Looking at replacing my valley 401.anyone using this Aphex 230 unit and how does it perform for you..price point seem fair..any input would be appreciated..thanks
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APHEX 230 MASTER VOICE CHANNEL PROCESSOR
- Thread starter oldiesstation
- Start date
> Looking at replacing my valley 401.anyone using this Aphex
> 230 unit and how does it perform for you..price point seem
> fair..any input would be appreciated..thanks
Avoid it. I had one for a week and sent it back. Cheap build with thin plastic knobs that didn't feel solid. Moreover it didn't deliver on the marketing hype. Used with a Neumann TLM 103 and Sennheiser 416. No matter the settings it delivered a clipped, muddy, overly processed sound. Clients protested the change. Don't make the mistake.
> 230 unit and how does it perform for you..price point seem
> fair..any input would be appreciated..thanks
Avoid it. I had one for a week and sent it back. Cheap build with thin plastic knobs that didn't feel solid. Moreover it didn't deliver on the marketing hype. Used with a Neumann TLM 103 and Sennheiser 416. No matter the settings it delivered a clipped, muddy, overly processed sound. Clients protested the change. Don't make the mistake.
Jeesh Brian how do you really feel?
Yeah...he's right. It had two settings..none, and too much. With a month of tweaking and fine-tuning it sounded "just okay" at best and the audio purist engineering types liked the "clean un-processed sound"...so much so that I pulled it completely out of the mic chain one day and those dorky TV audio guys said that the Aphex 230 was the best they ever heard..Nice and flat..dull, and lifeless. The build quality wasn't THAT bad, but really plastic. Here's a hint. When you call your audio guy to order one..and they don't have any "new" ones, but SIX "B" stock units (read as: returned by Brian, Jeff and four other dissapointed cutomers) that they can send right out for 100 bucks less..steer clear of them.
When I first put in the rack clients wanted to know "what happened to the sound?" The major issue is..as I have stated before..the compressor is BEFORE the gate. Stupid design from a voiceover's standpoint. You use the gate to reduce room noise..CPU noise..Air conditioner noise..BUT if the compressor is before the noise gate..it brings up the volume during soft passages and increases the backround noise right? SO why put it before the gate? Don't know..
That expensive beyond belief Omnia "Tool Vox" is another hype box that you can ONLY control via a serial port on a computer..and is loaded with problems..and doesn;t really seem to do anything..(like the 230)
There are only a handfull of processors out here that are designed (IMHO) properly for speaking voice. I can't sell you my weird home brew mish-mosh of Valley DynaMites and UREI Preamps..but the best stand alone processor for my money is the AirCorp 500PH..or the 500TV. (The TV model has more control over the release time, and easier phase reversal via a front panel switch) Also Focusrite makes a couple of units that have the expander/gate/compressor in the proper order..but I have been told that they overheat, and have power supply issues. The Valley 400 is also designed in this way, but the ones I have don't have 48v phantom..if they do, can someone tell me how to make them work with the XLR connector?
jl
Yeah...he's right. It had two settings..none, and too much. With a month of tweaking and fine-tuning it sounded "just okay" at best and the audio purist engineering types liked the "clean un-processed sound"...so much so that I pulled it completely out of the mic chain one day and those dorky TV audio guys said that the Aphex 230 was the best they ever heard..Nice and flat..dull, and lifeless. The build quality wasn't THAT bad, but really plastic. Here's a hint. When you call your audio guy to order one..and they don't have any "new" ones, but SIX "B" stock units (read as: returned by Brian, Jeff and four other dissapointed cutomers) that they can send right out for 100 bucks less..steer clear of them.
When I first put in the rack clients wanted to know "what happened to the sound?" The major issue is..as I have stated before..the compressor is BEFORE the gate. Stupid design from a voiceover's standpoint. You use the gate to reduce room noise..CPU noise..Air conditioner noise..BUT if the compressor is before the noise gate..it brings up the volume during soft passages and increases the backround noise right? SO why put it before the gate? Don't know..
That expensive beyond belief Omnia "Tool Vox" is another hype box that you can ONLY control via a serial port on a computer..and is loaded with problems..and doesn;t really seem to do anything..(like the 230)
There are only a handfull of processors out here that are designed (IMHO) properly for speaking voice. I can't sell you my weird home brew mish-mosh of Valley DynaMites and UREI Preamps..but the best stand alone processor for my money is the AirCorp 500PH..or the 500TV. (The TV model has more control over the release time, and easier phase reversal via a front panel switch) Also Focusrite makes a couple of units that have the expander/gate/compressor in the proper order..but I have been told that they overheat, and have power supply issues. The Valley 400 is also designed in this way, but the ones I have don't have 48v phantom..if they do, can someone tell me how to make them work with the XLR connector?
jl
> > Looking at replacing my valley 401.anyone using this
> Aphex
> > 230 unit and how does it perform for you..price point seem
>
> > fair..any input would be appreciated..thanks
>
> Avoid it. I had one for a week and sent it back. Cheap build
> with thin plastic knobs that didn't feel solid. Moreover it
> didn't deliver on the marketing hype. Used with a Neumann
> TLM 103 and Sennheiser 416. No matter the settings it
> delivered a clipped, muddy, overly processed sound. Clients
> protested the change. Don't make the mistake.
>
Agreed...
> Aphex
> > 230 unit and how does it perform for you..price point seem
>
> > fair..any input would be appreciated..thanks
>
> Avoid it. I had one for a week and sent it back. Cheap build
> with thin plastic knobs that didn't feel solid. Moreover it
> didn't deliver on the marketing hype. Used with a Neumann
> TLM 103 and Sennheiser 416. No matter the settings it
> delivered a clipped, muddy, overly processed sound. Clients
> protested the change. Don't make the mistake.
>
Agreed...
B
bigwoody
Guest
> The Valley 400 is also
> designed in this way, but the ones I have don't have 48v
> phantom..if they do, can someone tell me how to make them
> work with the XLR connector?
Hi Jeff!
I have a Valley 400, that I actually got for free in a "fire sale" at work. My former engineer at CC Raleigh made me a 48 volt power supply that connects to the unit. There are white and red insert points on the back of the unit. That's where I plug in the two inerts.
I have a question for you regarding the Valley. I'm having issues with over driving the unit. I'm using the 416, which seems to have a high output. I'm going directly to the 400, then to a Mackie 1402, bypassing the Mackie pre-amp with a 1/4 inch.
Even when I have the Valley gain at 9 oclock, which doesn't really drive the compressor too much, it still seems to have the Output too hot on the Valley.
I like the Valley and would like to use it more. Instead I'm using the older Symetrix 528, which is a pretty good box itself.
Thanks!
Chuck<P ID="signature">______________
Everyone is entitled to my opinion.</P>
> designed in this way, but the ones I have don't have 48v
> phantom..if they do, can someone tell me how to make them
> work with the XLR connector?
Hi Jeff!
I have a Valley 400, that I actually got for free in a "fire sale" at work. My former engineer at CC Raleigh made me a 48 volt power supply that connects to the unit. There are white and red insert points on the back of the unit. That's where I plug in the two inerts.
I have a question for you regarding the Valley. I'm having issues with over driving the unit. I'm using the 416, which seems to have a high output. I'm going directly to the 400, then to a Mackie 1402, bypassing the Mackie pre-amp with a 1/4 inch.
Even when I have the Valley gain at 9 oclock, which doesn't really drive the compressor too much, it still seems to have the Output too hot on the Valley.
I like the Valley and would like to use it more. Instead I'm using the older Symetrix 528, which is a pretty good box itself.
Thanks!
Chuck<P ID="signature">______________
Everyone is entitled to my opinion.</P>
B
busterboy
Guest
I just had to go back to my symetrix 528e to A/B these two boxes. Overall, the Aphex 230 sounded much better with a Neumann BCM104 microphone. And when I tried both boxes with a shure beta 58a, the aphex delivered great sound hands down. When demonstrated at the NAB last April, Don Werrbach said to begin your initial setup with MINIMAL settings and then gradually tweak them upward. I have noticed some breath clipping if you turn the depth up too high, but it is adjustable. The line level out is very hot. Had to turn the trim on the mackie 1402 all the way down. This unit can deliver a very clean sound. I have received some nice compliments since installing it in my setup. I'm also using it with a BBE Maxcom dual compressor. And if I really need an expander, I'll tie it in to the line input on the symetrix and that'll get you some real processed sound.
J
Jimprewitt1954
Guest
> Looking at replacing my valley 401.anyone using this Aphex
> 230 unit and how does it perform for you..price point seem
> fair..any input would be appreciated..thanks
Care to sell the 401 to me?
>
<P ID="signature">______________
Lead, follow or get out of the way...
And remember, the early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
</P>
> 230 unit and how does it perform for you..price point seem
> fair..any input would be appreciated..thanks
Care to sell the 401 to me?
>
<P ID="signature">______________
Lead, follow or get out of the way...
And remember, the early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
</P>
Catfish..I have a Valley 400 I can sell you. e-mail me [email protected]
jl
jl
Yeeesh..Busterboy can you post a sample of that..I am really curious..and would be glad to have you upload it one one of our servers so we can all give it a listen.
upload here:
www.spotshuttle.com/upload.html
Browse for your audio file, and click upload..
I really appreciate that..
jl
upload here:
www.spotshuttle.com/upload.html
Browse for your audio file, and click upload..
I really appreciate that..
jl
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