LA2A V2 issues

I'm a total newb to the DIY world and managed to put together drips V2 LA2A in about a day and a half including rolling my own case. I'm pretty sure i did everything correctly as i took my time and triple checked everything and I didn't blow anything up on the first power up. After I installed the tubes and T4 I pumped in some audio and the unit passes audio. The issue i'm having is that when i turn the gain reduction fully clockwise the signal cuts out completly. Also as i turn the pot clockwise the volume decreases slightly but it doesn't sound like its compressing. The gain pot works like it should. I wouldn't know how to tell if the Limit/Compress swith is doing anything. Also the VU meter isn't doing anything. I zeroed it out. When i flip the meter switch the needle slams hard left. When i flip the switch it goes back to zero. The meter I have is the Sifam AL29WF.
Anybody have any ideas on my issues?

Greg suggested that I needed to make sure I was sending enough signal to actually get it to compress. The compression is very subtle even when extreme. It's part of the beauty of the sound.

I got a defective pot from Digikey that would spin completely around. There was a spot after full on where it would be completely off.

The limit/compress switch is in compress mode when closed.

Try adjusting the Stereo adjust and limiter response controls and see if you notice any difference. Try extreme settings.

Good luck.

...

I just built two and noticed with one of them, that it didn't compress and sounded distorted when the reduction control was fully clockwise, similar to what you're describing. I needed to turn the stereo ballance pot the other way.

Ok i figured out what was wrong. The lead going into the PCB on the RED2 place from the reduction pot had a bad solder. After i reflowed the solder everything worked. I can hear the compression and the VU meter is moving now. I'm not sure on how to adjust the Limit St and St Adjust pots. As for the Limit/Compress switch am I correct in assuming that when the compression sounds more agressive its in limit mode and when the compression is a little softer its in compress mode.

So far this thing sounds pretty good. Ran my bass through it and A/B'd it with the LA2A in & out of the signal chain without gain reduction and it does ad some beef to the tone and gives if a softer vibe. It takes some of the edge off the DI also. I'm digging it so far. Its given me more of apprection of the UAD-1 LA2A plugin because of the characteristic of the hardware and plug are so alike. Cool stuff. Time to get working on a faceplate.

I'll post some pics of my ghetto case when finished.

Ok so I have a issue with my la2a that i've had for a while but never got around to fixing it. The Sifam meter seems to have crapped out. I'm not really sure if it has but I was told by someone on this forum to hook it up to the output to see if the meter will work. They also said to pop in a resistor (3.6k) i think some were in there. Does anybody have any idea how I would wire this up to the output? I'm guessing i'll just hook up the wires from the meter to the XLR output.

there is a LA2 specific help thread, you can look thru there if everybody is watching the world series today, like all red blooded americans should be, except me, who will be at the neil young bridge concert along with all the other ultra left, communist aging woodstock tie die hippy types, I bet AP will not be there, he probably has to do something for his wife, why do people let themselves get into situations where they completely lose their independance, and thus self, id, whatever you want to call it, sigmund.lose cool people in the world what say?
Metalica meets Tom Waits, s/b interesting.

also click on the last link on the bootom of my sig line for a rouble shooting ref for future problems ,becuase usually a person has 1.7 issues per unit, so you get 0.7 tech questions answered next time.

next ti e you hijack the forum with your self serving threads, i will call 911 and beat you on the kidneys with big branches, causing you to piss blood for years, just kiddin, real men build 670's but yo be cool, bra, im out...

F baseball and F neil young. I've never been a fan of watching grown men run around in tight pants, not my thing.
Independence? Whats that? The greatest illusion you can give slaves is independence and freedom. Its a great head job. Look at Americans for example, poor bastards. Yea I know, if I don't like it get the hell out. Save the slogans and sound bytes for some other mindless idiot who believes everything their told.
Speaking of mindless idiots, I checked out the link you suggested and well....I don't what to make of it. I'm still learning about this electronics stuff and don't know how to read that stuff yet. I also have done a little bit of forum searching for my problem it's just going to take some time to find my answer as i have to work in some time in my schedule for this kind of stuff. Which lead me to my posting. I'll just keep searching for now and maybe blow something up while i'm at it.

what?
dude, i was just kiddin, chil out, I am here to Help you.
Are you on crack?

Yea i was joking to, well except about the baseball and neil young thing.
The problem isnt that i'm not crack, is that I don't have any right now and i'm going through withdrawels damnit. Crack is a hell of a drug.

...

I think i may have to sell my crack to get some crack cuz man am i desperate.

On another note, I found the thread were I originally posted my issue
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=21012&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=165

I just also noticed that the lamp on the sifam meter crapped out.....hmmmmmm

I sold my hole for rock and roll.
Ask Bubba.
In the big house.
Have to learn to rap.
Just moving into the projewctas like kid rock ait gonna do it.

HS 29 for sale 500 bucks

brand spankin

[quote author="CJ"]except me, who will be at the neil young bridge concert along with all the other ultra left, communist aging woodstock tie die hippy types, I bet AP will not be there, he probably has to do something for his wife, why do people let themselves get into situations where they completely lose their independance, and thus self, id, whatever you want to call it, sigmund.lose cool people in the world what say?[/quote]

WTF, over? Did you consider that while AP may enjoy the music of Mr. Young, perhaps the rest of the line up doesn't appeal to him enough to pay $$$, deal with crappy parking at Shoreline, and all that crap? Or perhaps sitting 600' from the stage on a steep grass slope while watching big video monitors just isn't as fun as going to a small venue where you can sit at the bar and have a beer, not have to walk a quarter mile and wait in line to pee, talk to the band between sets, etc?

He also may even like the other choices he's made in his life as well. Give me a break, man. Different strokes and all that.

A P (who was, in fact, enjoying the nice weather and doing yard work yesterday)

Turned out I had a crapped out meter. It was under warranty so I had it replaced. I've noticed this new meter isn't as finicky ass the meter that crapped out.

Now about the hiss. How much hiss is normal on these units? Mine hisses pretty loud, sounds like its having a hissy fit.