Recording - April 2018 - 72

SNEAK PREVIEW

CompleteYour
Vintage Studio

With Vintage Cables
BY MIKE METLAY WITH WALTER STITES
resta has entered the analog hardware business
with Pure Vintage Cable, a new offering specifically aimed at engineers obsessed with vintage gear.
Presta representative Walter Stites explains:
"You've spent a lot of coin on a rare vintage mic and
a rare vintage preamp. Why would you connect them
with a brand-new mass-produced mic cable? Keep
your signal chain all-vintage with cables that have
some 'experience', too!"

"Recently, an old storeroom was uncovered during the
demolition of one of Hollywood's most revered recording
studios, and workers discovered there a repository of
long-retired cables. Veterans of sessions at the famed studio
were surprised that these cables still existed, and soon
realized these were certainly the cables used on many of the
greatest recordings of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. They
contributed to the sought-after sounds of recording's Golden
Age. Realizing their historical importance, Presta immediately
acquired the entire bin, and can now offer these vintage
cables to discerning audio professionals.
"While there were many types of cables in the bin, Presta
elected to separate out and sell the microphone cables first,
aimed at the pro audio market. Pure Vintage guitar cables
will be offered for release later this year for the collector
market, once Presta has finished evaluating additional
recent finds from repositories behind famed studios and music
stores in Nashville. We also hope to offer Pure Vintage power cables from this and other collections to the audiophile
market by April 2019."
"Note that we have not tampered with, refurbished, or
modified these rare gems in any way-they are exactly as
they were used on countless hit records, with unavoidable
aging, of course. All cables we sell have been tested to
pass at least some signal, and their vintage 'funkiness'
is guaranteed."
"Here are a few of the benefits of using vintage
m i c r o phone ca ble, made with old-school materials
and processes:
* Oxygen-rich copper improves the ability of the signal to
"breathe," especially in the 20 kHz "air band" (with a tip of
our hat to the folks at Mäag Audio)
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RECORDING April 2018

* The larger, coarser grain structure of the copper means
the signal must traverse fewer junctions between grains,
leading to less degradation.
* Each copper strand was rolled with a slightly irregular
surface. Scientists don't agree on how or whether that affects
anything, but just listen to those old recordings!
* All vintage cables are guaranteed to have some
discontinuous copper strands, lending an "openness" to the sound.
* Jackets were made of natural rubber instead of cheap
plastics. Rubber lends a natural bounce to dynamics.
* Eaten-Thru™ portions of the jacket allow ready inspection of
the functional parts of the cable, and lend a vintage "vibe"
that's sure to make a lasting impression on clients.
* Relic-Quality™ connectors are great for lo-fi and grunge
sounds, and for use on loud instruments where a pad would
otherwise be needed.
"These cables have already elicited strong reactions from the
pro audio community. Famed engineer and audio guru George
Massenburg was heard to rave: 'What the hell am I listening to?' "
"For years, customers have been simulating these cables
with Presta's WireX plug-in [reviewed April 2001-Ed.], but
some utter purists have complained that our vintage-wire
modeling doesn't quite match the real sound of old cables. For
those users, Pure Vintage Cable offers that special sound that's
unmatched by brand-new gear anywhere."
Pure Vintage: These Cables Are History™!

PRICES: start at $99.99/ft.
MORE FROM: Presta, presta-digitation.com

http://www.presta-digitation.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - April 2018