SB4000 Support Thread

[TheJames]

For the audio In/Out, meter, front panel switches not on the control board, power LED, LED VU meter, and power input to the main board, Mike's kits are currently shipping with white, locking header connectors.  The "male" side is mounted on the board in all of these locations, the "female" side is a crimp terminal that is inserted into a white plug that will properly orient and lock with the "male" connector on the board.  Most builds seem to be using the green screw terminals for these connections, but Mike's kit shipped with these white connectors.

Now...I like the idea of these connectors and I'd like to keep them and use this type of connector for some of my own projects which is why I want to know what crimp tool I need to make these go.

If you open up the assembly manual for the SB4000, you will see pictures of these connectors.  For instance, the picture on page 4 of the PDF illustrating the needed fix for the phase issue on the rev 4 boards.

 

[wave]

You would need something like this to crimp the pins

http://www.molex.com/molex/products/datasheet.jsp?part=active/0638191200_APPLICATION_TOOLIN.xml

Dave

 

[TheJames]

A look at the SA3A BOM pointed me to the KK crimp pins which their datasheet referenced this guy:

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Molex/63811-8200/?qs=%2fha2pyFaduhVBoP5Hs4Ky6%252bOis4l9gWbxLwXgvbLNyazfBDlx9G7nQ%3d%3d

That's a bit too spendy for this cowboy.  I'll have to keep an eye out for this.  IN the meantime...It might just be solder up the pins and roll.

 

[wave]

You could always just get some phoenix terminal blocks. That's what I used in my build
Those crimpers are expensive!

Dave

 

[SaMpLeGoD]

Hello all! does anyone know where can I find chassis for this project in Europe? or maybe for the backpanel, since I'll order the front one from Serpent... Anyone has an Exel sheet to ordering direct from Mouser EU, Farnell or Banzai?
Any help will be very appreciated!
Thanks!!

 

[sr1200]

Is the BOM on page 1 not working anymore?

 

[SaMpLeGoD]

Hi,

Which illuminated push-button do you use for this project? does anyone have the Mouser's part number for it?
Is SPST, SPDT, DPDT? have no info about it
Thanks a lot!

 

[wave]

Hi,

Which illuminated push-button do you use for this project? does anyone have the Mouser's part number for it?
Is SPST, SPDT, DPDT? have no info about it
Thanks a lot!

This is what i used

http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=KB16SKW01-5C-JC-ROvirtualkey63300000virtualkey633-16SKW015CJC-RO

Dave

 

[SaMpLeGoD]

Thanks a lot Wave!
Cheers

 

[mrkrawn]

hi guys i've just build a sb4000 everything looks good +15 -15 +12 -12 ok
all leds work when i turn switches (no fire) but the unit pass audio when no power up.
Is it normal ? i've build some gssl before which work fine and i remember the gssl don't pass audio when no power up .
thanks

 

[Harpo]

The SB4000 is designed for this behaviour (relay operated hard bypass in relays default setting). The GSSL only forces the audio-VCAs into their CV=0V bypass condition.

 

[mrkrawn]

Thanks for your quik reply harpo
so I can put oamps safely now?

 

[SaMpLeGoD]

What you guys think about the Quad VCA option? is just a question of have -6dB in Signal to Noise ratio? any other reason? What about using THAT 2181A instead the B or C version? is really diferent?
Thanks

 

[mrkrawn]

Hi everybody
i put Oamps in place and test with drum and bass
Sound like fire
Thanks for this very good project

 

[TheJames]

I'm not completely done yet, but just today got it fired up and passing audio.

I need to perform the distortion adjustments, get some panel mount XLR M's (thought I had those!), and find some knobs for it.

The crimp tool was out of the question so I ended up soldering all of the pins for the KK connectors and rolled.  Time consuming...But not too bad.

About the only thing I really ran into was drilling the front panel to fit the Collective Cases 1U basic enclosure.  Dan sent a doc with the spacing on the case and it turns out you need to come in just a hair from the inner-most guide holes on the Serpent Audio front panel.  Initially drilling the pilot hole from the back, then larger holes from the front (with the front panel taped of course) was the besst route to getting the holes in the panel.

Hopefully this week I'll be able to button this one up!

Much thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread and especially Mike for bringing this project to us!

 

[MarsonAudio]

Hello there

on my SB4000 I am experiencing a peculiar problem - the inputs seem not leveled - the left input has at least 4 or 5 Dbs difference from the Right ... yet if i turn the unit OFF and then ON again the inputs level equally... what could it be???

Thanks

Marson

 

[sr1200]

Marson, ive had that happen as well, only a couple times though.

 

[jona]

1. i´d like to put two jlm 40 led vuppm meters into my sb4000 instead of the GR Meter and the original vu bargraph. for 2 channels the meters need 100mA max. they can run with +-12v or +-15v.. can i connect the meters directly to the sb4000 psu´s +-12v or +-15v?
2. between GR input of jlm meter and meter cal on sb4000 pcb, i have to add another tl071. can i connect vcc-/Vcc+ from tl071 direct to sb4000 psu +-15V?




thanks..

 

[benranco]

Hello, this is my first post. I've been enjoying my SB4000 which I built successfully thanks to the many great comments on this thread. One thing I'm very curious to try is to replace the TL074's with OPA404's. Would I need to change anything else, or is it just a direct swap? See below for why I'm so curious to try it:

...I'm curious if I should upgrade the TL074's with OPA404's that I have lying around:

Had a cool experience with OPA404 I did not expect.

I replaced a TL074's of a GSSL (also with dual or turbo or oxford mode) sidechain rectification/ratio amp with OPA404. Gain reduction did not change as expected, but the sound of the compressor transformed dramatically! With OPA404 I could do much deeper gain reduction with less artifacts. It removed the "phat" SSL trademark sound, and it sounded more like some kind of transparent mastering unit. One friend commented that it "sounds like a plugin now". I guess TL074 has some serious issues with transients. Looks like speed counts immensely when we are buffering rectified (sharp discontinuities) audio. Looks like the slow TL074 "distortion" is a big part of the SSL sound.

 

[MountCyanide]

This isn't a support question. More of a recommendation for those making their BOM purchases--
MOLEX drives me insane. Absolutely.
Instead, grab the Phoenix screw terminals. Far more convenient for installing and switching out.
And nothing proprietary about them. Just a little screwdriver.

Full disclosure: I don't own any Molex tools and cut open my thumb while using said screwdriver.