Feeler: ez760 - Compressor/Limiter/Expander/Gate

[redmojosteve]

Just a quick update. We put some audio through both channels (drum bus) and it works just as I had hoped (phew!). Even though the first channel got a bit frustrating during the build and took a while to get sorted out, the second channel came together quickly including the calibration. It's amazing how much and how quickly you learn when things didn't go as I expected!
Cheers
Steve

 

[Gustav]

Just a quick update. We put some audio through both channels (drum bus) and it works just as I had hoped (phew!). Even though the first channel got a bit frustrating during the build and took a while to get sorted out, the second channel came together quickly including the calibration. It's amazing how much and how quickly you learn when things didn't go as I expected!
Cheers
Steve

Never built one of these myself, even thought Im selling the boards - worth it?

Gustav

 

[strangeandbouncy]

Hi Gustav,



    if the kit is anything like the original 760, (and I have not doubt that it is!), it is extremely worth it in my book! One of my favourite compressors. I sadly don't own any at the moment(that work!- 2 dead ones). They are top of my "to build" list, and that is for sure!



        ANdyP

 

[Dr Gris]

Still watching this thread.
Any user who would like to share impressions....

Best
//M

 

[redmojosteve]

I would suggest that it is definitely worth building. There is a high component count so there are plenty of opportunities to put in a wrong value component but that could happen with any project. My unit is a 2 channel item and one of the problems I thought I might encounter was that there could be some "crosstalk" between the two output transformers. It hasn't turned out to be a problem. The units sound just like the squashing "effect" you can hear on the drums on some of the Zeppelin tracks, as well as many others, so they are obviously doing the right thing. The lengthy calibration process might dissuade some builders but it's clearly set out in Colin's excellent build guide. I found that calibration was an iterative process and worked through it 2 or 3 times to arrive at the final settings. Don't let this put you off as once you run through it for the first time, it really is much easier next time through. And the result is well worth it.

Steve

 

[Dr Gris]

Thats great Steve, thanks for sharing!

Would you mind post a pic of how it looks?
I'm thinking of getting two separate 1 unit cases from Dan (ddt) but I'm not sure.
Maybe I'll go another route.

Best
Magnus

 

[Davo]

Hey guys... I'm finally getting my double unit up and running but I'm having a problem.

I'm running a 1k .775v sine wave into my units, and I'm getting -6dbu output while bypassed...  (engaged, I'm getting -9dbu)

The strange thing is that I'm getting -12.5 dbu after the input xformer (was expecting -6dbu in this configuration)... and the transformer orientation
is correct

Any ideas??  My I/O boards look to be kosher

Thanks!
Dave

Edit:  Colin was good enough to lend me a hand... my signal generator wasn't working nicely with the carnhills

 

[redmojosteve]

Magnus
If I have got this right there should be a picture of the finished dual channel EZ760 on the bench but without its lid. At this point it was fully tested and working and ready to go in the rack. As you may be able to see there is quite a lot packed into the enclosure. I used 40mm (I think) threaded brass spacers between the two boards to provide the clearance for the output transformers but still leave some headroom in the case.
I've got a photo of it in the rack and powered up but that is still in my iPhone at the moment.
Cheers
Steve

 

[Dr Gris]

Thanks again Steve!

It looks great, I want, I need this!!

Stereo link?

Best
// M

 

[redmojosteve]

I didn't want to spoil the front panel so I have put a small toggle switch on the back to provide stereo link switching. It's been mainly used as two independent channels so far so I can't say much about the stereo link but I'll provide an update when I get some more with it.

Cheers
Steve

 

[tonycamp]

Steve! congratulations(you lucky son of a gun ;D) Lets see some more pictures of the inside, i only know this rig by colouring book. I hope to be starting my pair soon.

really nice job broman
T

 

[redmojosteve]

Thanks for the nice words! I'm very pleased with the results. I'll get some more photos of the inside sometime  when I get the chance but it's all nicely working in the rack now.
Cheers
Steve

 

[tommypiper]

Guys, are your PCB pads all white?  ???

I have never seen something like it.  It seems to be paint or a coating on the silver pads, including the through holes, on both sides of the PCB.  If I scrape off the coating I see shiny silver underneath.  Are we supposed to manually scrape off this coating?  Or is it a new high tech thing that burns off with soldering?  I don't dare try soldering until I find out what it is... I've asked Gustav but he doesn't seem to know and he thinks it might be me misunderstanding how PCBs are supposed to look, or not seeing the silver correctly....  ???  yeah riiight... so I have to ask you guys.  It seems too uniform and clean and white to be oxidization or anything other than intentional masking.  But how can this be?  Gustav says he checks them when he packages them for shipping...  Am I going crazy?  The PCBs also seem to be covered with fine oil or a chemical... but what do I know, right?

I'd upload a photo but I don't know how...

EDIT:
Adding Photo.  Full scale version link below.

See if this works... http://imgur.com/EcRyPYZ

 

[haima]

Maybe try giving it a good rub down with a clean cotton rag or towel?

I think i've seen something like this before... but it was fine after I gave it a quick polish.

 

[Gustav]

Guys, are your PCB pads all white?  ???

I have never seen something like it.  It seems to be paint or a coating on the silver pads, including the through holes, on both sides of the PCB.  If I scrape off the coating I see shiny silver underneath.  Are we supposed to manually scrape off this coating?  Or is it a new high tech thing that burns off with soldering?  I don't dare try soldering until I find out what it is... I've asked Gustav but he doesn't seem to know and he thinks it might be me misunderstanding how PCBs are supposed to look, or not seeing the silver correctly....  ???  yeah riiight... so I have to ask you guys.  It seems too uniform and clean and white to be oxidization or anything other than intentional masking.  But how can this be?  Gustav says he checks them when he packages them for shipping...  Am I going crazy?  The PCBs also seem to be covered with fine oil or a chemical... but what do I know, right?

I'd upload a photo but I don't know how...

See if this works... http://imgur.com/EcRyPYZ

Tommy.

Like I replied to your mail, I was not trying to talk down to you at all. When I call my internet provider with a problem, their first question is always "Is the unit plugged in? Is there a light?". I bet they do that for a reason, and not because they think I am some special branch of stupid.

There are customers who write me, because they are confused about the silver pads, and some are even more so confused, because they are only used to bare copper (as in, why are the pads not brown?). I have no way of assessing  your level of expertise (I do not keep a "This "real name" belong to "this user on groupdiy" record") , so my question about your familiarity with commercially manufactured PCBs and the possibility of the silver pads throwing you off was by no means designed to put any kind of blame or talk down to you.

I also did not refer to looking at the rest of the manufactured batch to put you down or shift blame of any problems to you, but simply to try to see if there was some common problem on the current batch of EZ760 boards. If your boards do have some sort of coating on them, I think its prudent to see if it manifest itself on any other boards from the same batch.

I have your pictures, and my suggestion that the silver pads might be throwing you off still stands. I don't see anything wrong with the PCBs in the pictures, and the silver is very milky white, which has thrown off better men than you. If there is some sort of oxidation or coating on the boards which I can not find on the rest of the batch or see on the pictures, I am, of course, still willing to try to figure it out.

I see in my records you got two sets of boards, so I would also like to know if you are having a problem with both boards. Again, this is not to shift any blame or to put you down, but because I am trying to be methodical and help you with your problem.

Feel free to mail me again.

Gustav

 

[desol]

Be nice to hear a clip of one of these, in action...

 

[shabtek]

I had/have similar problems with 'corrosion'--see reply #173
cleaned all pads with a rubber eraser and that helped. I have only (nearly) completed 1 unit

 

[Gustav]

I had/have similar problems with 'corrosion'--see reply #173
cleaned all pads with a rubber eraser and that helped. I have only (nearly) completed 1 unit

I checked your post, and just to get to the bottom of this.

Was your problem perhaps oxidation?

The reason I ask is, if you had yellow/brownish pads, this is unavoidable if the boards are exposed to air pollution over time. It can easily be cleaned, and one of the easier methods is using an eraser to rub it off.

Tommy's traces are perfectly white. What he seems to be worried about is wether there is a layer of something over the pads. So far, I have not been able to see anything than the silver being a different color, milky white,  from usual tin/lead plated pads.

Gustav

 

[shabtek]

it was white maybe tan oxidation that did effect soldering... would  soak in vinegar be a 'solution'

 

[tommypiper]

Guys, are your PCB pads all white?  ???

I have never seen something like it.  It seems to be paint or a coating on the silver pads, including the through holes, on both sides of the PCB.  If I scrape off the coating I see shiny silver underneath.  Are we supposed to manually scrape off this coating?  Or is it a new high tech thing that burns off with soldering?  I don't dare try soldering until I find out what it is... I've asked Gustav but he doesn't seem to know and he thinks it might be me misunderstanding how PCBs are supposed to look, or not seeing the silver correctly....  ???  yeah riiight... so I have to ask you guys.  It seems too uniform and clean and white to be oxidization or anything other than intentional masking.  But how can this be?  Gustav says he checks them when he packages them for shipping...  Am I going crazy?  The PCBs also seem to be covered with fine oil or a chemical... but what do I know, right?

I'd upload a photo but I don't know how...

See if this works... http://imgur.com/EcRyPYZ

Tommy.


I don't see anything wrong with the PCBs in the pictures, and the silver is very milky white, which has thrown off better men than you.

I have your pictures, and my suggestion that the silver pads might be throwing you off still stands.

Gustav

I don't appreciate this continued condescending tone  "better men than you..."  I am your customer!  There are no better men than your customers!  Hello! 

You refused to take my polite emails seriously and continued to suggest it was my fault, even insinuating that I didn't know what a PCB was supposed to look like.  It may be my fault, that's fine, but until you have the facts and thoroughly investigate this issue it is not helpful or kind to blame the customer.

You told me I was either ignorant, inexperienced, or the silver is throwing me off.  And you still insist the silver is throwing me off.  You don't think I know what silver pads look like?  You think the photos look like silver?  I'm speechless....