It's true ~ sage ELECTRONICS® has developed a discrete component, plug-in replacement for the MCI 2001 IC opamp as used throughout MCI 400 series consoles.

"WOW, they sound exactly as described thick, silky, and just plain better. Buy them, sell whatever you have to. Feet, toes, teeth. it does not matter."

Charles Austin, Austin Music Studios

More user comments

We would like to preface the following basic info about these opamps by telling you how much we love MCI 400 series consoles.

What we've always cherished about our beloved JH-416 is its sound of big iron and its elegant simplicity.

These qualities remain unchanged with the installation of our SE DOT5™ discrete opamps.

What HAS changed ... is everything else.

Although there is little doubt that the slow grittiness of MCI 2001 and 2003 opamps have a certain charm for rock and roll I have long felt that these ICs limit the sonic possibilities of these consoles and so I designed two different discrete opamps to bring out the full potential of these great boards. One (the RED opamp) running pure class A - and the other (the BLUE opamp) running class AB.

Upgrading with these RED and / or BLUE SE-DOT5s moves the sound of these consoles directly into the company of desks such as api, Spectra Sonics, Sphere and Quad-Eight.

Although not necessary - every MCI 2001 or 2003 opamp in any stock 400 series console can be replaced with the RED (running pure class A) or the BLUE (running class B) SE-DOT5 opamp specifically as below.

channel strip (total of 7 opamp replacements / channel strip)

• the RED pure class A opamp replaces the four 2001s in the mic preamp, fader buffer, hi/lo eq and mid eq positions
• the BLUE class AB opamp features a robust output stage and is used to replace the three 2001s in the channel summing amp, monitor inverter and pan buffer positions due to their heavier current-driving requirements

master section (total of 4 or 8 opamp replacements - depending on whether you mix in stereo or quad)

If you are using your console for stereo mixing only (ie: left and right front - vs. quad mixing with left and right front and back) you will only require

• two RED class A opamps to replace each of the front left and right summing amps and
• two BLUE class AB opamps to replace each of the front left and right post fader output stages

If you mix in quad you will require;

• four RED class A opamps for the pre-fader summing amps and
• four BLUE class AB opamps for the post fader output stage

A good initial replacement strategy might include a total of 20 SEDOT5s (10 RED and 10 BLUE) to allow replacement of all 2001s in

• two channel strips (total of 8 RED + 6 BLUE)
• the master section (front left and right only ~ for stereo mixers) (total of 2 RED + 2 BLUE) - and
• the left and right front output amps in the control room monitor strip (2 BLUE)

MCI JH416B block diagram colour coded to show RED and BLUE SE-DOT5™ opamp placement options

note: if you always monitor directly off the quad buses (ie: you don't use the control room monitor volume knob) then you can forego upgrading the control monitor output amps - however if you do use this section it's essential that you replace the 2001s here in order to appreciate the sonic upgrades earlier in the signal path)

This strategy will provide you with two excellent mic pres, two very useful eqs and an upgraded master section which will improve the sonics of all channels in your board ~ whether upgraded or not.

SE-DOT5 RED and BLUE opamps are painless to install. They run on the same +/- 24 Volts as the 2001s (and 2003s) and feature gold pins to match the premium gold contact octal sockets on the console circuit boards.

You don't have to add messy, instability-prone long legged DIP sockets, nor do you have to lower your PSU supply voltage as some other upgrade approaches demand.

I know many MCI 400 series owners will be intrigued by the sonic possibilities of these new discrete opamps - while some may worry about losing the mojo of the stock MCI 2001 signal path.

Luckily we can all have our cake and eat it too ... because now after 35+ years these quad buss consoles once again offer intriguing new possibilities. On our 416B, we have upgraded 16 channel strips plus front left and right master busses. We've left 8 channels with stock MCI 2001s in place as well as the rear left and right rear busses. Those handy little Front / Back knobs (assuming they're not rusted in place due to disuse) now give us choice to mix and match old and new circuit topologies to our heart's content.

each RED or BLUE SE-DOT5™ opamp sells for CDN $59.

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prices do not include applicable taxes, shipping or duties.