[BUILD] Hairball Audio - Elements

[3dB]

Mike,

I've built a Copper, Bronze and Lola over the past couple of weeks - all nice amps! I'd like to use INPUT#2 on my Purple Audio Sweet Ten for these modules. Any reason why I couldn't just jumper over from pins 8 & 10 to pins 7 & 9 on the edge connector?

Thanks,

Rob

 

[Echo North]

Mike,

I've built a Copper, Bronze and Lola over the past couple of weeks - all nice amps! I'd like to use INPUT#2 on my Purple Audio Sweet Ten for these modules. Any reason why I couldn't just jumper over from pins 8 & 10 to pins 7 & 9 on the edge connector?

Thanks,

Rob

Should work.  Jumper 7 w/ 8 and jumper 9 w/10.

Mike

 

[Laurapax]

I had meant to add that Im using Steves Guide to Photoshop Elements & Premiere Elements 7 and that I referred to the section on "Adjusting Audio Levels on the Timeline."

___
NEW XRumer + SocPlugin: revolutional method in SEO and SMM

 

[Diamondj421]

Guess who's back! I think I jinxed myself, bragging about the ease of which I completed my first build, a Lola. I got a Bronze pre today and just finished it. Plugged it in and all seemed well until I turned the gain and output knobs up half way while using the DI. The signal got very distorted. It appears to be working ok when using the mic input but it's hard to tell since I can't turn it up too much (Neighbors aren't fans of loud noises at 6am. Weird, I know). While trying to run the green wire through the PCB a second time after it came out, I may have fried the pad but it's still good if connected to the cable next to it, no? Could that be the cause? Thanks in advance!

Jeff

 

[Echo North]

Guess who's back! I think I jinxed myself, bragging about the ease of which I completed my first build, a Lola. I got a Bronze pre today and just finished it. Plugged it in and all seemed well until I turned the gain and output knobs up half way while using the DI. The signal got very distorted. It appears to be working ok when using the mic input but it's hard to tell since I can't turn it up too much (Neighbors aren't fans of loud noises at 6am. Weird, I know). While trying to run the green wire through the PCB a second time after it came out, I may have fried the pad but it's still good if connected to the cable next to it, no? Could that be the cause? Thanks in advance!

Jeff

The DI will be distorted unless the output is full CW. You want the output maxed for the cleanest signal.  Try that.

 

[Diamondj421]

Gain at 12 o'clock and output all the way up, it still sounds muffled and distorted. I know this is a more colorful pre than my Lola, just didn't know if it's supposed to be this extreme. Haha. Here are some samples.  Please pardon the cheesy-ness.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5xJ9UrTIGjtdnlXcUNCWnRNekU

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5xJ9UrTIGjta2FXak5JS0FzSWc

 

[Diamondj421]

With enough time, I will prevail! Turns out that one of the TO-220s was mounted backwards. Tricky little SOBs! Thanks anyway! Like everything else, it sounds phenomenal!

 

[Chrome Heart]

I finished the Elements Gold kit a few days ago. Very nice preamp.  It was an easy and well documented build, and only took an afternoon to complete. Well done, Mike. I'll need to get a couple more.

 

[Geekmusic]

Hi Mike,
I just finished the build of a Gold preamp. The instrunctions were great, but i still managed to mess something up. DI and Mic Input seem to work, 48v seems to work,  pad works, Outputcontroll works, but...
The Input control (grayhill switch) doesn't do anything. No matter which position the switch is in i get the same (rather weak) level of amplification.  Could you give me a hint where i should start my search?

Thanks,
Philip

 

[Echo North]

Hi Mike,
I just finished the build of a Gold preamp. The instrunctions were great, but i still managed to mess something up. DI and Mic Input seem to work, 48v seems to work,  pad works, Outputcontroll works, but...
The Input control (grayhill switch) doesn't do anything. No matter which position the switch is in i get the same (rather weak) level of amplification.  Could you give me a hint where i should start my search?

Thanks,
Philip

I would check all the solder joints on that mini PCB.  Look for shorts.

Mike

 

[Geekmusic]

Hi Mike,
I just desoldered the mini pcb to check (see attached images). Althoug its not the cleanest job i've ever done the joints look ok. The weird thing is, that i just measured the resisance between the outer legs that connect the mini pcb to the main pcb. I always get 20kOhms no matter what the switch position is. Center leg to outer leg reads no connection.
Could i have a broken switch?

 

[Geekmusic]

Hi Mike,
I just measured connections to understand how the switch pcb works (sorry, im an electronics noob). Looking at the pcb from the top and measuring resistance between the left leg (that connects to the main pcb) and the resistors, resistance just adds up from r1 to r10. I get the same measurements starting from the right pin going through resistors in the oposite direction. So far i can confirm that currently all components starting from the left leg ->r1->...->r10-> right leg are connected in serial. Turning the switch does not change the measurements.
The middle leg (connection to the main pcb) is not connected to any of the resistors. The only connection i get from that pin is to the center pin of the rotary switch. This does not change regardless of switch position. Am i wrong in assuming that the three legs that connect to the main pcb should basically work like a pot? So if i measure the resistance between left and middle leg with the switch in position 6 i should get the resistance of r1+r2+...+r6?

To me it looks like a broken switch... could i be right?

Thanks,
Philip

 

[Echo North]

Hi Mike,
I just desoldered the mini pcb to check (see attached images). Althoug its not the cleanest job i've ever done the joints look ok. The weird thing is, that i just measured the resisance between the outer legs that connect the mini pcb to the main pcb. I always get 20kOhms no matter what the switch position is. Center leg to outer leg reads no connection.
Could i have a broken switch?

No the outer legs always show total resistance of the chain.  What you want to do is measure between the middle leg and on of the outer legs.

 

[Echo North]

Hi Mike,
I just measured connections to understand how the switch pcb works (sorry, im an electronics noob). Looking at the pcb from the top and measuring resistance between the left leg (that connects to the main pcb) and the resistors, resistance just adds up from r1 to r10. I get the same measurements starting from the right pin going through resistors in the oposite direction. So far i can confirm that currently all components starting from the left leg ->r1->...->r10-> right leg are connected in serial. Turning the switch does not change the measurements.
The middle leg (connection to the main pcb) is not connected to any of the resistors. The only connection i get from that pin is to the center pin of the rotary switch. This does not change regardless of switch position. Am i wrong in assuming that the three legs that connect to the main pcb should basically work like a pot? So if i measure the resistance between left and middle leg with the switch in position 6 i should get the resistance of r1+r2+...+r6?

To me it looks like a broken switch... could i be right?

Thanks,
Philip

You want to measure between the middle and one closest to the daughter board edge.

 

[Geekmusic]

If I measure between the middle leg and any of the outer legs there is no connection.

 

[dobrobson]

Hey Mike!

I've been working on my first preamp build, an Elements Copper, and have hit a snag. It's passing signal, both mic and DI, but both are real dirty sounding and low volume. I've double checked all of my connections and that everything is in the right place, but I can't get to the bottom of it. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[Echo North]

Hey Mike!

I've been working on my first preamp build, an Elements Copper, and have hit a snag. It's passing signal, both mic and DI, but both are real dirty sounding and low volume. I've double checked all of my connections and that everything is in the right place, but I can't get to the bottom of it. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Both are acting the exact same?

Make sure if there are a pads that should be shorted...they are shorted.

 

[dobrobson]

Both are acting the exact same?

Make sure if there are a pads that should be shorted...they are shorted.

Yes - with both knobs cranked, I get similar levels and distortion from the DI and mic input (same effect on condensers and dynamics).

Also, much less importantly but still frustrating - one of the two knobs won't tighten fully and comes loose after one turn. Pot stem looks normal, maybe I just need to replace the cap screws?  I can upload pictures tonight if that helps.

 

[Echo North]

Yes - with both knobs cranked, I get similar levels and distortion from the DI and mic input (same effect on condensers and dynamics).

Also, much less importantly but still frustrating - one of the two knobs won't tighten fully and comes loose after one turn. Pot stem looks normal, maybe I just need to replace the cap screws?  I can upload pictures tonight if that helps.

And you have the output full CW? Maxed out is the output default position (cleanest gain) with proper gain setting.

 

[dobrobson]

And you have the output full CW? Maxed out is the output default position (cleanest gain) with proper gain setting.

I do! I'll take some pictures of the board and post here tonight. Thanks for your help!