Focurite Red / Blue: chock full-o-chips!?

[dave-G]

How is it that Focusrite has managed to make its Red and Blue line(s) of high-end outboard based largely on the lowly 5534 IC opamp? It seems that most of the competition distingushes itself by eschewing IC's altogether with all-discrete circuits and class-A or tube designs. Are the Red/Blue designs _so_ special that they transcend their basic building-blocks?

Don't get me wrong, I like (and own) some of the Red stuff and used to use a 115 all the time, but wonder... were they built with chips out of laziness (profit) concerns, or because a discrete opamp wouldn't have made a big difference in these particular designs?

got wisdom?

-dave

[This message has been edited by dave-G (edited March 15, 2001).]

[PeeTee]

They are Class A/B designs. Nothing special about them really.