Another SSL finished ...Pics uploaded

hi,

I was really busy the last couple of weeks working on the SSL Clone. When I first tried it yesterday, as usual, it didn´t work, even the lamp wasn´t burning. About the lamp I found out rather quick that I had used one with a bulb, I just changed it for a led and now it works.
Then I had messed around with the hookup wires for the Threshold and Make-Up pots, I wasn´t quite sure how to connect them but I could figure it out from a picture I saw here.

Finally I got it working now! First I tried with some drumloops and I´m really impressed at what sounds I can get with it. I found that I was just playing with the controls, something I usually don´t do because most of the time I´m too busy "thinking" about what they´re supposed to do. Even more so since I used that Behringer meter which is far from accurate (btw I used a 3.3K resistor with it, is that correct?), its way better to use my ears than staring at the meter :wink:

now I´m just wondering, if I turn the threshold real down (like -20dB), there´s far too little make-up gain to get the signal anywhere loud again. Is it supposed to be like that?
And when I send a signal out of my software, let´s say at -2 dB and put the SSL in Bypass, the return signal comes back with considerably less volume, like -8 dB or so. Is that o.k.?

Anyway, I wanna thank everyone here for all the info and especially Jakob for this amazing piece of gear !

I will post some pics soon.

Reggie

[quote author="reggie"]
now I´m just wondering, if I turn the threshold real down (like -20dB), there´s far too little make-up gain to get the signal anywhere loud again. Is it supposed to be like that?[/quote]


Is my logic correct in thinking that if you feed the unit an unbalanced -10dBv line level signal, compress it -20dB and then feed it to a balanced +4dBu input, the makeup stage would first need to makeup the -20dB of limiting and then add even more gain to bring the signal up to unity at +4dBu. This seems like it might be the case...

Dont know if that applies to your situation, but its something to consider. If you are feeding it +4dBu line level, it should makeup 20dB with little difficulty. Mine has a ton of gain.

dave

I didn´t think about that, thanks soundguy for the hint !

But actually the signal comes out of my Motu, which is +4dB and from there goes straight to the ssl. I will check my cable again though, I just soldered one quickly since I didn´t have a fitting one around, maybe there´s the problem.

reggie

you will find that even with the balanced +4 setup you can compress to the point of not being able to makeup for it. You will also find that you will not need to turn the threshold down much to get great sounding compression.

remember: less is more! :green:

but really, you shouldn't have to makeup too much gain if you are compressing just the peaks. for effect you might have to turn it up a little bit but i've rarely had to go 6db or so above unity output.

good luck! :thumb:

thanks Svart for this info. I hooked it all up now with good cables and tried around a bit more and you´re exactly right. For great effects I do not have to turn down the threshold so much, it sounds perfect with a lot less. I just wanted to make sure everything works as it should.

Also the Behringer meter goes crazy when I turn down the threshold more than about halfway. You can hear it clicking when it hits the right side of the scale :shock: Though I´m not quite sure if the 3.3 K resistor that I used is really perfect, I might try another one or a pot to set it up.

Reggie

Also the Behringer meter goes crazy when I turn down the threshold more than about halfway.

Click to expand...

It does that on my unit as well, I am currently using a Sifam 1 mA VU meter and I think it has nothing to do with the meter but that it is an incorrectly adjusted threshold range. If I turn the threshold down more than half way, the audio signal gets very quiet and distorted, with the needle sticking to the right side of the meter. This has been discussed before, do a search for threshold adjustment or something like that, and please post your results, I have been wanting to do this myself, but haven't found the time yet.

I also used a beringer meter for my first ssl comp...

with a 12k resistor full scale is 20db gr

yesterday I read through the ssl threads again and did the threshold adjustment .I increased the 100K resistor (feeding the negative input of TL072) to 127K. Then I replaced the meter resistor for my Behringer meter, which was 3.3K with a 12K. I also put a 39 K resistor in series with the Threshold pot to move the range.

Now the meter does not hit the right edge of the scale anymore and I can turn down the threshold a lot lower than before without the signal becoming very faint. Though it still does that when I turn the threshold all the way to the left. But all in all those were improvements that I´m quite happy with now.

I also made some pics which you can see here:

http://www.3ealities.com/downloads.html

thanks for all the help,
Reggie

Hi Reggie

That is a totally original box design for a pro audio device. Very nice. :thumb:

chrissugar

looking good :thumb:

if it were me I would have put in a bigger VU :green:

I like it, it's very nice!

Very nice box. It´s really oldschool.
Hammerschlaglack, geilo :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
Jens

thanks for your nice comments :grin:

if it were me I would have put in a bigger VU

Click to expand...

you´re right, there could have been a much nicer (and probably better working VU), but the big issue here was money ...

Hammerschlaglack

Click to expand...

yes, Hammerschlag is my all time favorite, my G7 psu is also like that !
Especially since I did not pay one cent for that case, I grabbed it from the local garbage.

reggie

Is this garbage close to me? :grin:
Jens

great look!

enjoy!!!