SSL 4000 E series Console, Restoration and Chop down Project

sintech · Aug 27, 2011

Hi, this is the latest project on the bench ;-) The plan is to chop the console down from 40, to a super cute 24 channels, also removing the G+ computer.

If anyone has the schematics for the Plasma metering, I would be in your debt

I've only dealt with 4k's with VU metering in the past, so this is a new area.

Any suggestions are welcome

SSL arrives!!

Frame In and ready for reduction on Monday

PSU Fired up, first time in 6 months.. fans sound nice and quiet

Bypassing the computer, via the Fader buss cards

Bypassing the computer, VCA 1-8 and Master Fader In Blue

Most cards look great, and a lot have been re-capped, this is the worst!!!

ouch!

sorted!

zayance · Aug 27, 2011

Very nice, Good luck! 8)

gemini86 · Aug 27, 2011

Holy crap, what a project.

I envy you, and don't, all at the same time.

gyraf · Aug 28, 2011

40 channels? That may very well be our old friend from Feedback Studio 2 !?

I may still have copies of some of the documentation - let me know if you miss some..

Jakob E.

sintech · Aug 28, 2011

gyraf said:
40 channels? That may very well be our old friend from Feedback Studio 2 !?

I may still have copies of some of the documentation - let me know if you miss some..

Jakob E.

Aha!!! Jakob, the console came from Denmark,... so it just might be

))

Any info, would be great, thank you. I didn't get a service manual, found some stuff online and within the forum. There was stuff in the GroupDIY Gmail, but I think a lot of stuff has been deleted from that account

Majestic12 · Aug 28, 2011

When you chop it down from 40 to 24 channels, do you have any channelstrips ready for sale?
Just asking, because a friend of mine would need 3 channels from a 4k board.

helterbelter · Aug 28, 2011

sintech said:
........................ also removing the G+ computer.

Any suggestions are welcome

You don't need this anymore. Better give it to me. ;D

Nice project by the way. So, you're doing a complete overhaul as well ?!? That's a lot of work.

Ptownkid · Aug 28, 2011

Are you re-capping the VCA cards? I've been doing a re-cap on a 4k for the last week, and noticed an error on the silkscreen on the VCA cards...it shows a + where the negative leg of one cap should go. I believe it was C11 which is a 22uF cap.

Good luck!!!

sodderboy · Aug 28, 2011

That's a great project.
Go through that PSU and check all mechanical connections- the screws on the caps/bridge rectifiers, the lugs and the euro barrier strips. Any sign of heating of the crimp connections is a warning that should be heeded. A 40 frame load is not so bad for one supply, but check it through. I always clean the lugs and the screw terminals with alcohol and put a light wipe of progold on them. Anything brown or even worse, green gets cut and re-lugged. The caps go as well if they are original. Same with the 1000 mF axials at the output of each voltage. They are hidden in the rats nest of wire at the back and forgotten. Clean the edge connectors and PCB's of the regulator cards with alcohol wipes on cardboard or plastic card stock, and apply a bit of progold. I also find that those transformers on the cards like to get cold solder joints over the decades, so give the boards a good look.
The thing will last forever powering only a 24 frame.
Mike

desun · Aug 29, 2011

When going through the supply, check the colouring of the wires, i've had a cap (i think from the +250V section) go bang-- the colour coding didn't match what the schematic said-- + and - off of the bridge were black/yellow, but were the wrong way round! So i followed the schematic, and hooked the cap up the wrong way... doh!

gyraf · Aug 29, 2011

sintech said:
Any info, would be great, thank you. I didn't get a service manual, found some stuff online and within the forum.

Hmm - off the top of my head:

- One of the sides of the back-bus (the two last of the quad bus) outputs was phase reversed - we never found the electronic reason for this. I don't remember if we changed it at the card or at the patch panel. So look out for mixbus phase reverse if you change the cards. EDIT: my notes, freely translated, say: Backbus R pre-VCA insert, cable "L4", has been phase-reversed - on purpose - at the connector "SL90" underneath the board - reason was unexplainable phase reverse on BBR. 22-02-1998

- From time to time the 4040 develops some very confusing crosstalk between aux sends - this is due to damaged switching FET's (in center section iirc.). Very hard to diagnose properly.

- Be VERY careful when servicing the plasma meter driver electronics - there's +250V in there, which hangs around for a long time after power down.

Note:
I found quite a lot of left-back original documentation when I looked through our storage room: Maybe we could make a deal: I send you everything that I have, and you promise to get it scanned and posted online (possibly in this forum?) for others to use? Reason is that I simply don't have any spare time for this sort of stuff right now, and I'd rather not part with it unless it can be made publicly accessible.

Jakob E.

Ptownkid · Aug 29, 2011

great offer Jakob, if sintech does not have time I will gladly do it. We're in the middle of a 4k overhaul right now as well

sintech · Aug 29, 2011

gyraf said:
sintech said:

Any info, would be great, thank you. I didn't get a service manual, found some stuff online and within the forum.

Click to expand...

Note:
I found quite a lot of left-back original documentation when I looked through our storage room: Maybe we could make a deal: I send you everything that I have, and you promise to get it scanned and posted online (possibly in this forum?) for others to use? Reason is that I simply don't have any spare time for this sort of stuff right now, and I'd rather not part with it unless it can be made publicly accessible.

Jakob E.

Jakob, that would be brilliant, I have a great scanner here, shall I PM you my Address?

gyraf · Aug 29, 2011

yes please - and/or email to gyrafaudio at gmail.com

If possible, please make sure that Ptownkid gets the info he needs....

Jakob E.

sintech · Aug 29, 2011

Thank you to everyone for all the suggestions and advice, it's all massively helpful 8)

Todays Progress:

mornin'

My mate Si starts to adjust the Metalwork

Finished, the 24 frame

De-looming the two end buckets

The Split

The 4024, super compact

Console and frame ready to move inside this week.

The stuff left over

Checking for fit, the 16 bucket on the 24 frame

Ptownkid · Aug 29, 2011

gyraf said:
If possible, please make sure that Ptownkid gets the info he needs....

Jakob E.

Indeed, please do!!! I've seen some discrepancies in different versions of the documentation so it's always nice to reference other sets. In the meantime, if you need anything specific just ask Sintech.

Cheers

Igor · Aug 29, 2011

Awesome! Guys, you rock!
I have an access to grey fat books, plasma schemo is here, as well as some other stuff.
The book which have plasma schemo is always at my workshop, can scan or take hires pic.
Feel free to contact, mail/facebook/skype.

(edit: is this the info you need - check the photo?)

sintech · Aug 29, 2011

Igor said:
Awesome! Guys, you rock!
I have an access to grey fat books, plasma schemo is here, as well as some other stuff.
The book which have plasma schemo is always at my workshop, can scan or take hires pic.
Feel free to contact, mail/facebook/skype.

(edit: is this the info you need - check the photo?)

Thanks Igor, that's the section I need

if you have the time, it would be awesome

Igor · Aug 29, 2011

Cool, will take pics/scans; where to send?

sintech · Aug 29, 2011

Igor said:
Cool, will take pics/scans; where to send?

Thanks Igor

, my addy is seeyoutomorrowwithmytools(at)hotmail.com

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