RoxDon equipment?

[Arpangel]

Just heard of it, looks like they’ve got some interesting things at reasonable prices, spring reverb, delay, EQ etc, just wondering if anyone has used, or has any opinions on their stuff?

https://www.roxdon.com/roxdon_pro_audio.htm

[Sam Spoons]

Scrolling down that page it all looks reasonable until you come to the 'Professional' mixing desks which are 'Behringer' priced...

[Arpangel]

Scrolling down that page it all looks reasonable until you come to the 'Professional' mixing desks which are 'Behringer' priced...

Yes, it's all quite strange, but they do have some interesting outboard and utillity boxes, plus, loads of tape accessories if you’re into analogue.
That interface got me at £59!

[Martin Walker]

Scrolling down that page it all looks reasonable until you come to the 'Professional' mixing desks which are 'Behringer' priced...

Yes, I got a shock when I reached that part of their website - mojo transformers in boxes for £195, 2-channel tube preamps for £295... Intriguing!

But then a 16-channel mic/line mixing desk with 3-band EQ on every channel, plus 7-band master eq and built in DSP effects for £349???

Does not compute!

[James Perrett]

If they're selling tube preamps then they're definitely not British!

I know that you can buy Chinese gear in vintage looking cases nowadays so I'd guess they're just rebranding standard cheap Chinese gear.

[Drew Stephenson]

The microphones certainly look to be rebadges of standard chinese-made units. Not that there's anything wrong with that of course as long as you understand what you're buying.
It only seems to be some of the rack and transformer units that they're advertising as being made in Britain. I note that the tube pre-amp says 'part hand built in Great Britain'.
Label me cynical, but I think that word might be doing some heavy lifting.

[resistorman]

Even Moog in Asheville used circuit boards made in China before acquisition. Now they're coming from Taiwan.
https://www.musicradar.com/music-tech/t ... -labyrinth

[Arpangel]

The trouble is people always want cheap, pay cheap, you get cheap, there are always compromises.
Ask people to pay more for a hand built home-made product, it's just not going to happen, and the Behringer's of this world have changed things for ever.
This craving for cheaper and cheaper has had many far reaching consequences, that a lot of us regret now.

[Wonks]

note that the tube pre-amp says 'part hand built in Great Britain'.
Label me cynical, but I think that word might be doing some heavy lifting.

I expect they do something like fit the valve, which may be shipped separately.

The 6N8P is a dual triode valve.

It was designed to have both triodes used to form a preamp circuit, and seems to be a common preamp valve in the many Chinese all valve hi-fi amps available, using one per channel.

They do say ‘fitted with a 6N8P valve’ in the spec, so unless that’s a typo, you’re only getting one valve triode per channel in the mic preamp.

[Arpangel]

note that the tube pre-amp says 'part hand built in Great Britain'.
Label me cynical, but I think that word might be doing some heavy lifting.

I expect they do something like fit the valve, which may be shipped separately.

The 6N8P is a dual triode valve.

It was designed to have both triodes used to form a preamp circuit, and seems to be a common preamp valve in the many Chinese all valve hi-fi amps available, using one per channel.

They do say ‘fitted with a 6N8P valve’ in the spec, so unless that’s a typo, you’re only getting one valve triode per channel in the mic preamp.

So, Wonks, does all that mean it’s good?

[Wonks]

There's no manual, and reading the description again it looks like there are only line input level 1/4" jack inputs and outputs (no mention if balanced or unbalanced).

So rather than a mic preamp, it looks to be meant for sending a strong line-level signal into to drive the valve, and what I thought was a gain control seems to be an output attenuator.

So maybe a master bus harmonics device.

But it's certainly not something I'd ever be interested in, not even with a full description and a manual available.

[Drew Stephenson]

Yep, my assumption was that it was more of a 'colour box' than a mic pre.
If I had more splash cash I'd actually be tempted to buy a couple of the boxes (and that 16 channel mixer) to take them apart and see what's inside.

[Wonks]

Definitely not a mic preamp, but to someone into recording, the name does rather suggest it.

[Arpangel]

There's no manual, and reading the description again it looks like there are only line input level 1/4" jack inputs and outputs (no mention if balanced or unbalanced).

So rather than a mic preamp, it looks to be meant for sending a strong line-level signal into to drive the valve, and what I thought was a gain control seems to be an output attenuator.

So maybe a master bus harmonics device.

But it's certainly not something I'd ever be interested in, not even with a full description and a manual available.

Thanks, I'd be interested in putting a keyboard through it, so the levels may be OK, but saying that I can do that already with my TLA valve compressor, with the comp switched out! it has that desired valve "whateveritis"

[Wonks]

But the TLA would be far better at the job.

With no input gain control on the RoxDon, you’d need a pretty high level line input driving it, and most keyboard outputs are pretty mild. Of course it could have a significant amount of gain built-in to ensure distortion, but that would be rather limiting.

Again, the lack of proper details or a manual make it almost unsaleable.