OT - EMT Plate

[Vaporhead]

I agree with you. The Fairchild plugins that I have tried do not equal the real thing. I'm not sure though that you understood that the ADL Fairchild is a hardware compressor, not a plugin. It has 19 transformers and 21 tubes (my numbers may be a little off but they're close), takes up 8 rack spaces and weighs about a hundred and fifty pounds. I don't expect a plugin to be able to match that kind of density. I did, however, compare it to Smack for really whacking some stereo room mics and everyone in the room was amazed at the fact that we all chose to use Smack instead of the ADL. I thinks it pretty much always comes down to case by case application on these things.

[25ghosts]

No No - I did understand that you are using the Hardware Fairchild.

Also - I agree that it depends on what you are compressing - when you choose the gear.


My VARI-MU - which is modeled after the hardware Fairchild is great for certain things - but for compressing drums I would choose my SLAM. Anyway - it is natural that hardware compressors are sounding different. After all there are many different ways of accomplishing gain reduction... That is why they all sound different.

What I was referring to was that:

outboard compressors are the real thing while the plugs are the Synth. ones.
With verb it is actually the outboard verbs which are synthetic while the Convolution reverb (one that works) is the real deal

[Bryan Cook]

Just wondering if anyone here knows what a fair price for an old EMT 140 plate reverb would be. I have an opportunity to get one of the old ones from RCA studios that a friend recently discovered was stashed in a warehouse about 10 years ago. There are apparently four of them in the warehouse. I don't know if all four of them work or not. The guy who has it hasn't researched the price aspect yet and I haven't found any real info anywhere on line yet. Thanks in advance.

probably about 1k is common, but would need a few hundred dollars of work in a lot of cases. 1k would be a great price for one that is in good condition. tuned, etc. 1500-2k for a fully functioning one, including delivery.

i got a tuned one from Dan Alexander that sounds great. it has some low end hum and some hi end hiss, but sits on the track wonderfully. very happy i bought it. i often filter the bottom out of verb anyway. the electrical noise is only a nuisance in quiet sections (not that useable if you are sensitive to noise) and i always print it and clean the top and tail, mute it in the holes. etc. but personally, i think the noise is something that a lot of modern reverbs are lacking. of course, there are times where you want a clean, noise free verb, but for me, those times are fewer than the times i like the plate. just don't buy a plate and expect it to be quiet. it usually isn't. i've used plates at big studios all over LA and they usually have hum, hiss or both. no biggie. embrace it. hah.

[25ghosts]

Hi Peter,

I tried listening back for what you said about the warmth of Altiverbs EMT 140 compared to revolvers.


The way they are sampled are different. And both NOT very extensive.

I'm just finishing sampling my Fav. EMT - the 245.

Anyways - there are plenty of ways of sampling the EMTs. What McDSP or who ever sampled for them did, was bypass the "EQ" On the 245 there is the a few parameters you can tweak. Sounds like the AV people sampled the EMT with the "EQ" in (which ads lows and remove highs) - I dont know why you would wanna sample it that way however. I would always sample the gear "clean" and then take out the highs and add the lows with the conv... verb or an EQ... But I would always strive for a "clean" sampling of the gear. See - with the EMT 245 - the more you drive it the better it sounds when you sample it... If you leave in the EQ for warmth you cannot sample it as hot... cuz it will distort...

So - I like it "warm" too - and my presets in Revolver has been tweaked. So that is why I said that they sound a whole lot warmer than AV's --- going to the ORG preset of the EMT sounds thinner than that of AV's - but it sounds exactly like the EMT with NO EQ.. Most folks I've heard of have an EQ after the output of the EMT to make it sound Warmer and to be able to control it's tone...

Actually - without the EQ - the thing dont sound warm at all... Anyway - Maybe we should start a new thread - actually comparing Convolution reverbs... I find those very fascinating but they are still in baby shoes and there could be done a whole lot more....

My samplings of the EMT 245 are making me drool already... Took about 14 hours to sample the damn thing but - now I have about 95% of every possible setting of it... EMTs are great sounding gear - IMO.


PS - Try listening for the stereo image of Altiverb. It is very smeared and does not conform to mono very well. R's is amazing.

[Craig F]

fyi- if the original electronics are beyond repair Martin Sound makes a Solid State replacement w/ quad pickup that is nice (no original tube but nice)

[Tom Smith]

I work at one of the alphabet networks facilities and last year we got rid of an EMT 140 for the price of coming and hauling it away!

[Craig F]

I work at one of the alphabet networks facilities and last year we got rid of an EMT 140 for the price of coming and hauling it away!

well it's the same guys that dropped all there old RCA and other good old mics in the trash in the early eighties

[Tom Smith]

well it's the same guys that dropped all there old RCA and other good old mics in the trash in the early eighties

That be true... But some of them found a home. So I hear...