Pico Compressor Finished w/Pics!!!!

Here is my new stereo Pico compressor!!! This was a fairly easy build and it didn't hurt my pockets. :grin: The only thing left to do is find some mounts for the boards and get those secured. This is a really smooth compressor (hence, the name Pico Suave) :green: I would recommend this build to anyone wanting to get into compressors. I designed and ordered the front panel with Front Panel Express.

As you can probably see from the pictures the controls are 3 pots for threshold, ratio, makeup gain, and three Lorlin's for hard knee/soft knee, RMS/Peak, and Bypass switch. The meter was a bit of a bitch only because having to bend the the legs of the LED's got somewhat meticulous.

Sorry for the crappy pictures :roll:

Great job. This is the the first one I've seen finished other than Rogers. Looks like a good candidate for the new Gallery Meta.

Come to think of it, a Pico meta may be a good idea.

Oh, and ummmmm, where is the power switch?

Matt

oh my god, pico suave, genius

onnn and onnnnnnn

picoooo...suavehhhhhh

Nice job!

:guinness: :sam: :guinness: :sam: :guinness: :sam: :guinness:

I appreciate the feedback, folks!

Oh, and ummmmm, where is the power switch?

Click to expand...

I do not have a power switch for it. I probably will add one to the back.

Whose knobs are those?

Click to expand...

Duh! Those are my knobs!! :roll: J/K I ordered them from Musik Dog, or something like that, out of Europe somewhere.

Did you link them with true power summing?

Click to expand...

Si, Senor~

I bought the knobs at Das Musikding

http://www.musikding.de/product_info.php?cPath=36_97&products_id=176

Does anyone know where I can find some of those adhesive type spacers?

Arent they the same as these from Small Bear?

http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=455

Peter

Wayne, I have not checked the level balance yet. What is this test?

Thats' a great looking front panel!! :thumb: :thumb:

I really like the white on green.......I may have to get some of those white knobs sometime :green:

Insides look good too.

Here is an audio clip of the Pico Suave in action. This is a rough stereo drum track bone dry with no compression (and using some mighty fine DIY mic pre's, I might add :grin: ). You will hear the compressor turned on after 4 measures and then fade out.

http://www.adamholtmusic.com/sample.mp3

I have the ratio all the way up, with the threshold at about -25, and hard knee peak limiting. This is just my personal taste in drum compression; it might be over the top for some of you, but I love that squishy, bouncy sort of sound for some things. To me it sounds like a smooth version of the GSSL.

Cheers for the sample :thumb:

Looks great , [ and clever title ]

I'd almost order a panel if it was available

Small bear does have knobs like those , but be careful as the colored ones
sometimes DON'T look like the pictures [ color not as nice or deep thus
looking a little cheesy ] so far black , white & creme o.k. , red & green
i wouldn't order again .

How did your yamaha's turn out ?

regards Greg

I'd almost order a panel if it was available

Click to expand...

Order a panel? As in, you want me to shoot you the .FPD file? I'd be glad to if you want.




I am still working on it. :? The top channel is getting a distorted signal and I am trying to trace it. This is another Front Panel Express panel. :grin:

Sure , that would be great [ i don't even have pcbs yet , but a nice panels always makes people feel better about the gear ! ]

the Yamaha looks great , really together , as per the other thread discussion , a schematic so you can trace through with even a little
computer speaker to pick up the signal and something to run a toen into it
will help ya if you don't have an ociliscope

regards Greg

What PSU did you use for the Suave?

[quote author="bubba_b"]What PSU did you use for the Suave?[/quote]

Looks like PeterCs Green Pre PSU. I'm going to use mnats psu since I don't need the phantom power.

Matt