ART 1500 Digital Delay
-
- KVRer
- 4 posts since 22 Nov, 2006
Does anyone have information about this piece of gear? It's an old rackmount unit made in the 80s. I'm just looking to see if anyone knows about it or if anyone can get me some detailed specs, controls & functionalities on this unit.
-
- KVRAF
- 6937 posts since 4 Jun, 2004 from Utrecht, Holland
"Vintage" doesn't always mean you gotta have it. Don't expect any miracles. In those times digital delays were supposedly better sounding than analog ones (using bucket brigade chips) but eventually the analogs have the sound we now seek for. These are quite boring units. I'd pay maybe $20 for one that still works well. You can get better modern stuff anyway.It's an old rackmount unit made in the 80s.
Now the guessing starts: probably has a max delay time of 1.5 secs (since model number is 1500.) Controls would be typically delay time, feedback and mix ratio. AD/DA converters could be 12 or 14bits @ 32kHz. The unit could even be mono... If you're lucky it has a hold function (infinite repeat)
My MusicCalc is temporary offline.
We are the KVR collective. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
We are the KVR collective. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
-
Chuck E. Jesus Chuck E. Jesus https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=108246
- R.I.P.
- 7301 posts since 23 May, 2006 from in between a cornfield and a river
old rack digital delays, if they have the voltage control for delay, are instruments unto themselves...
a quick google: are you sure you don't mean MXR 1500?
a quick google: are you sure you don't mean MXR 1500?
-
- KVRAF
- 6937 posts since 4 Jun, 2004 from Utrecht, Holland
Possibly they are one and the same:
There's no delay that fits '1500' on their list of Discontinued products, but that doesn't say much:
Happy researching!!
So maybe they took the blueprints of the MXR 1500 and branded it the ART 1500Art Historian wrote:Applied Research and Technology began producing professional audio signal processing equipment in 1984.
Former employees of the original MXR Innovations created ART, which has become one of the world's largest signal processing manufacturers. ART engineers have been developing products for the music industry for nearly 30 years. Cool items like the original MXR Phase 90, the original MXR Flanger (the Eddie Van Halen sound) and the MXR 175 Rackmount Delay (the one guitar virtuoso Eric Johnson uses) were created by an ART Engineer!
There's no delay that fits '1500' on their list of Discontinued products, but that doesn't say much:
You'll find an email address on the page I just linked to...Art wrote:If you are searching for a product that does not appear in this section contact us
Happy researching!!
My MusicCalc is temporary offline.
We are the KVR collective. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
We are the KVR collective. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
-
- KVRAF
- 6937 posts since 4 Jun, 2004 from Utrecht, Holland
It's confirmed, one and the same unit:
The 1500 was one of MXR's last products. A couple MXR guys started ART and they produced the unit as one of ART's first. My own has both names on it, but my first was just MXR. in the late 80s I saw one with different graphics but identical controls, obviously a face lift, from ART.
Very easy to use. Completely self-explanatory except you should know that to get the very shortest delay range, it is necessary to depress two range buttons simultaneously. This isn't a snap if you're in a hurry, and is my only complaint about the unit. It would be nice to have an input level control, but for my use that's not essential. As I recall, the manual was a little pamphlet.
It is dead quiet and the sound is super clean. [...] When it came out about 1985, it was the first long digital delay (1.5 seconds) with true full bandwidth. I believe the spec was given as 20 Hz-20 kHz. No, it's not "warm", but it gives a terrific scalp-peeling flange for a digital.
Anyway, the 1500 has a repeat hold on it that can infinately repeat your delay signal when you hit the button or stomp an optional footswitch. There's also a flange and doubler mode. There is no manual for this - as I've said they're getting harder and harder to come by, so if you see one snag it.
My MusicCalc is temporary offline.
We are the KVR collective. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
We are the KVR collective. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
-
Chuck E. Jesus Chuck E. Jesus https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=108246
- R.I.P.
- 7301 posts since 23 May, 2006 from in between a cornfield and a river
there you go...i couldn't remember if i saw one of those or not, if i did it was only once (the art one), i suspect they were pretty rare..seen a million of their digi multi fx though...
i have an Effectron, and using the VC with analog control (like a midi>cv box), you can do all kinds of tricks...
i have an Effectron, and using the VC with analog control (like a midi>cv box), you can do all kinds of tricks...
-
- KVRAF
- 7045 posts since 28 Apr, 2004 from france
a lot of people swear only with "vintage analogue" and don't like early digital, and indeed some digital delays are just useless : boring sound, boring interfaces...
But be sure to check the samplerate of that one : early digital delays (8 to 12 bit) had a very nice sound degradation at high feedback rates, in a very different way than the analogue ones, and it can be really great on some audio material.
So i'd say : avoid if you're after clean and accurate, buy if it is dirt cheap and want some lofi goodness !
But be sure to check the samplerate of that one : early digital delays (8 to 12 bit) had a very nice sound degradation at high feedback rates, in a very different way than the analogue ones, and it can be really great on some audio material.
So i'd say : avoid if you're after clean and accurate, buy if it is dirt cheap and want some lofi goodness !