Bench testing setup for console modules

[Gareth Connor]

With reference to racking of modules:

I have since "wandered out" of that universe, since many other folks also had the same idea and pricing for our time became a "race to the bottom". I decided that McDonald's pay/hour wasn't my cuppa tea.

Ha, ha, ha.  ;D    Great post Brian! That's got to be one of the best descriptions of the non-appreciation of audio engineering & electro-mechanical packaging skills I have heard for a long time. The situation not much better in 2015; probably worse in the UK than the USA.

Looking at your Audix racks, I have done similar rack-ups (about 10 years ago) for Calrec PQ1253, PQ1895 and other M-Series modules. Folk that have them like them and folk that want them don't want to pay....

Cheers,

Gareth.

 

[Aniol1349]

Thanks for your reply Gareth,

Yes, I'm just starting out, even though I have been learning by myself for the last 3 years I have a lot of gaps in the knowledge . Luckily I got a place on an Electronics Engineering course so I'm hoping to learn a lot.

As for the testing, I get it, there's a lot of things happening between all the modules, it's a complex system and its hard to simulate it properly on a bench.  At this stage I wouldn't probably dare to work without schematics. Sometimes I think I made it pretty difficult for myself to focus on such relatively complex circuits at this stage of my journey with electronics hehe

I did a whole dissertation on upgrading Soundcraft Ghost modules, including spectrum analysis of pre/post mod results. I have really learn a lot doing this.

btw. really nice website you have, impressive work!

Regards
Hubert

 

[Gareth Connor]

Hi Hubert,

Thank you .

It's interesting that you chose the SC Ghost and module upgrades for your dissertation. Well done on you EE course placement. Respect, Sir and the very best of luck.

Similarly to yourself, I cut my teeth on Soundcraft consoles in the late 1970s & early '80s, often with only rudimentry but accurate schematics to work with. (Hand drawn, and that a couple of years later I got to recognise as Graham Blyth's drawing / writing style when I worked at SC).

Having already dissected the SC Ghost, you will have built-up familiarity with several of the SC building blocks that you will find, with variations where required, through many of the company's consoles of that era.

A friend/colleague of mine is quite happy to work without schematics at times (he fixed one of the Audio Precision System 1 units we have at work), but Neil is a "Jedi Master" when it comes to audio repairs.

Keep-up the practical work, it's the best way to learn. Don't be afraid or put-off by the occasional and unexpected puff of smoke from an expiring protection resistor - it's only doing its job under fault conditions  .
The secret is not to let it happen in front of a client (well, not too often). I've been there and its not so much the reaction to the funeral pyre that's important, but instantly working out what caused it.... and then fixing it....  that's where the points are scored!  8)

Cheers,