Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Smart MOD 7 Discontinued

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Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 03-18-2004, 03:06 AM:

I am not sure if this was mentioned before but we received a letter from SMART mentioning that they will discontinue the above mentioned processor MOD 7 because Analog Devices INC has discontinued producing chips and there is no substitude. They will present the new MOD 8 processor on Showest on March 23-25. God I would love to go [Frown]

Too bad I am not

Demetris

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 03-18-2004, 06:38 AM:

Norm Schneider, the owner of Smart Devices, has a policy of having ample reserve of parts availability to maintain equipment that he has sold. Of all the products they have produced, there is only one product, an amplifier more than 20 years old, that they can not service. The new MOD 8 will have a few new features and a slight increase in cost and will be probably sell as well as the MOD 7.

Posted by Brad Allen (Member # 470) on 03-18-2004, 12:10 PM:

It figures, just as I was about to order some. [Eek!]

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 03-18-2004, 01:54 PM:

The MOD 8 is a few dollars more and the MOD 7 should be available up to ShoWest...less than a week away [Smile]

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-18-2004, 07:15 PM:

Norm - Oscar.... Hows about putting some resistors in series with the test jacks this time around so the preamps don't oscillate....also getting the test point jacks colors in the correct locations [thumbsup]

Pleeze, Pleeze, Pleeze!!!!

Mark @ CLACO

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 03-18-2004, 08:18 PM:

On of the nice features is the mod8 will have a d pot volume control rather than a VCA

Posted by Oscar Neundorfer (Member # 458) on 03-18-2004, 09:01 PM:

It is always a problem when a parts manufacturer discontinues a crucial part. Unfortunately, as much as I love the high quality and excellent performance of Analog Devices IC's, I will now use their parts in new designs ONLY if I can't find what I need anywhere else. AD has discontinued many parts I have used over the last few years, one of them within a year of its introduction. This practice has really created a few problems for me. I understand the economics of such decisions, but it really makes life hard for the manufacturers.

The AD part in question for the MOD 7 was discontinued a couple of years ago. We made a HUGE last buy of these parts which we thought would carry us for quite a while. The success of the MOD 6 and MOD 7 was more than we expected. Each of these models uses 6 pieces of the obsolete part.

Which brings us to one of the reasons for the MOD 8.

The MOD 8 uses only 2 pieces of this part. I have enough left to make about 400 MOD 8 processors with enough left over for some other products and spares for repairs. By the time these MOD 8's are sold out, I will have re-designed the circuitry which uses this part so we can continue to make the MOD 8 for a long time.

So Brad, don't despair, there will still be a low cost processor for you.

Mark, thanks for the suggestions about the resistors and the test point jacks. It is not too late, but it is getting close.

Gordon is right. The output stage uses digital pots (to replace the obsolete VCA IC's) for the volume control of all eight channels. This makes for really good level tracking (usually less than 0.2 dB) between channels and less distortion and noise. Of course the digital pots are made by...(drum roll)... you guessed it, Analog Devices. This part was ideal for my application and I could not find another that I liked as well. Plus, it is a fairly new device, so MAYBE AD will keep it in the line for a while.

The list price for the MOD 8 is $1495.00.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 03-18-2004, 09:54 PM:

You're good, Oscar!