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More Jamerson Studio Gear Info

ddnidd1

ddnidd1

Mar 31, 2003
4,054
5,158
Southern California Coast
#1
This is an excerpt from another thread about a DI called the Motown DI which is a pedal. The link to the entire thread, which was mis-posted in DB is at the end of this post.



"James Simonson, post: 16528949, member: 109571"]In defensive of the Motown DI, let it be known that the engineers at Motown were lab rats. At the time, they prided themselves in the audio quality that they were getting compared to other studios. Ed Wolfrum, one key builder and engineer at Motown, (he's my neighbor.. lucky me) said that they tried and measured many different transformers to land on the one they liked the best. You are correct about the iron content, it does not exist anymore.

Now, years ago Ed and Al started a collection of these transformers, these were all put in boxes and they sold them to the best studios around the world for a good price. Because of the success, Al really started on a quest to get Cinemag? (I believe) to go back and forth on a proper replication of the original transformer. There's a Cinemag in the Reddi, but not this one.

So, in regards to marketing, this DI is the closest DI to what all the guys at Motown, including guitar players, were using. The box is built in Detroit, and all the research was done by the guys "in the know". Ed and Al are very committed to what these boxes represent so I believe calling this DI "the Motown DI" is very appropriate.

Nobodies saying that you will sound like Jamerson, Babbitt, or Dennis Coffey.

Ed has also shared with me the mods they did to Jamerson's "stock Precision". Ed measured the resistance from Jamo's bass and the transformer they ended up going with was a perfect match.

Jamerson and Ed were serious about getting a great bass sound. It didn't just happen. They really worked on it.

Also, there was no B15 at Motown. Everybody went direct. The B15 has the iron though so it IS a cool little amp. Live, Jamerson mostly used the Kustom tuck and roll deal. There WAS a Fairchild compressor at Motown but those guys hated it. They laugh about it. They complain about how slow it is, there's a million tubes and it's an unreliable piece of kit that people in Japan will pay top dollar for.

Jamo's bass didn't need compression. It went in flat, with strings that dead and high action, you wouldn't need it. The strings were big and dead. There was no mute.. Not on HIS bass. Jamerson was just trying to sound like Ray Brown with his portable electric upright bass (called the Fender Precision). Ed mixes bass loud and they just turned him up, rightly so, and there was not a thunderous kick drum to compete with.

Between Ed's desire for pure transparency and Al's desire for vintage character, you've got a solid powerful combination happening with this DI box.

Hanging with Ed Wolfrum is the best experience. He played me his private mixes for the "What's Going On" album. Jamerson was even louder! Ed pulled all the Los Angeles sweeting off of it. It's raw and fat.

Ed helped me build my own Motown DI... he also has an active model that's JFET based. It's a real Kung Fo box with about 6 components. Dead flat "wire with gain" as he calls it.

Al Sutton, is a badass too. Very opinionated and wouldn't be caught dead being called "a marketing fake" Al made "Devil Without a Cause" with Kid Rock and some other slamming records. Al doesn't just buy gear, he designs and builds stuff too. Al is no joke. He's done a lot of hard work to bring these boxes to the public. This is the correct box that was at Motown.



Do I sound like Jamerson? No I sound like me and I'm very happy with the DI box. Tony Levin likes his too."

http://www.talkbass.com/threads/motown-d-i.1109896/#post-16512369
 
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#2
Then there's the Gearslutz post that said that the Motown DI doesn't have the same transformer due to environmental concerns, and Ed Wolfrum left Acme and this DI was made without his knowledge or approval. Seems to be corroborated by Mr. Wolfrum, too. Which means it's definitely called the Motown DI as a marketing gimmick. Plus I already have a REDDI ;) so in all likelihood, I'll be sitting this one out.
 
#3
JimmyM said:
Then there's the Gearslutz post that said that the Motown DI doesn't have the same transformer due to environmental concerns, and Ed Wolfrum left Acme and this DI was made without his knowledge or approval. Seems to be corroborated by Mr. Wolfrum, too. Which means it's definitely called the Motown DI as a marketing gimmick. Plus I already have a REDDI ;) so in all likelihood, I'll be sitting this one out.
Click to expand...

Yes. I posted the Gearslutz excerpt in the Motown DI thread. This excerpt is also from that TB thread. I included a link to that entire thread when I started this thread.

However I was interested in the reference to the Original Motown DI with the original transformers built by Ed Wolfrum who essentially invented the DI, not the New and Improved 2nd version by Acme. They are two different pedals with similar names and circuits, but different transformers. Ed's were all made with the original - now unobtainable- transformers.

I'm not promoting either DI. I just thought there was some generally interesting information here about the studio, etc.

EDIT: I missed the last paragraph about Al Sutton. I didn't realize he was also with Acme.
 
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#4
ddnidd1 said:
Yes. I posted the Gearslutz excerpt in the Motown DI thread. This excerpt is also from that TB thread. I included a link to that entire thread when I started this thread.

However I was interested in the reference to the Original Motown DI with the original transformers built by Ed Wolfrum who essentially invented the DI, not the New and Improved 2nd version by Acme. They are two different pedals with similar names and circuits, but different transformers. Ed's were all made with the original - now unobtainable- transformers.

I'm not promoting either DI. I just thought there was some generally interesting information here about the studio, etc.

EDIT: I missed the last paragraph about Al Sutton. I didn't realize he was also with Acme.
Click to expand...

Great info thanks so much for sharing I've always been obsessed with the Motown studios work even more than the work at Abbey Road I haven't heard of the DI is there one that Al endorses? I'm looking for one.
 
#5
SirMjac28 said:
Great info thanks so much for sharing I've always been obsessed with the Motown studios work even more than the work at Abbey Road I haven't heard of the DI is there one that Al endorses? I'm looking for one.
Click to expand...

I would suggest reading the post that is linked at the top of this thread. There's a lot to wade through that doesn't pertain to your question, but much that does.

There are some concerns re: the DI that Al is currently selling at Acme. Ed Wolfrum was the original designer of the 'Wolfbox' at Acme. Ed was a hands on engineer at Motown among others. His DI (from Acme) used NOS transformers that are no longer allowed to be manufactured by the EPA. 50 were made with the NOS transformers before the supply was exhausted. These apparently are the sought after DI's.

Apparently the current DI - that Acme calls the 'Motown DI' - does not use the original transformers, since they no longer exist. And this is where the contention begins.

There's more to the story, but read through the thread that is linked and you will get a 'better' idea of what's going on.
 
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#6
ddnidd1 said:
I would suggest reading the post that is linked at the top of this thread. There's a lot to wade through that doesn't pertain to your question, but much that does.

There are some concerns re: the DI that Al is currently selling at Acme. Ed Wolfrum was the original designer of the 'Wolfbox' at Acme. Ed was a hands on engineer at Motown among others. His DI (from Acme) used NOS transformers that are no longer allowed to be manufactured by the EPA. 50 were made with the NOS transformers before the supply was exhausted. These apparently are the sought after DI's.

Apparently the current DI - that Acme calls the 'Motown DI' - does not use the original transformers, since they no longer exist. And this is where the contention begins.

There's more to the story, but read through the thread that is linked and you will get a 'better' idea of what's going on.
Click to expand...

I checked out that Motown DI it looks pretty cool I would only be a casual user so it looks better for my purposes than a Reddi which is more than I want spend.
 
#7
SirMjac28 said:
I checked out that Motown DI it looks pretty cool I would only be a casual user so it looks better for my purposes than a Reddi which is more than I want spend.
Click to expand...

Just be sure to read the post at the top of this page before you drop any money.

Also, definitely read this Gearslutz post. Its originally about an Acme compressor, but parts of it deal with the Motown DI and perceived issues.

Invalid Link Removed
 
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#9
I just posted this in the Motown D.I. thread over in the DB section, so I might as well do the same over here:

Al Sutton of Acme just responded to these allegations over on Gearslutz, here's what he said:

"As the owner of Acme Audio, I feel I must address mvmaltese's claims regarding
the Acme Audio Motown D.I., which are absolutely false. To begin with, there is no OSHA/EPA ban on Molybdenum in place that I can find any record of. You can check the EPA and OSHA web sites and find this out for yourself. Molybdenum is a readily available metal for purchase on the web. Secondly, this metal is not now - and was not ever - a factor in the original wolfbox's transformer sound and character. This fact comes directly from engineers of the manufacturer that made the original transformer and who also make the new Motown D.I. transformer. The new transformer is sonicly and mechanically identical to the original ones made in the 60's and 70's. The manufacturer would not sell a product that didn't meet their strict tolerances and engineering guidelines, and Acme Audio wouldn't claim it did or try to sell the product if it didn't either. As for Ed Wolfram, he left under his own accord during the two year long R&D phase and never even had a chance to see the final results or the work. He willingly chose to disassociate himself form the project that was almost to completion. His reasons are his own. So once again I'd like to state that mvmaltese's claims are without no truth and have no research to substantiate them."

Full disclosure: I have been both a close friend and professional collaborator of Al's for more than 25 years. I've talked at length on the phone with Al about the conjecture that is happening in at least three threads over the past few days on TB about the Motown D.I. Al is very concerned that the false comments made by mvmaltese on gearslutz will spread and otherwise throw undeserved shade on the release of his D.I. early next year. If you read the whole thread over at gearslutz, mvmaltese was actually shut down and told to give it a rest because he was posting rumor and talking smack without any true knowledge of the facts, basically he was trolling.

Al has invited me to his studio later this week to A/B the D.I. against some others and cut some sound files. If he's cool with it, I will post them up in a new thread over on the BG side of TB.
 
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#13
ddnidd1 said:
The referenced Motown DI is a pedal made by Acme.
Click to expand...

Hm. You keep using that word.

It is a direct input module (D.I.), not a pedal.

But I suppose if you buy one you can call it what you want. I just suggest you don't stomp on it like you would a pedal.

Edit: Also, it would have made more sense if you had posted this thread in the recording gear forum. Because, not only is the Motown D.I. not a pedal, it's not an effect, either.
 
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#14
Matt O said:
Edit: Also, it would have made more sense if you had posted this thread in the recording gear forum. Because, not only is the Motown D.I. not a pedal, it's not an effect, either.
Click to expand...

I agree that Recording Gear is the place for this but the unfortunate thing about that section is that it doesn't really get much activity, then again that's not really a good reason to put it elsewhere. Playing devil's advocate, there is actually quite a bit of DI discussion in the Amps forum and Effects, most of them here dedicated to strictly pedal DI/preamps though. In the end, the important thing is that users can find it when they are looking for such info - that's the great thing about TB, it's a great resource. If it's deemed better in another forum the mods can always move it to make it more easily searchable.
 
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#15
Matt O said:
Hm. You keep using that word.

It is a direct input module (D.I.), not a pedal.

But I suppose if you buy one you can call it what you want. I just suggest you don't stomp on it like you would a pedal.

Edit: Also, it would have made more sense if you had posted this thread in the recording gear forum. Because, not only is the Motown D.I. not a pedal, it's not an effect, either.
Click to expand...

Yes. While it is a DI as I mentioned, it doesn't have a footswitch so its not a 'pedal'. Now we're all happy.
 
#18
"50 were made with the NOS transformers before the supply was exhausted. These apparently are the sought after DI's."

I think that number is more like 60-65 limited edition units which contain the NOS transformers. Mine is limited and is #55. Ed Wolfrum was involved with these units. Blackbird Studios here in town bought something like 10 of them. One of these was given to Don Was.
 
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#19
This is a VERY interesting direct account from Ed Wolfrum. Notes much of the planning and production process + the fallout between parties (Al & Ed): Link Removed

He wrote this in response to all the blowback from the Gearslutz thread and posted the link there so everyone would be more informed.

A nice touch that you might miss if you don't read the whole thing (it's loooong), he posts a schematic for noncommercial use at the bottom.
 
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