I think you misunderstood me. I was trying to understand what would change if I did use the higher supply voltage. I'm not trying to make it into a pristine compressor. I WANT it to be grungy and imperfect. I'm just asking questions. I know enough about electronics to make me dangerous, not much more. I'm trying to change that. So i overlook or just don't consider the fact that this is operating at mic level except for the aux out. So thanks for making me aware of the obvious! (no sarcasm intended there, i'm completely serious. i tend to find the details and miss the obvious) If I wanted to use it for line level, i'd probably just use the pad on the input since you say it would act differently with the higher supply voltage, and that would require changes that i don't know how to make.
So, the increased supply voltage seems useless and/or unnecessary.
Still interested in the stereo linking though. If I used this on a pair of ribbon mics as stereo drum room mics, or stereo acoustic guitar, or stereo anything else, wouldn't you have to have them linked? Or else the image will shift back and forth because each channel is doing something different. I don't like that. That is the only feature that I need to be like nicer compressors. So am i on the right track with my earlier thoughts?
I wish I had time to actually try my ideas out, but its my busy time and i've been out of town away from my "lab" from a month ago until february except a few chance weekends. I'm just organizing my thoughts so that when I do get home, i'm productive as hell! I'm just hoping someone has tried this before. I guess I could look into how an 1176 is stereo linked. They're both fet compressors, so maybe there's insight there.
Any other ideas?