Just purchased a Neotek Elite

[Roland Matters]

Hi All from a new member.

I've recently purchased Neotek Elite from Sphere Recording Consoles.
I'm still waiting for it to be shipped from the U.S. to Melbourne, Australia.

In the meantime I have a few questions...

On each fader panel there is a "VCA BYPASS" button.
I was told the console didn't have VCA automation but this would suggest otherwise?
Also does anyone recognise this particular Elite? (See attached photos)

I believe it is an early 1990's model with 32 channels plus 8 stereo modules and patchbays.

Regards R.

[Ike Zimbel]

Hi Roland,
Welcome aboard! That's a nice looking desk. I haven't run across
that VCA button before so I can't say what it's about. What does the
seller have to say about it?
Best,
Ike

--
Ike Zimbel,
Zimbel Audio Productions
Toronto
416-720-0887

"Studio House Calls". Repairs and upgrades to analog audio equipment including: AMEK, dbx, Neve, Neotek, MCI, Soundcraft and more. Authorized Warranty service for Allen & Heath, Clear-Com, Drawmer, Soundcraft, SPL and Yamaha. RF frequency co-ordination services.
www.zimbelaudio.com

[Roland Matters]

Hello Ike,

I've asked the broker several times about the "VCA BYPASS" buttons but as yet he hasn't come back to me with an answer hence my post here.
I purchase the console just prior to Christmas so, understandably, there was not much correspondence occurring over the Christmas break.

I've also asked for the console's serial number so I can hopefully obtain some info about it from Mike Stoica at Sytek.

Do you know what the differences are between an Elite and Elite II?

I've read the Mike Stoica says the Elite II had lower noise Toshiba transistors in the micpre's and better grounding.
He apparently also says the channel modules from the two versions are not interchangeable?

I am looking to buy a couple of S/H Elite (version 1) channel strips for backup spares so want to make sure I don't get caught buying the wrong ones.

Cheers

[Robert Stevens]

Roland, did you ever figure out what the VCA stuff is on this console?

[Roland Matters]

Hi Robert,

Although I believe it doesn't have VCA's I can't say for certain because after almost six months the desk still hasn't left Canada.
I paid the broker, Duncan Rowe of Sphere Recording Consoles, $17,500 USD in December last year and the console is has only now just been crated.
I'm still waiting for the broker to get back to me with the shipping info.
Rest assured, I'll be having plenty more to say about Duncan Rowe when this is finally over.

R.

[Eddie Rivas]

Just the other day he (Duncan) was asking for schematics for an API console...this coming from a guy who wanted to charge my friend extra for manuals that were supposed to come with a console he purchased from him. SMH

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[Roland Matters]

Hello again Robert,

The console is finally here after I paid to have it airfreighted from Canada.
I've pulled out all the channel strips and faders.
As it turns out it is a VCA console fitted with DBX2150A VCA's.

Will have more to add later.

R.

[Robert Stevens]

My Elite console arrived last week and is also fitted with some sort of VCA automation.  No idea what it is or how it works.  That will probably one of the last things I try to figure out.

[Eric Ambel]

Uptown perhaps?

[Eric Ambel]

Megamix!!

How's that for a blast from the past ?

Sent from my new big iPhone

[Bowen Dixon]

Still have a diskmix manual, not sure why.


Sent from my R2 unit

[Robert Stevens]

My VCA chips are a Valley People EGG101.  What does that tell me?  Sorry if that is a dumb question.  Not sure if there is some other brand name that uses their chips, of if it means the console has a Valley People VCA system.

[Matt Syson]

Hi
Many people used the Valley people EGC101, which is a small block with a number of well matched transistors inside. It says virtually nothing about the rest of the system as they are simply 1 component.
Matt S

On 26/11/2015 18:46, Robert Stevens wrote:

My VCA chips are a Valley People EGG101.  What does that tell me?  Sorry if that is a dumb question.  Not sure if there is some other brand name that uses their chips, of if it means the console has a Valley People VCA system.

[Christopher Rival]

Hi,

I've got an old Elite that came fitted with Audio Kinetics automation.  It also has Valley People vcas.  I removed the automation, as the console sounds better without running through the vcas. I still have all of the Audio Kinetics stuff if anybody is ever in need of it. 

Chris R

[Robert Stevens]

Thanks Chris, 

It is Audio Kinetics.  I just did not see that it was screen printed on the fader face plates.

I suspect that I did not get some parts as there is a long cable inside the console hooked up too a card that says AK on it.  The cable has what looks like a 12 pin connector that most likely goes to some sort of controller/computer. I also have a power supply that supplies 5v.  I think it connects to that same card.

Anyway, if you could tell me what that long cable goes to, that would be helpful.  I may want to buy whatever that is from you sometime in the near future.  I plan on mixing analog tape and the VCA fader automation would be very useful to me.  

Thanks!

[Roland Matters]

Hi Chris,

I assume your faders must be linear law faders if they were controlling the VCA's?
They won't have the correct taper if they are not using the VCA's.

We have a similar problem.

When I first enquired about our Elite I checked with the broker, Duncan Rowe who told me the console I was considering purchasing was NOT a VCA console.

We didn't want VCA's as we are doing any automation in the DAW, added to that we wanted to keep the signal path clean and free of VCA's.

Rowe's claim it wasn't a VCA console was a major consideration in the purchase decision.

The console finally arrived and it fitted with DBX 2150's!

So add that to list.

Rowe also told me the console came with P&G faders.
Uh no! They were the orginal ALP's carbon faders.

R.

Oh yeah, and he still owes me a $1600 freight refund!