Matthew Jacobs
Well-known member
Hello Everyone
Just wanted to show some pictures of my latest GSSL and to thank all the people that made it a reality! (in no particular order)
- A big thanks to Gustav for the boards and being so cool and helpful about everything, especially in getting the boards to me as soon as possible despite all the problems with the Danish post office.
- A big thanks to Purusha for the case and suggesting the switches. Beautiful work, makes the GSSL look pro!
- A big thanks to Mike at Hairball for the Meters. Also a big thanks to all those involve in developing this meter (IIRC Stereokiller and Ptownkid)
- A big thanks to [silent:arts] for the bypass boards
- A big thanks to Rochey and SSLtech for their Turbo and CRC board from ExpatAudio and SSLTech for his post on calibrating ratios
- A big thanks to Pascal from Sibalco for helping me get the knobs
- A big thanks to Clintrubber's for the Super Side Chain
- And finally a big thanks to Kingston for his mods (trimmers) and Op-amp suggestions
I built this unit as a gift for a very good friend of mine who as permanently left the UK to return to Brazil. He is a musician/producer/engineer who has taught me so much about music, especially Jazz, engineering, mixing and producing. After hearing my GSSL he wanted one so bad that I decided to build him one.
This was my most intense DIY build as it had to be built quick and completely as my friend had a plane to catch. Normally DIY takes me ages and I usually start using the units in there incomplete state (like my GSSL (in the background in the first picture) hasn't had a meter for more than 1 year... hey, at least I've learnt how to use my ears... lol)
This GSSL has:
- Power switch for 110/220 V mains supply
- True Bypass, relay operated, separate 24V regulated supply
- Rafi switches from conrad.com with LEDs also running off the 24V supply
- Turbo board, switchable
- CRC board
- 2 Super Side Chains
- That 2080 VCAs
- OPA2604 and OPA604 op-amps
- Trimmer to set unity gain
- Trimmer to set ratio
- Trimmer to calibrate meter
- Panasonic FC caps
- No 100nF caps in signal path
- 1/2 W Metal Film resistors in signal path
- Made sure all the panels, including the front panel, are electronically connected (scraped off paint and used wire)
Any advice on how I could improve my future builds welcome.
I didn't really get a chance to burn things in and use it a lot as I had to give it away but the calibrating process was cool and fun. I got the ratios spot on, actually just the 2:1 and the 10:1, the 4:1 was off by less than 0.5dB. I think it's impossible to get all three ratios spot on, so it's more an art of balancing all three... The turbo mod is great... at first I though what's all the fuss about? the original sounds better... then I realised I got the switch the wrong way round... ha ha ha. I actually left it like that cause I thought the compressor will probably mostly be used in the turbo mode so I didn't want there to be a extra light constantly on on the front panel. The SSC is such a cool feature and the THRUST mode is really cool. My friend likes to use a lot of makeup gain, he claims the compressor sounds better that way... so I calibrated the compressor using the trimmers to have 3dB less gain... that means that he can apply 3dB extra makeup gain. The true bypass is excellent. You can really tell what the circuit is adding to the signal. All in all a really cool and versitile compressor.
Thanks for looking
J
Just wanted to show some pictures of my latest GSSL and to thank all the people that made it a reality! (in no particular order)
- A big thanks to Gustav for the boards and being so cool and helpful about everything, especially in getting the boards to me as soon as possible despite all the problems with the Danish post office.
- A big thanks to Purusha for the case and suggesting the switches. Beautiful work, makes the GSSL look pro!
- A big thanks to Mike at Hairball for the Meters. Also a big thanks to all those involve in developing this meter (IIRC Stereokiller and Ptownkid)
- A big thanks to [silent:arts] for the bypass boards
- A big thanks to Rochey and SSLtech for their Turbo and CRC board from ExpatAudio and SSLTech for his post on calibrating ratios
- A big thanks to Pascal from Sibalco for helping me get the knobs
- A big thanks to Clintrubber's for the Super Side Chain
- And finally a big thanks to Kingston for his mods (trimmers) and Op-amp suggestions
I built this unit as a gift for a very good friend of mine who as permanently left the UK to return to Brazil. He is a musician/producer/engineer who has taught me so much about music, especially Jazz, engineering, mixing and producing. After hearing my GSSL he wanted one so bad that I decided to build him one.
This was my most intense DIY build as it had to be built quick and completely as my friend had a plane to catch. Normally DIY takes me ages and I usually start using the units in there incomplete state (like my GSSL (in the background in the first picture) hasn't had a meter for more than 1 year... hey, at least I've learnt how to use my ears... lol)
This GSSL has:
- Power switch for 110/220 V mains supply
- True Bypass, relay operated, separate 24V regulated supply
- Rafi switches from conrad.com with LEDs also running off the 24V supply
- Turbo board, switchable
- CRC board
- 2 Super Side Chains
- That 2080 VCAs
- OPA2604 and OPA604 op-amps
- Trimmer to set unity gain
- Trimmer to set ratio
- Trimmer to calibrate meter
- Panasonic FC caps
- No 100nF caps in signal path
- 1/2 W Metal Film resistors in signal path
- Made sure all the panels, including the front panel, are electronically connected (scraped off paint and used wire)
Any advice on how I could improve my future builds welcome.
I didn't really get a chance to burn things in and use it a lot as I had to give it away but the calibrating process was cool and fun. I got the ratios spot on, actually just the 2:1 and the 10:1, the 4:1 was off by less than 0.5dB. I think it's impossible to get all three ratios spot on, so it's more an art of balancing all three... The turbo mod is great... at first I though what's all the fuss about? the original sounds better... then I realised I got the switch the wrong way round... ha ha ha. I actually left it like that cause I thought the compressor will probably mostly be used in the turbo mode so I didn't want there to be a extra light constantly on on the front panel. The SSC is such a cool feature and the THRUST mode is really cool. My friend likes to use a lot of makeup gain, he claims the compressor sounds better that way... so I calibrated the compressor using the trimmers to have 3dB less gain... that means that he can apply 3dB extra makeup gain. The true bypass is excellent. You can really tell what the circuit is adding to the signal. All in all a really cool and versitile compressor.
Thanks for looking
J