounds the best (gain up and the output trim down). All this happened in like 60 seconds and once I got it dialed we were good for the whole day. The guitar really spoke well through this preamp, plenty of detail but without being clinical. It sounded good!

&e

ps. Mine didn't come with schematics as it was pre-built, but I would like to have a set, anyone have them or know where I can get em? I am very interested to know the input impedance and other stuff.

[bendymusic]

As a minor side note, mine has a green phantom indicator, and a yellow indicator for both phase and pad.