Gssl - Man is this thing agressive!

iangomes · Sep 9, 2010

So i've had my GSSL done for about a year now, and I have to say, I'm finding that it's really an obvious compressor! You can really hear the compression. I had the impression that it would be a pretty clean bus compressor when I first built it, but I've got to say, I'm not digging it on the 2bus at all! Anyone else finding similar results?

abechap024 · Sep 9, 2010

How much compression are you usually digging into your 2 buss?

My experience is that if you can really hear it (in a bad way), then its not set up optimally.

Try setting it up by ear instead of using your meters.

(punchy) 10 ms attack and 300ms release 2:1 , adjust the threshold till you think things start to sound just a little bit more "together" or "bigger" or whatever. the usual 1-3 db is a good starting point for this buss comp for me. Too much compression and not matter how "transparent" any compressor is you will hear it working - sometimes for the better sometimes for the worse

(smooth) if you really want to smooth things out try .1ms and auto release. Can suffocate your mix to death, but sometimes it works welll....

I like to hear my compressors working most of the time, otherwise why compress??

But you should find the Gssl more than reasonably transparent...
But don't take my word for it -

AC

edit: read the title of your post and "aggressive" is Probably a good way to describe its sound sometimes! I love its aggressive ness. punch up the kick and SNR and I like how the 2buss starts sounding. but then it can sound incredibly smooooottthhhh. yummy like syrup.

jackies · Sep 9, 2010

I have yet to build a gssl, so I wanted to ask, aggressive as in like, pumping?
Very audible compression action?
And turbo/supersidechan mods are there to reduce that?
So like, if I wanted more pumping, I don't need no turbo/supersidechan?

pucho812 · Sep 9, 2010

I have 2 gssls. 1 has the switchable side chain filter the other has the switchable side chain filter and thrust.... they are good. However on the 2 mix buss without the sidechain filter the low frequency can really make the gssl heavy handed... I usually have the filter on in such an application.

phishman13 · Sep 9, 2010

I'll double up on what abechap had to say. in my experience there is one setting that is pretty much standard. 10ms att, 300ms, 4:1, setting for about 2-3 db GR unless you want to dig a little deeper, but usually never more than 4. That setting will glue most songs together just nicely. I will have to explore some more settings that you mentioned to get a feel for em. Honestly, I'd probably be happy hard wiring that one setting and only have thresh and makeup knobs!

I do agree it can be agressive sounding, but that's what i like about it. Its not that it "pumps" so much but really just the fact that you can hear the compression. The turbo and sidechain just makes what you can do a bit different. The overall character is still the same though.

I love the SSL bus comp. I built 3 of them for a local studio as an intern during college and am wiring up the 4th right now, but this one's MINE! I've used a "real" ssl comp in the Duality, and we had an alan smart C2 and the G-SSL with stock SC came dangerously close to both. With the turbo, even closer. Build one! You'll use it. haha.

zayance · Sep 9, 2010

However on the 2 mix buss without the sidechain filter the low frequency can really make the gssl heavy handed... I usually have the filter on in such an application.

+1

jtoole · Sep 9, 2010

I love my GSSL and often choose to use it in a parallel configuration on 2bus or drum aux. Anybody else try it that way?

I find you can push it a bit harder, then back it off a bit in the sum. Can really breath life into things without overdoing it. May be a better option if your seeking more transparency. I love the crunch on the drum transients you can get by pushing it a bit, so I'm not really looking for transparent from it though. ;D I'm focused on more aggressive stuff to start, so it really depends on the material to determine how you'll approach it.

And for me, the knobs may as well not have settings.

Its all just listening and finding the sweet spots... I tend to end up on the slower settings with relatively moderate gain reduction.

ruckus328 · Sep 10, 2010

It would be nice to know what your typical configuration is, ie turbo, ssc, etc?

I don't really find any of my units aggressive. I mean, if you push it hard sure, but no more than any other compressor. It does have a certain vibe/sound to it that's definately distinguishable though, but that's why I love it.

iangomes · Sep 10, 2010

Yes, maybe I should have been more specific in my OP.
My unit is a Turbo with SC/thrust circuits.
The settings I've been going to the most end up being 10-30 ms attack, and the fastest/second fastest release (don't remember what number value it is). Usually 2:1 (Lowest ratio, it goes 2:1, 4:1, 10:1) and only digging in about 3db on my meters. I usually don't really look at the compressor that much. I just use my ears to find the best setting I can.
The sound I'm hearing is a kind of firmness if you know what I mean. For example, when you turn up the ratio of a compressor, the sound gets firmer (at least to me). It sounds to me like the ratio is too high at 2:1. Maybe I should open my unit back up and do a ratio modification of some sort.

EDIT: After looking at a schematic, it seems I was thinking of the 1176's ratios. The GSSL ratios in the schematic are 2:1, 4:1, 10:1. This has been corrected

nhaudio · Sep 10, 2010

I love it on drums, no turbo. It really brings a groove on its own with the heavy pumping.

kambo · Sep 10, 2010

really great on drums, and stereo buss with lundahl input trx. turbo hardwired. no SC

abechap024 · Sep 10, 2010

Yea

iangomes said:
Maybe I should open my unit back up and do a ratio modification of some sort.

Thats whats great about DIY you could make it 1.5 to 1. I bet it would give you soem nice results...I might try that on my next build.

phishman13 said:
... Honestly, I'd probably be happy hard wiring that one setting and only have thresh and makeup knobs!

I've thought about doing that too!! Just make a 2 buss Gssl with hard wired 10/300ms control. Save a lot of time/money. lol and it soudns great.

But I've also found one of my favorite settings is also, 1ms/600ms attack/release for tracking VOX

sounds absolutely colored and wonderful.

But seriously a redesign of the GSSL for tracking, ----like a 4 x mono (switchable stereo link x2) unit with a Fast/Slow Attack and a 300/600ms release setting and threshold and makeup gain knobs would be a really fun project I think...
I know I would get a lot of mileage out of it...
How many of us have only used one side of a GSSL for mono instruments??!
...sometime

spica · Sep 10, 2010

Maybe it is just me but I have a hard time getting mine to sound too compressed. With a slow (10 ms+) attack, I can squash a ton and it is pretty subtle...

Having never heard one before, I was surprised how subtle it was. I have had the chance to A/B it with the plug-in from SSL and found the compression to be VERY similar. The hardware box sounded a little "realer".

I have the turbo always in on mine and made my own high pass filter board that I use some of the time.

reanimatorstudio · Sep 11, 2010

I don't like it on piano, on stereo bus it's ok, parallell on drums (without rooms and/or OH) with Trust it's great!!
I use it as one of my "set and forget" compressors, like the LA2A. So yes you could build a unit with fixed attack, release. If you make it feedback, you need only one knob (make-up)!! More make-up will give you more compression (reed lower threshold). I did this mod and I need 10 seconds to set my compressor. We have to compete with the in-the-box-guys timewise.

desol · Sep 12, 2010

iangomes said:
Yes, maybe I should have been more specific in my OP.
My unit is a Turbo with SC/thrust circuits.
The settings I've been going to the most end up being 10-30 ms attack, and the fastest/second fastest release (don't remember what number value it is). Usually 2:1 (Lowest ratio, it goes 2:1, 4:1, 10:1) and only digging in about 3db on my meters. I usually don't really look at the compressor that much. I just use my ears to find the best setting I can.
The sound I'm hearing is a kind of firmness if you know what I mean. For example, when you turn up the ratio of a compressor, the sound gets firmer (at least to me). It sounds to me like the ratio is too high at 2:1. Maybe I should open my unit back up and do a ratio modification of some sort.

I'm liking my unit (stock- no turbo, etc) across a mix at the moment, but the settings are a mere 1-1.5db reduction, 30ms, 2:1, 600ms release.

It's barely touching it and sounds good. Better than without it.

riggler · Sep 12, 2010

Hey desol I like your stuff man. Just listening. Really dig it.

So I have boards here for the original gssl and I also have the expat turbo board for it. But then there was a thread a while ago about this dude from philly building an "ultimate" gssl board that had all the option pretty much built in.

I think I might really want the SC, as evidenced by the GSSL comparison thread we had a while ago. Should I build the ultimate gssl, or just build what I got?

W DeMarco · Sep 13, 2010

I have a turbo'd G and I have no fears about using it on the 2buss but as others have said the idea is to use it to glue or weld the sound just a tiny bit. I have it set up under the console and never have the chance to actually look at the meter so I really only touch the threshold a bit. Any more and it does become a obvious thing.

regularjohn · Sep 13, 2010

iangomes said:
It sounds to me like the ratio is too high at 2:1. Maybe I should open my unit back up and do a ratio modification of some sort.

If your ratio is too high at 2:1 then you haven't calibrated it, and I worry that you've built these for other people. You can put a 200K trimpot in place of the 127K ratio resistor to properly calibrate all the ratios. Also...are you sure that your meter is properly calibrated? Replace 2K meter resistor with a 5K trimpot. So many people build gssl's without adding calibration trimpots, which are VITAL to get it working properly. Unity gain trimpots are a must as well.

It's also 100% vital to make the necessary resistor changes to accomodate the VCA you are using. If you're using THAT vca's and going by the pcb silkscreen resistor values, you will have a comp that sounds heavy handed. If you're getting a noticeable "compression" sound, then I'd venture a guess that proper resistor changes haven't been made.

A properly built and calibrated gssl with THAT2181 VCA's is one of the most transparent comps around. Especially if you use faster opamps in the audio path.

MikoKensington · Sep 13, 2010

regularjohn said:
A properly built and calibrated gssl with THAT2181 VCA's is one of the most transparent comps around. Especially if you use faster opamps in the audio path.

I've never found any SSL-style compressor to be transparent at all. (SSL's, Smart's, GSSL) Even with as little as 0.5DB of GR, it's far too "grabby" sounding for me. I can think of times where that's what I wanted, but never on the 2-Bus. It works great in a parallel compression situation, but I've never felt wowed enough to buy or build one. Diff'rent Strokes, I suppose.

regularjohn · Sep 13, 2010

MikoKensington said:
I've never found any SSL-style compressor to be transparent at all.

I suppose it depends on the builder and the components used. The real SSL for sure is not transparent (DBX202's and 5534's - grit central), I've never used the Alan Smart so I can't comment on that one. But the gssl, when built properly can be virtually invisible up to 5dB gain reduction...and depending on the source material can be a transparent glue out to 10dB. However this requires a good number of circuit modifications - many of which are still undocumented on this forum, as well as a lot of Jim Williams-style back of the pcb psu decoupling.

Last year I designed my own buss comp circuit that uses a modified version of the SSL4000 sidechain along with my own high speed audio path, and my customers consistently comment that it's the most invisible comp they've ever used. So it can be done...

Gssl - Man is this thing agressive!

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