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09/26/2024
Perfect!
This is a high-quality and useful piece. Kit instructions were great and it went together quickly. I have it standing vertically in the center of the speaker shelf on my console with a 500-series Bluetooth module in it, and wired it into one of the master section tape inputs. It’s dead silent and works beautifully!
08/28/2024
Definitely worth it.
My favorite DIY preamp. Brilliant and clean sounding, one doesn't have to be professional sound engineer to note the sound quality of this preamp. I am a beginner when it comes to building DIY stuff, still managed to build it and really happy I made the decision of purchasing this
07/17/2024
Very flexible limiter/compressor
I've been using my CP1176 for about 6 months now, on two to three sessions a week. After getting to know it well, I can tell you all with confidence that it is a great limiter & compressor, I thoroughly recommend it. It really does grab the attack at the quoted 20us while remaining transparent. A friend has lent me his unit and I've been using the two on my front end: the first set as a traditional limiter (super fast attack and fast release) with input (threshold) set to just catch the peaks, and the second as a compressor, with say 5ms or more attack time and slower release. This is an awesome combo and is giving a lot of clarity to my mixes. I've used it on vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar amps, bass (both DI and amps) and piano (no drums yet). Perfectly useable on all these sources.
Things I like:
1. Attack time 20us to 20ms. This varies from the "real" 1176 spec, whose slowest attack time is 800us (0.8ms). Having this longer attack time allows you to use it as a compressor and preserve some transient attack. This is a very worthwhile change to spec.
2. High Pass Filter. I use this nearly always on bass, it is a great feature.
3. Very accurate gain reduction metering. The 1db LED steps are great for dialling in the right amount of GR.
To the designer: Wishlist:
-switchable HPF of 80Hz and say 160Hz.
-Get rid of the DIST feature - I've never found a reason to use it. Perhaps replace it with a LPF at say 200 or 250Hz?
-External sidechain access (I understand 500 format makes this hard)
-a stepped pot version for those intending to build units for stereo use. I've used them in stereo and wasn't convinced my level calibration was correct.
-re-label the OFF switch to ON!!!
Keep up the good work Sound Skulptor, this is a great piece of equipment. I'm amazed at the pcb design and how you've managed to get so much circuitry in a 500 format unit.
06/19/2024
Very clean sounding
I built a pair of SK99s to try against the 990C+ amps I had. They hold their own with no problems. Almost indistinguishable, but I can't really tell which I like more. The price difference is a tie breaker.
06/12/2024
All of the above
I can just wholeheartedly confirm what everybody else is saying. This is another top-quality product in every way: sound, looks, feel, documentation, support, ease of build, parts quality, PCB quality. etc. at an unbelievable price. I've built many kits from many vendors at this point. Sometimes, some are as good as Sound Skulptor kits, but none are better.
06/12/2024
Another slam dunk
I'm on an ongoing quest to build 500 series gear from as many DIY kit vendors as I can. There are significant differences among them: the quality of the components and PCBs, the sound of the products, the documentation, the ruggedness, the design, the support. Sound Skulptor keeps floating to the top as the one that's delivering the goods on all fronts, and I keep circling back to them for that reason.
The MP-566 is no exception. It is a proper tube pre with great tube tone. Tastefully designed, easy to build, feature-packed. I expected it to be a niche-sound, but it can deliver a ton of gain, and it now sits up there with the best of my pres, some of which are pre-built units that cost five times as much. I would give six stars if I could.
05/15/2024
Magical
I have built a pair and tested it for about 6 months now. The product is simply amazing and the sound is incredible. Used on OH, vocals bass and electric guitar. It beats all competition.
04/11/2024
Smooth and easy.
Well I could play with this unit shaping the sounds the whole day (and night!) You have an idea? Then simply dial the time factors, adjust the threshold and this is it. Always smooth and musical results no matter if seek to raise the room behind, punch the transients, glue the mix, define something, find a new groove... I love it!
03/23/2024
Excelle au moins pour la basse
Comme tous les kits de Sound Skulptor que j'ai réalisés, la qualité de ce kit est extra, vraiment sans défaut, solide, précis et "self-content" (pas besoin d'aller chercher des infos dans un forum pour le finir).
Une fois branché le résultat sonore est lui aussi excellent, pour une recherche de transparence en optimisant le rapport signal/bruit. Mon utilisation est de préamplifier mon son de basse. Donc mon avis ne vaut que pour cet instrument (et ce n'est que mon avis). J'ai plusieurs basses de qualité et ce préampli en extrait la quintessence. Mais aussi bon soit l'AOP discret SK99 de Sound Skulptor la sonorité de ce préampli s'est encore améliorée en remplaçant le SK99 par un ROGUE-5 (j'ai aussi essayé d'autres AOP discrets), au point d'en faire mon favori en comparaison de ceux des préamplis haut de gamme du marché que j'ai acquis et essayés (Shadow Hills Mono Gamma, LaChapell 583e, Neve Portico 511, Neve 517, Alternate Sounding MP2, Bolling Design Rafal, Phoenix Audio DRS-1R, Stam 312-5T, A-Designs P1, Sonic Farm Silkworm, Hairball Bronze et pour la marque Sound Skulptor MP566 et DI503J). Bien sur les fans de crunch à la basse pourront préférer un autre de ceux-ci, en particulier les modèles à tube ou le DRS-1R. Et bien sur chacun des préamplis nommés ci-dessus sont bien plus qualitatifs que tous les préamplis des têtes de basse (qui cependant peuvent souvent "suffire"). Mais en son clair pour faire ressortir le growl d'une bonne Precision sans ajouter de crunch ou le cachet d'un autre modèle, le MP599/Rogue-5 excelle (le Sonic Farm Silkworm s'en approche toutefois). J'ai un petit faible aussi pour le A-Designs P1 afin de faire ressortir la qualité du medium-aigu du son d'une contrebasse.
03/17/2024
Love this !!
Am not a professional sound engineer, I have a few 500 series preamps for my hobby recording like Lola mic pres, DIYRE CP5, Camden500 and JLM. This is by far my favourite preamp, thanks sound Skulptor. I have my eyes on a few more. Will definitely buy more in future.